The eight hour, five day workweek is a very dated concept that has yet to be challenged by the nation. We are clocking in and out at a staggering 71% of the days in the week! A four day model would have us clocking in around 57% of the entire week, which makes a huge difference.

The five day workweek only leaves Saturday and Sunday to recharge. Usually, half that time is spent catching up on chores, running errands, and preparing to restart the vicious cycle again on Monday.

What would you do with another day to use for your self-care? Spend more time with family? Pick up a new hobby? Find time to play an instrument? Three consecutive days off allows sufficient time for a complete unwind, recharge, and preparation to restart the work week. Two days off allows time to scramble for a night to savor your life and spend the other day running errands and preparing for Monday. This simply isn’t a healthy balance of work and personal life and can lead to burnout. 

There is a substantial amount of research that shows a four day workweek not only improves the well being of employees, but subsequently improves productivity in the workplace. Take for example, the Microsoft team in Japan that piloted the four day work week - they reported that productivity went up by 40%!

Let’s also consider the reduction in carbon footprint by removing a day from the week of us transiting to work. It might seem significant, but a huge portion of the average persons carbon footprint comes from their work commute. So with the aforementioned figures of percentages of the week clocking in at work, we would reduce our carbon footprint from work commute by 14%!

I am petitioning for the Secretary of Labor (Marty Walsh) to intervene and promote companies to offer the option of four 10 hour workdays if the company’s staffing allows. Companies could then stagger working schedules for coverage as they see fit. Companies that have limited staffing and cannot provide a rotation, would be considered exempt from offering the 4 day workweek schedule. 

At the very least, we ask that the Secretary of Labor look into the potential benefits behind restructuring the current work week model into one that mutually benefits employees, companies, and the environment!

Thank you!