The Pandemic Could Finally Usher In The 4-Day Workweek
4 years, 5 months ago

The Pandemic Could Finally Usher In The 4-Day Workweek

Huff Post  

Government employees of the small municipality of Guysborough, Nova Scotia, have worked half the week in the office and half the week at home for the last few months in order to reduce contact with each other and limit the spread of the coronavirus. But as wages stagnated over the last 40 years and more people involuntarily worked part time in the wake of the Great Recession, a “scarcity mentality” — that there wasn’t enough work and wealth to go around — took hold. It proposed a four-day workweek, among other policies, and made the case for “limiting the excessive hours worked by some people, thereby making more work hours available to those who want to work more, and giving all workers control over our time.” The proposal has been slow to gain traction with lawmakers and businesses. If the U.S. does start to transition to a shorter workweek, any policy would have to ensure that work-sharing was extended across all jobs and sectors, while also ensuring that everyone was guaranteed a job with a living wage “The pandemic gives us an opening to talk about what kind of work is really needed,” Schor said. “Furthermore, eliminating one round-trip commute week after week for millions of Americans could radically reduce nationwide transportation emissions — the biggest source of carbon dioxide pollution in the U.S.” Microsoft found that a shorter workweek can result in immediate environmental benefits.

Pandemic Employees Work Workers Getty Images Hours More Time Working Schor Workweek Shorter Guysborough Finally Usher  week  employees  finally  usher  hours  workweek  fourday  workers  pandemic  shorter  4day  working  work

History of this topic

Four-day work week: An idea whose time is all but sure to come
1 week, 5 days ago

Four-day work week: An idea whose time is all but sure to come

Live Mint  

In the old days, when a formal job usually meant a sarkari one, work flexibility meant something else. This week, the administration of Tokyo said that from April next year, it would give its staff the option of a four-day work week, with a full three days off. “We will review work styles," said the city’s governor Yuriko Koike, “with …

Angela Rayner has struck the wrong note on a four-day week
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Angela Rayner has struck the wrong note on a four-day week

The Independent  

Angela Rayner’s department has dropped its opposition to a local council experimenting with a four-day week for its staff. But Ms Rayner, who is local government secretary as well as deputy prime minister, accused the Tories of “micromanaging” local authorities. Now her department says: “Although it is not government policy to support a general move to a four-day working week …

Four-day working week under Labour: How it could work and who is supporting it
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Four-day working week under Labour: How it could work and who is supporting it

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But, speaking to LBC, she added that flexible working was …

There’s nothing to fear from the four day week – and employers know it
3 months, 3 weeks ago

There’s nothing to fear from the four day week – and employers know it

The Independent  

Opponents of the government’s proposals for a four-day week – part of its “Make Work Pay” initiative, which will be unveiled in Parliament this autumn – have been busy conjuring up images of France. First of all, it’s worth pointing out that the government has flatly denied any plans to impose plans for a four-day week upon employers – or …

A four-day working week would help those who need it most – women
3 months, 3 weeks ago

A four-day working week would help those who need it most – women

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Under new …

Four-day week can boost productivity, Labour insists
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Four-day week can boost productivity, Labour insists

The Telegraph  

A four-day week can boost productivity, a Labour minister has insisted after a business backlash over the proposals. Baroness Smith, the education minister, said allowing employees to work a week’s worth of hours in four days rather than five could help parents get back into work. Lady Smith, a minister in the New Labour years who returned to the frontbench …

Independent readers divided over the four-day working week
4 months ago

Independent readers divided over the four-day working week

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Here’s what you had to say: ‘There’s more to life …

A four-day work week won't be on the horizon for decades
8 months, 1 week ago

A four-day work week won't be on the horizon for decades

Live Mint  

Billionaires and Senator Bernie Sanders agree on at least one thing: They see a four-day work week in America’s future. Some big technological innovations promise to make people more productive, but a four-day work week will not be the norm anytime soon. The Sanders bill also stipulates that employers can’t reduce pay if people work fewer hours as a result, …

Column: The eight-hour workday was the paramount goal of unions in the 1800s. Is the four-day workweek next?
9 months ago

Column: The eight-hour workday was the paramount goal of unions in the 1800s. Is the four-day workweek next?

