The 21st Show

Why are some people considering a four-day work week?

Produced by Jose Zepeda
 
A woman types on a laptop while on a train in New Jersey. After about a trial of the four-day workweek in the United Kingdom found that the schedule reduced stress and maintained their productivity, 92% of the companies that participated said they would continue with the reduced work hours.

A woman types on a laptop while on a train in New Jersey. After about a trial of the four-day workweek in the United Kingdom found that the schedule reduced stress and maintained their productivity, 92% of the companies that participated said they would continue with the reduced work hours. Jenny Kane/AP, file

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Though a 40-hour workweek split over five days has been the standard for many industries for many years, the rise of gig work and working from home have made many reconsider their ideas around how work schedules should be set up, including reducing the workweek to four days.

The 21st was joined by a professor of labor and employment, as well as a representative from a business that's been working with four-day weeks since 2021.

GUESTS: 

Meredith Lankenau 

People and Culture Business Partner, Awin

Robert Bruno

Professor of Labor and Employment, Director of the Labor Studies Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Labor and Employment Relations

 

 

Prepared for web by Owen Henderson

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