Advocating for the Four Day Work Week
The Rejection of the Archaic Five Day Work Week
All my life, I have been taught that my highest aspiration in life should be to work a 9–5 Monday-Friday job for a prestigious company. I was told that this was the true measure of success and life fulfillment, that setting my life around work would be the true measure of a life well lived. To reach this precipice of excellence, I was supposed to do well in school, go to a four year university, graduate and then this magically wonderful job would manifest itself. The only issue was, it never came to pass. I graduated from college and found myself unemployed trying desperately to find a job along with thousands of other graduates, who all believed the same lie that we were taught from birth. In the time since, I have rejected these archaic notions that prioritize profit margins over quality of life, and a society that values work over personal lives. Is. work truly the measure of a life well lived, or is it the people and experiences we have outside of the office?
The notion of the forty hour work week is simply archaic, why is forty hours the number that was determined upon that was socially acceptable to work? Along the way, it seems as if work was deemed the first priority and actually enjoying life or having the opportunity to be present with one’s family was not important. In a 2019 survey by Robert Half, sixty-six percent of American workers would rather work less days (Hess); by changing the standard 8–5 to a 7–6; it is still possible to hit the archaic forty hours a week while also giving the employee three days off in a week. This extra time could be used to take a trip somewhere, relax the mind and body after a hard week, and simply take time to be happy. What if we take this a step further though? What if we simply reduced the number of hours worked as well? According to the BBC, a recent trial in Iceland saw part of the country’s workforce move from five day, forty hour work weeks to four day work weeks for a total of 35–36 hours. The reduction in days and hours worked, lead to a workforce that was not only happier; but just as productive, if not even more productive than before. Iceland’s trial, should be the model going forward for labor standards rather than the current work model that countries such as the US possess.
What is the point of working so hard, if one cannot enjoy that which one worked so hard to build? I often hear parents talk of working themselves past the brink of exhaustion in order to make a better life for their children; and that is a noble cause to work towards. Yet that does not change the fact that kids need their parents time, they need them to be present. The four day, thirty-five hour work week must become the new standard for American workers, without any associated reduction in pay. Although less hours would be ideal, this would be a step in the right direction to help employees lead more fruitful lives outside of their jobs. Work should not be the primary focus of our weeks, rather it should be the element which funds the enjoyment of a life well lived; a life filled with memories with family and friends, the quiet moments of sitting next to someone you love with a cup of coffee in hand. By having a rested, and happy workforce, workers will more than likely be more motivated to retain their jobs, to be diligent workers, and to produce less mistakes. This solution provides a positive outcome for both workers and employers; therefore it must be implemented as soon as possible. There are lives to live and memories to make; let us take the first step to a brighter future for the American workforce.
Works Cited
“Four-Day Week ‘an OVERWHELMING Success’ in Iceland.” BBC News, BBC, 6 July 2021, www.bbc.com/news/business-57724779.
Hess, Abigail Johnson. “66% Of Workers Polled Want a 4-Day Workweek-Why Just 17% of Their Employers Offer It.” CNBC, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/02/10/66percent-of-workers-want-a-4-day-workweekjust-17percent-of-employers-offer-one.html.