LA Times  

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain testified to a Senate committee on March 14 that a four-day workweek would benefit his members and millions of other workers. They say, ‘I wish I had more time.’ — United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain Are you surprised that big employers would fight a shorter workweek for their employees? They always say it’s …

Bernie Sanders wants the US to adopt a 32-hour workweek. Could workers and companies benefit?
9 months, 1 week ago

Bernie Sanders wants the US to adopt a 32-hour workweek. Could workers and companies benefit?

Associated Press  

The 40-hour workweek has been standard in the U.S. for more than eight decades. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the far-left independent from Vermont, this week introduced a bill that would shorten to 32 hours the amount of time many Americans can work each week before they’re owed overtime. GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said paying workers the same wages for …

4-day working week: How does it work and could we see it in our lifetimes?
10 months ago

4-day working week: How does it work and could we see it in our lifetimes?

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Most of the …

This police department is piloting a four-day work week
11 months, 3 weeks ago

This police department is piloting a four-day work week

CNN  

CNN — In his 23 years with the Golden, Colorado, police department, a shorter workday — or work week — was never something Commander Marcus Williams thought about. “We really talked through that during those public meetings to explain that we’re not expecting people to work less, we’re asking them to work fewer hours but we’re asking them to get …

I've started my first 9-5 job and the schedule is so crazy - I don't have the energy to cook dinner or see friends
1 year, 2 months ago

I've started my first 9-5 job and the schedule is so crazy - I don't have the energy to cook dinner or see friends

Daily Mail  

A college graduate broke down in tears as she revealed her struggle to adjust to her new nine-to -five work schedule in her first proper job. Brielle, who lives in New Jersey, shared that she was struggling to find time to have a life outside of her four-hour round commute and her long work days. Brielle, who moved to New …

Editorial: This Labor Day, work-life balance is on the table
1 year, 3 months ago

Editorial: This Labor Day, work-life balance is on the table

LA Times  

The United Auto Workers union authorized a strike later this month if it can’t reach deals with the Big Three Detroit carmakers, General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis. “If COVID did anything, it made people reflect on what’s important in life, and it sure as hell isn’t living in a factory,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a video update …

Is the four-day week the future of work?
1 year, 6 months ago

Is the four-day week the future of work?

Al Jazeera  

Trials have shown that more flexible work hours benefit employees and companies. It’s possible to work fewer hours and keep the same level of pay and productivity, according to results of the largest-ever trial of a four-day workweek held in the United Kingdom. Traditional work routines were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there’s increased demand for more flexible schedules. …

Will a four-day week get workers back?
1 year, 6 months ago

Will a four-day week get workers back?

BBC  

Will the four-day workweek get employees back in office? Yet, since beginning a four-day week in June 2022, Tyler Grange’s 100 workers with offices across six UK offices choose to work in person more often. Collaboration is often harder working from home – producing the amount of work required in a four-day week would be really difficult.” Crucially, says Ursell, …

Is a four-day workweek as good as it sounds? California employees share what it’s really like
1 year, 7 months ago

Is a four-day workweek as good as it sounds? California employees share what it’s really like

LA Times  

It’s after noon on a recent Wednesday, and the kitchen and patio at ThredUp’s Oakland headquarters are packed. “I think we’re going to see more interest in this from the policy side, as well as from employers that are looking for ways to keep workers, to attract new workers and to keep their workers healthier.” The snacks are free, but …

Britons expect four-day week to be ‘the norm’ by 2030, new poll shows
1 year, 7 months ago

Britons expect four-day week to be ‘the norm’ by 2030, new poll shows

The Independent  

A majority of British people expect a four-day week to be the norm in workplaces by 2030, new polling has found. Some 65 per cent of people said they would support the government “exploring the introduction of a four-day working week, with no loss of pay for workers”, with just 10 per cent opposed to the idea. “We have no …

