The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is exploring a bill that would "give a tax credit to businesses in the state that join a pilot program to explore the possible benefits of a shorter work week."
The closest I ever got to a four-day work week was at my last full-time corporate gig, before I took up the freelance lance nearly twenty years ago.
My deal was that I would come into the office Monday through Thursday, work from home on Friday morning, and (metaphorically) punch out at noon.
IT. WAS. GREAT.
I always managed to get my work done, and to be relieved, one day a week, from my onerous commute was a tremendous benefit.
"Research indicates that four-day work week models have the potential to reduce burnout and boost performance among workers without affecting employer productivity," bill sponsor Rep. Josh Cutler said in a statement. "There has not been a meaningful reduction in working hours since the 40-hour workweek became the standard 84 years ago." (Source: CBS Boston)
The legislators behind this effort are proposing a trial program - the "Massachusetts Smart Work Week Pilot" - that would extend over a two year period. When time's up, the program would be evaluated to determine its economic and "quality of life" impacts.
Everyone's so immensely stressed out these days, the four-day work week can't help but provide a boost to "quality of life."
No word on the rationale behind the tax incentive, but even if it's "just" reducing the environmental costs of commuting, it would be enough. That is, if people didn't take their day off to tootle around all day in the cars...
But the people benefit would be enormous. How much better for everybody - especially working parents - it they had a day to take care of the business of life (think grocery shopping) on their off-day, leaving weekends for absolute free time.
There's not a ton of research on shifting to a shorter work week, but a recent UK study on companies that moved to a 32 hour (vs. 40 hour) work week showed generally favorable results. Nearly half of the companies reported either a slight or significant increase in productivity. As for the employees, what's not to like?
In this state, a couple of towns have piloted a four-day work week program that compresses 40 hours into four days. (I.e., no reduction in hours.) They seem to be working out - at least for the employees. What about citizens who want to transact business on an employee's day off?
Of course, some professions have had fewer-days work weeks for years. Many nurses work four, or even three, days a week, with longer shifts. Fire fighters often work lengthy shifts, a couple days on/a couple days off. (I grew up in a neighborhood that had a number of firefighters in it, and most firemen - and they were all men - had side jobs like painting and wallpapering.)
I don't think companies in Massachusetts would be looking to go 32 hours, but I can definitely see a 40 hour model taking hold - at least for some professions. But for others?
If teachers went to a four-day work week, there'd be a little problem if most parents weren't able to. Of course, schools could run a day-long afterschool-style program on the off-day. (Nationwide, nearly a thousand districts have adopted a four-day school schedule, so I guess it's feasible enough.)
And how, overall, would it work out if everyone took Friday off? You may want to take care of things like your dentist appointments on Friday, but so would everyone else. And your dentist might want to have Fridays off, too. So four days may not translate into three day weekends for everyone.
All sorts of things TBD, that's for sure.
Massachusetts isn't alone, as there are other states considering new approaches to the work week. NY and California are entertaining the idea of requiring overtime pay for any hours over 32 per week. (Ah, good luck with that one - at least for now.)
But I've got to believe that the four-day work week is coming. If not in my lifetime, then not all that far into the future.
After all, won't AI and robotics free us all up to work less and enjoy more leisure? That is, if there are any jobs left, other than designing and building AI applications and robots.
Anyway, in the spirit of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' exploring an embrace of the four-day work week, Pink Slip has decided to join the vanguard and become an early adopter.
Pink Slip has been working five days a week four nearly twenty years now. (Yikes!)
Starting this week, we're adopting a four-day, four-post "workweek." From here on out, Friday's are off.
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