The COVID-19 pandemic changed a lot about life, including how we work. As we’ve had to keep our distance, companies have had to find creative ways to handle their businesses (aka endless Zoom meetings). And as employees realized how the absence of a commute and the comforts of home left them with money and energy to spare, many weren’t in a rush to return to the office. Some have even decided that a lack of flexible work conditions is a deal-breaker in their job search.
As Robert Bird, University of Connecticut professor of Business Law, told The Washington Post, “Younger people are demanding more out of their work environment than just a paycheck,” he said. “They want to work with someone who believes in their values — and the expression of a four-day workweek sends a signal that the company cares about work-life balance in a significant and meaningful way.”
Nonprofit organization 4 Day Week Global is behind a worldwide campaign to move companies towards a shorter work week. The organization has partnered with researchers at Cambridge University, Boston College and Oxford University to launch pilot programs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
In the United Kingdom, 70 companies have signed on for 4 Day Week Global’s six month trial of a four-day work week. Employees working 80 percent of their normal hours for the same pay are expected to maintain the same level of productivity.
Four months into the trial, participating businesses are already seeing positive results, as 95 percent of companies surveyed say their productivity levels have either stayed the same or improved. And 86 percent are considering making the four-day work week a permanent thing.
We’re a long way from the four-day work week being a thing in the US, however. Assembly Bill 2932, which supports a four-day work week for companies with more than 500 employees, has been held up in the California state legislature. And a comparable federal bill has made little traction in Congress. But what are we trying to prove? Nearly 40 percent of caregivers in this country identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). A flexible work week would allow more caregivers to balance the demands of work and home and could help those who have had to remove themselves from the workplace for good. If COVID taught us anything, it’s that time with our loved ones is precious. And maybe if we had a little more time with the ones we love, we would be a little happier when we have to work.