4-day week: 'Too short-staffed to work'
1 year, 9 months ago

4-day week: 'Too short-staffed to work'

BBC  

Four-day workweek trial: The firms where it didn’t work Getty Images Nearly all firms that took part in the UK pilot are keeping reduced hours – but not all are fully embracing the new set-up. Getty Images Many businesses need to operate five days per week, which means it's harder to reduce staff days, or they need to hire extra …

4-Day Week Trial in UK: What 'Largest Study' Says on Productivity, Work Stress
1 year, 10 months ago

4-Day Week Trial in UK: What 'Largest Study' Says on Productivity, Work Stress

The Quint  

Largest study of its kind: The study involved 2,900 workers from 61 companies across industries in the UK. What the study found: Compared to before the trials, of all the participants that were interviewed, 71 percent reported less burnout 39 percent reported less stress 48 percent found their job more satisfying 62 percent said they had better work and social …

World’s largest four-day work week trial finds few are going back
1 year, 10 months ago

World’s largest four-day work week trial finds few are going back

Live Mint  

The largest-ever trial of the four-day work week found that most UK companies participating are not returning to the five-day standard, and a third are ready to make that change permanent. Most companies adopted four-day schedules, although a small percentage opted for shorter five-day arrangements or, in the case of seasonal businesses like restaurants, an annualized four-day week model in …

4-day workweek trial: Shorter hours, happier employees
1 year, 10 months ago

4-day workweek trial: Shorter hours, happier employees

Associated Press  

LONDON — Work less, get more. A trial of a four-day workweek in Britain, billed as the world’s largest, has found that an overwhelming majority of the 61 companies that participated from June to December will keep going with the shorter hours and that most employees were less stressed and had better work-life balance. “We feel really encouraged by the …

Most companies see mental health benefits and profits increase in four-day week trial
1 year, 10 months ago

Most companies see mental health benefits and profits increase in four-day week trial

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week has …

Four-day workweek trial in UK: Shorter hours, happier employees
1 year, 10 months ago

Four-day workweek trial in UK: Shorter hours, happier employees

Al Jazeera  

Findings show companies’ reported revenue largely stayed the same, or even rose, over the June to December trial period. That was all while revenue reported by the participating companies largely stayed the same over the June to December trial period and even grew compared with the same six months a year earlier, according to the findings released this week. “We …

We're talking about the 4-day workweek — again. Is it a mirage or reality?
1 year, 10 months ago

We're talking about the 4-day workweek — again. Is it a mirage or reality?

NPR  

We're talking about the 4-day workweek — again. Enlarge this image toggle caption Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Welcome to a new NPR series where we spotlight the people and things making headlines — and the stories behind them. A 2022 Ernst & Young study into the "future of work" surveyed more than 500 U.S. C-suite and business leaders …

The climate benefits of a four-day workweek
1 year, 10 months ago

The climate benefits of a four-day workweek

BBC  

The climate benefits of a four-day workweek Steve Prezant/Alamy There's some promising evidence that a three-day weekend could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions There's growing interest in the benefits of a four-day workweek for productivity and employee wellbeing, but the picture is more complicated when it comes to climate change. "Although climate benefits are the most challenging thing to …

Who gets a four-day workweek?
1 year, 11 months ago

Who gets a four-day workweek?

BBC  

How widespread could the four-day workweek really be? But such cultures can change, believes O’Connor: “We're starting to see examples of law firms moving to four-day weeks by switching from billing by the hour to billing by project value, or by reducing their non-billable overheads so that their teams are more focused on client work.” The viability of this shortened …

Four-day work week could help avoid burnout and boost productivity
1 year, 11 months ago

Four-day work week could help avoid burnout and boost productivity

Live Mint  

Boosting flexibility at work through changes such as a four-day week may both raise productivity and reverse the growing trend toward burnout, according to a panel of experts at the World Economic Forum in Davos. A four-day workweek for everyone may also help to make women, who often work two or three days, more financially independent and lead men to …

Will a 4-day work week be successful in India? Here is what experts think
2 years ago

