Does the 4-day workweek mean 4, 10-hour days?
No. To us, the 4-day workweek means a 32-hour workweek. This would mean 4, 8-hour days, or some other configuration that totals 32 hours. Our goal is to meaningfully reduce working hours, not just compress the same time into fewer days.
Will I make less money with a 32-hour workweek?
No. The proposed laws we advance ensure your take-home pay will stay the same, and the 4-day week companies in our directory have maintained full pay and benefits.
How does that work if I’m hourly?
With a 4-day workweek, you'll start getting overtime pay after 32 hours a week instead of after 40. So if your employer shifts your schedule to 32 hours a week instead of 40, under the 4-day workweek, your hourly rate would increase to make up the difference. This way, you get more free time without losing any income. For example, if you make $15 an hour today, you would make $18.75 an hour with a 32-hour workweek. This way, you get more free time without losing any income.
Why would my company pay me the same for less work?
Studies have shown that the 4-day workweek has a positive impact on company operations. 91% of the companies that piloted the 4-day workweek with no loss in pay have kept it after the pilot ended. This speaks volumes to the effectiveness of this policy for both workers and their employers.
Companies can financially benefit from a four-day workweek by increasing revenue and reducing costs. In the trial studies, 4-day workweek companies increased revenue by 30% on average due to increased productivity and streamlined operations. Additionally, companies save on costs due to improvements in retention and recruitment as well as reduced usage of healthcare, PTO, and sick leave. In turn, this allows companies to redirect these savings to workers in the form of higher wages.
And - if a law is passed, workplaces will have to follow it!
Would this impact my healthcare?
Typically, no. While companies may vary in terms of what they consider a full-time employee, the Affordable Care Act requires employers to provide healthcare for employees who regularly work over 30 hours per week. When policymakers or employers are considering advancing 4-day workweek policies, we encourage them to explore whether or not all benefits (including healthcare) would be impacted.
How could this work for healthcare or other 24/7 industries?
Just as the 5-day, 40-hour workweek is not a one-size-fits-all model, neither is the 4-day, 32-hour workweek.
All around the country, we see examples of the 32-hour workweek across different industries - a police department in CO, senior care workers in WI, Manufacturing in OH, and county workers in WA. It will take some figuring out, and it’s really important to make the process intentional, but there is a path for everyone to the 32-hour workweek.
While some people might be working a synchronized four-day week M-Th, others might have their 32 hours spread across the week to accommodate for being on-call or ensuring that a specific area is always staffed 24/7. The essential aspect is that 32 hours is considered full-time and people would be compensated with overtime for any additional hours.
There already isn’t enough time for everything I have to do. Wouldn’t this make life more stressful?
When San Juan County employees transitioned to a 32-hour workweek, 78% of workers reported a positive increase in mental health.
“The 32-hour work week has had a significantly positive impact on my life. I feel more refreshed when I come to work, and so I feel more efficient and better able to handle my fast-paced workload without feeling burned out.”
Anonymous employee, San Juan County 32-Hour Workweek Report
“A key finding of our research is that the productivity improvements companies report are not due to speed-up, but occur as a result of true enhancements to work process and culture. Our employee metrics for work intensity and the pace of work are mainly stable as measured before the trial and at six months. In contrast, workers’ self-reports of productivity and workability increase significantly.”
Dr. Juliet Schor, Senate HELP Committee Testimony
When a 4-day workweek is executed properly and thoughtfully, it becomes a forcing mechanism to address existing issues. That could look like shortening unnecessarily long meetings or cutting out unnecessary meetings completely. Move Minnesota, which adopted the 32-hour workweek, now has a policy that every meeting must have an owner, an agenda, and clear deliverables. Or it could require agencies to stop piling more work onto other workers when there is a vacant position and instead focus on driving the hiring process forward to fill those needed roles.
