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Anthony Gutierrez

Mrs. Perkins

English 101

December 2, 2023

A Shortened Work Week Benefits All

The majority of jobs in the United States operate on a five-day work week or as some

know it, a 40-hour work week. The United States has been operating on a five-day work week

since 1926 when Henry Ford standardized the five-day work week which then led to the supreme

court to enact it as a law. Since then, there have been no changes to how many hours a worker

should do. As of today, there have been discussions about whether our economic system should

change the numbers of hours employees work as more research is done to prove the benefits of a

shorter work week. Although there are some companies that may be opposed to the idea of a

four-day work week because of massive changes needed, the economic system should move to a

four-day work week because there is no productivity loss, employee retention remains positive,

and it promotes overall well-being.

Firstly, productivity is increased when four a day work week is introduced. Research has

revealed that due to less hours being worked, workers tend to stay focused on finishing labor to

stay on track to leave on time. According to author Jenny Gross, “…Employees have found ways

to work more efficiently, she said. The result has been that the company is delivering the same

volume of work and is still growing…” This result supports the argument that productivity

remains the same or rather it increases when workers are given a shortened week to work.
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While productivity involves labor from the employee, another important detail is the

positive employee retention. Employee retention refers to the relationship between the employer

and employee. A positive relationship between these two is a sign of loyalty and commitment.

The positivity that comes with a 4-day work week promotes a better work environment on both

sides. This allows the employees to have better control over their time and schedules, reducing

the likelihood of leaving the job. Employers should consider a four-day work week because this

can show their people they value their time and care about the work-life balance (Bengfort).

Lastly, there are many benefits to consider that further argues the transition to a four-day

work week. Examples of the benefits that promote overall well-being include reduced work

stress, extra personal time off, and easier time sleeping. Although there are others to list, these

examples are the most important to discuss when referring to people’s health. According to a

report on CNBC on a four-day work week, “Reduced work stress and extra personal time led to

several positive health and well-being outcomes: lower stress, better mental health, less

negativity, more exercise and an easier time sleeping, according to self-reporting from trial

participants” (Lui). There have been participants from trials who have participated in the four-

day work week experiment and reported the positive results in their well-being.

Although workers are in favor of switching to a shortened work week, companies believe

that it may be harder to shift because it requires massive changes. However, they are wrong

because there are many different approaches that companies can take to slowly move towards a

new four-day work week without trying to implement the new schedule right away. According

to “Workers Want a Four-Day Week. Why Hasn’t it Happened?” Abril says, “Companies could

use different approaches, as long as pay stayed the same and work time was reduced. The result?

Workers reported a rise in well-being and work-life balance, the organizations running the pilot
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documented.” Though some companies may disagree due to important changes needed, there are

different approaches to the implementation of a four-day work week that can be used to give

workers more control over their time.

In conclusion, the economic system should move to a four-day work week because

productivity is increased, employee retention is positive, and promotes overall well-being.

Though companies argue that productivity may decrease in workers due to a shortened week,

trials have proven that it’s increased with workers being more focused. Employee retention

remains positive between the employer and employee, which creates a positive workplace

environment. Finally, a four-day work week results in good well-being with lower work stress

and more freedom with given time. Due to these main reasons, the economic system should

move to a four-day work week and replace the standardized five days in the U.S.
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Works Cited

Abril, Danielle. "Workers Want a Four-Day Week. Why Hasn't it Happened?" The Washington

Post, Jun 11 2023, ProQuest. Web. 27 Nov. 2023 .

Bengfort, Holly. “Why Are Employers Moving to a Four-Day Workweek?” Personalized

Benefits Administration Software, PeopleKeep, Inc., 4 Oct. 2023,
www.peoplekeep.com/blog/why-are-employers-moving-to-a-four-day-
workweek#:~:text=Employers%20are%20moving%20towards%20a,engagement%20and
%20reducing%20environmental%20impact.

Gross, Jenny. “4-Day Workweek Brings No Loss of Productivity, Companies in Experiment Say.” The

New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Sept. 2022,

www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/business/four-day-work-week-uk.html

Lui, Jennifer. “Workers Report a 4-Day Workweek Improves Health, Finances and
Relationships: It ‘Simply Makes You Happy.’” CNBC, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2023,
www.cnbc.com/2023/02/24/worlds-biggest-4-day-workweek-experiment-shows-big-
health-benefits.html.