Will a 4-day work week be successful in India? Here is what experts think

Live Mint  

The four-day workweek seems a novel idea. But in a country like India where a lot of organizations are yet to accept the 5-day week format, a 4-day workweek sounds like a distant dream. Experts have weighed-in the pros and cons 4-day workweek work in India Sushma Sharma, Director - Career Success Solutions, LaunchMyCareer said workplace happiness is a combination …

Full list of 100 companies pledging switch to 4-day week with no pay cuts
2 years ago

Full list of 100 companies pledging switch to 4-day week with no pay cuts

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Over a hundred companies in the UK have signed up …

Will a four-day workweek work in India?
2 years, 1 month ago

Will a four-day workweek work in India?

India Today  

Professionals can choose from a variety of flexible working choices whether looking for a job or trying to adjust at their current position. An employment schedule known as a ‘four-day workweek’ sees full-time employees working four days each week as opposed to the customary five. PROS OF WORKING FOUR DAYS PER WEEK This kind of work schedule adoption frequently has …

Council planning to introduce four day working week – but with no cut in pay
2 years, 3 months ago

Council planning to introduce four day working week – but with no cut in pay

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Council leader Bridget Smith said she hoped the scheme would …

Five reasons why the four-day week won’t work
2 years, 4 months ago

Five reasons why the four-day week won’t work

Live Mint  

The four-day working week continues to gain momentum, with pilots taking place in the UK, Ireland, US, Canada and Australia. These schemes, which are being driven by non-profit coalition 4 Day Week Global, are supposed to “benefit everyone” by raising workers’ productivity, improving work-life balance and happiness levels, and reducing unemployment. To even maintain these productivity levels while working four …

The five-day work week might be fading away
2 years, 5 months ago

The five-day work week might be fading away

The Hindu  

A three-day weekend is not beyond anyone’s dream, and it may soon be a reality. Most trials of a four-day work week seem to increase or at least keep constant worker productivity. On the four-day work week, the new codes stipulate the requirement of a minimum of 48 hours per week; hence the employee will have to work for 12 …

Nearly three-quarters of employees support a four-day working week, says study
2 years, 5 months ago

Nearly three-quarters of employees support a four-day working week, says study

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

The case for a shorter workday
2 years, 5 months ago

The case for a shorter workday

BBC  

The case for a shorter workday Getty Images There’s a lot of talk about four-day workweeks – but could shorter workdays be a better approach? “And for those businesses, it may be easier and more convenient to shorten the workday.” In theory, a shortened workday may seem fanciful – after all, employers want to get as much of workers’ time …

Are 4-day workweeks, flexible hours the future of full-time?
2 years, 5 months ago

Are 4-day workweeks, flexible hours the future of full-time?

Live Mint  

A four-day workweek sounds appealing to workers. Meanwhile, 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit foundation associated with Oxford University, is piloting a six-month trial of a four-day workweek “with no loss of pay for employees.” More than three dozen companies in the U.S. and Canada are participating in the experiment, with a total of 150 organizations and 7,000 employees involved …

Are 4-day workweeks, flexible hours the future of full-time?
2 years, 5 months ago

Are 4-day workweeks, flexible hours the future of full-time?

Associated Press  

A four-day workweek sounds appealing to workers. Meanwhile, 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit foundation associated with Oxford University, is piloting a six-month trial of a four-day workweek “with no loss of pay for employees.” More than three dozen companies in the U.S. and Canada are participating in the experiment, with a total of 150 organizations and 7,000 employees involved …

Four-day work week, lesser take-home salary: The changes under the new labour laws
2 years, 5 months ago

Four-day work week, lesser take-home salary: The changes under the new labour laws

Firstpost  

If the new labour codes are implemented from 1 July, the work culture in India is likely to change. Four-day work week The proposed new labour codes provide companies with the flexibility of having four working days instead of five or six. Leaves As per the new labour codes, the eligibility requirement for leaves has been reduced from 240 working …

Inside the 'chaotic' first week at the UK's first four-day week mass trial
2 years, 6 months ago

