Could The US Adopt A Four-Day Workweek?

California lawmakers have proposed the idea of mandating a four-day workweek, but can U.S. companies successfully adopt this change?

The new bill, AB 2932, would downsize the workweek from 40 to 32 hours for large companies with more than 500 employees. Workers would retain their original salaries and also be paid time and a half for working over 32 hours. While the California Chamber of Commerce has called the bill a "job killer" and warned that it would "discourage job growth in the state," there are an increasing number of companies testing the workweek change that are finding "productivity has not suffered."

SFGate (Lean Left bias) columnist Drew Magary highlighted a number of countries that have already implemented a four-day workweek and said more free time "provides more structure to your work routine." Conversely, The Wall Street Journal editorial board (Lean Right bias) argued that a four-day workweek would give workers "more leisure but at the cost of less efficiency and a lower standard of living." 

An analysis piece from BBC News (Center bias) illustrated the benefits and drawbacks of a four-day workweek and emphasized that companies should put "carefully planned operational changes in place" before making the transition. The article also cited a Gallup (Center bias) study that found employees with a four-day workweek "rate their overall lives better" yet they were more likely to be "actively disengaged."