ARE 4-DAY WORKWEEKS, FLEXIBLE HOURS THE FUTURE OF FULL-TIME?

A four-day workweek sounds appealing to workers. Possibly alarming to employers.

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A bill introduced in the California legislature earlier this year proposed a regular pay rate for 32 hours of work per week, with overtime kicking in after that. The measure stalled in committee for a lack of broad support but could resurface in 2023.

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 worldwide.

Of more than 1,000 U.S. adult employees surveyed by research firm Qualtrics in January, 92% said they would support their employer going to a four-day workweek; 79% of them said it would help mental health, and 82% said it would make them more productive.

Will more employers embrace the change?

THE CHANGE CAN BE CHALLENGING

“I’ve always been curious about burnout. It truly affects those that should be thriving,” says Lisa Belanger, CEO of ConsciousWorks in Canmore, Alberta. She consults with businesses on workplace well-being. In her quest to find “how work is meant to be,” she decided to explore a four-day workweek herself.

Results have been mixed, at best, she says.