Some US lawmakers are pushing for a four-day workweek
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A few members of Congress have wholeheartedly accepted the advice of Kunu (Paul Rudd’s character) from Forgetting Sarah Marshall – the less you do, the more you do.
This week, a trio of lawmakers led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) unveiled a bill that would establish a standard four-day workweek in the US without any reduction in pay.
Over a four-year period, the bill would lower the threshold required for overtime pay from 40 hours to 32 hours, while also requiring overtime pay of at least 1.5x regular salary for workdays longer than eight hours. The measure also includes stipulations to ensure US workers see no loss in pay for their reduced hours/week.
- In a press release, Sanders cited several pilot programs and studies that found an overwhelming majority of companies that shifted to a four-day workweek saw their productivity remain consistent or even improve, despite the reduction in hours.
- He also mentioned studies that showed such a scheduling change resulted in higher worker satisfaction, decreased rates of burnout, lower childcare costs, and reduced carbon emissions.
On the flip side: Opponents of a four-day workweek argue that studies have yet to conclusively prove that companies won’t lose revenue, citing a previous four-day workweek initiative in Japan that coincided with a 20% decline in the country’s economic output between 1988 and 1996 (after which the plan was scrapped).
- Critics also say shifting to a four-day workweek without any reduction in pay would be unsuitable for a wide range of industries where services must be provided at fixed times, including transportation, retail, and hospitality.
👀 Looking ahead… The new four-day workweek bill is unlikely to gain enough support to pass both chambers and become federal law this legislative session. Similar measures were introduced by members of Congress in 2021 and 2023, but they both failed to come to a vote.
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Sprinkles in favor of a four-day workweek with equal pay
- Some commentators argue that the push for a shorter workweek shouldn’t be framed as becoming more productive, but rather that it would allow workers to become fuller people who have time to pursue their own unique interests.
- Others contend that an increasing number of countries and US companies are slowly discovering that science shows a four-day workweek is better for workers and employers, since it results in healthier, happier, and more productive employees.
- “We’re making the wrong argument for a four-day workweek” –Christine Emba, WaPo
- “Can a four-day workweek really work? Many companies have already learned the answer” –Juliet Schor and Wen Fan, LA Times
- “Why stop at the four-day workweek?” –Oshan Jarow, Vox
Sprinkles against a four-day workweek with equal pay
- Some commentators argue that a shift to four-day workweeks without a reduction in pay is a fantasy that many business executives and experts dismiss as unrealistic, and companies would be wise to work with employees to reduce their working days through other means.
- Others contend that four-day workweeks aren’t good for companies or employees, since companies will face a decline in productivity and workers will be laid off due to lost profits and bankruptcies.
- “There’s no magic in a 4-day workweek” –Jose Maria Barrero and Steven J. Davis, The Hill
- “A four-day workweek would destroy everything that made America great” –Liberty Vittert, NewsNation
- “Opinion: Mandating the 4-Day Workweek Is a 'One-Size-Fits-None' Policy” –Brent Orrell, American Enterprise Institute
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