Inside the 'chaotic' first week at the UK's first four-day week mass trial

The Telegraph  

A shorter week with no loss of pay seemed like a great idea during the strains of lockdown, when Samantha Losey was working “soul-destroying” 80-hour weeks. But after her communications company Unity was picked out of 500 applicants to join the world’s biggest four-day working week pilot, which kicked off last Monday, the managing director began to get cold feet. …

Four Day Work Week, More PF, Other Changes Likely from July 1? Here is What We Know
2 years, 6 months ago

Four Day Work Week, More PF, Other Changes Likely from July 1? Here is What We Know

News 18  

India is soon to see a change in the weekly work time dynamics as the central government is planning to implement the new labour laws from July 1, 2022, that is next month. If the new labour laws come into effect, there will be a huge shift in EPF contributions of an employee, office working hours, and take home salary. …

Majority of employers favour a 4-day workweek, survey shows
2 years, 8 months ago

Majority of employers favour a 4-day workweek, survey shows

The Hindu  

With a number of companies across the world proposing 4-day workweek for employees, a report has revealed that a majority of employers in India strongly agree that this model will help in reducing stress level. Over 60% of the employers strongly agree that the new 4-day workweek model will be successful in uplifting the overall morale of the organisation with …

Belgium gives workers the right to request a four-day week
2 years, 10 months ago

Belgium gives workers the right to request a four-day week

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Belgian workers have been given …

The 4-Day Week Is Flawed. Workers Still Want It
2 years, 10 months ago

The 4-Day Week Is Flawed. Workers Still Want It

Wired  

When New York-based digital consultancy Elephant Ventures switched to a four-day workweek in August 2020, client partner Eric Harkrader got way more efficient. He and his colleagues joked that their condensed workdays felt like a 1990s soda commercial: “It’s extreme!” By the end of his four-day week he felt shattered. Employees generally approved; some saw it as a mixed blessing, …

Is the four-day week too good to be true?
2 years, 11 months ago

Is the four-day week too good to be true?

The Telegraph  

Watching closely is a couple some 11,000 miles away in a penthouse apartment in Auckland. Together, Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart run 4 Day Week Global, a not-for-profit campaign to encourage the world to move to the shorter working model – and they won’t rest until we’re all resting three days a week. “But there we are…” He is confident …

How the 40-hour work week became the norm
3 years, 1 month ago

How the 40-hour work week became the norm

NPR  

How the 40-hour work week became the norm With the pandemic causing many workers and businesses to rethink our collective relationship with work, several companies are experimenting with a four-day work week. HOROWITZ-GHAZI: By the late 19th century, Hunnicutt says, the workweek begins to shrink to something closer to 60 hours a week for more and more people. He says …

Higher wages, shorter work week won’t fix labor shortage, business leaders claim
3 years, 2 months ago

Higher wages, shorter work week won’t fix labor shortage, business leaders claim

NL Times  

Unlike the trade unions, employers association AWVN thinks the shortage on the labor market should be tackled with a longer work week. More people currently on the sidelines should also be helped to find work, including people who immigrated to the Netherlands, and workers must not leave the workforce too quickly, the AWVN said. According to Puts, the 1 million …

Is a four-day week enough to reduce work stress?
3 years, 3 months ago

Is a four-day week enough to reduce work stress?

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Editorial: What if every week was a four-day workweek?
3 years, 3 months ago

Editorial: What if every week was a four-day workweek?

LA Times  

It’s Labor Day and many workers are enjoying a rare long weekend. There’s a small but growing movement in the United States dedicated to making that happen by encouraging companies to try scaling back work hours while maintaining worker pay. That wasn’t specifically a study of a four-day workweek, as many of the workers just clocked less time on the …

Trade union CNV urges for 30-hour workweek
3 years, 3 months ago

Trade union CNV urges for 30-hour workweek

NL Times  

The trade union CNV urged Dutch companies to introduce a 30-hour workweek as soon as possible. CNV director Piet Fortuin pointed to his own research, according to which one in five people are facing a burnout. It is high time for a new balance.” Around three in five respondents of a poll by the CNV said a quarter reduction of …

Discover Related