The case for a 4-day workweek

Being a workaholic is a cultural norm in the United States: just look at how little vacation time we get compared to other developed countries; or, observe how our productivity gains from robots and automation never trickle up, but merely result in more work and stagnant wages. There has been a lot of talk about a national minimum pay raise, federal paid parental leave, and paid sick leave from progressive presidential candidates, but no explicit discussions of a massive work culture overhaul like a four-day work week. “Reduced work hours showing up in pockets, such as paid family leave, paid sick leave, even vacation time,” he said. “Minimum hours, for part-timers however, is an even more salient cause in the U.S. right now, but that can be connected to the hours limits for those who are ‘overemployed,’ in the U.S. it’s about choice rather than one national standard, in my honest opinion.” Compared to our European counterparts, America is far behind when it comes to protecting its citizens from being overworked by capitalist overlords and providing basic social benefits. “There’s a wealth of evidence that individual health suffers with long hours, and is improved with shortened hours, though it depends on timing, rest breaks, days for recovery, choice over schedules, etc.,” he said.