With a federal minimum wage that hasn’t kept up with inflation and millions of Americans working two or more jobs to make ends meet, it’s clear that the labor norms in the United States need to change. However, transitioning to a four-day workweek is not a direct or effective way to make improvements and would mostly benefit a narrow field of high-paying jobs.
Reducing the number of hours employees work and shortening the workweek to four days may seem appealing, but it has setbacks.
One of the issues with a four-day workweek is the compression of tasks and the increased stress for workers it comes with. According to an article in Forbes, employees reported a 27 percent increase in stress during a shortened workweek trial. In busy jobs, it often isn’t possible to complete all work in fewer days, and for some people, the associated worries and time crunches aren’t worth the trade-off of having longer weekends.
Then there’s the problem of practicality. In recent years, several companies—many of which are in the tech industry—have floated the possibility of a four-day workweek or even implemented one, according to Newsweek.
For example, the logistics of running a software engineering company might allow for a four-day workweek. Still, this wouldn’t be possible in many sectors, such as food distribution, journalism or emergency services. Grocery stores need to stay open and stocked, reporters need to inform the public on a continuous basis and ambulances need to always be available in case of medical emergencies.
Although the industries that need to be constantly staffed could hire more people or have rotating shifts to accommodate a four-day workweek, there’s a much better way to improve the labor environment in the United States—pay all employees a livable wage.
When people can afford to live without worrying if they can afford rent, food, childcare or other necessities, they are much better off. Yet this stability simply isn’t the reality for many United States residents, with 58 percent of Americans reporting living paycheck to paycheck, according to a 2023 survey by CNBC.
The workplace needs dramatic improvements across the United States, but considering the associated stress and impracticality, a shift to a four-day workweek is not the solution.
