hen God created the world in six days, He rested on the seventh. Operating in today’s world—Climate change! Wars! The Internet! TikTok!—we’re gonna need more than a Sunday, certain companies have already implemented a four-day workweek; and while the worldwide pandemic was a major factor in that push, there were startling benefits for a shorter workweek. Companies in Iceland reported that workers had less burnout and stress; in Japan, companies reported a “40 percent increase in productivity”. If that still doesn’t elicit any response with your upper management (we assume they don’t read this portion of and that they are unfeeling monsters), how about the fact that less time in the office means reduced costs to keep it operational? Think about the time, monies and carbon footprints you save on commute; imagine how happy you’ll be when you have more free time to yourself. Companies with a flexible work pattern can see employees stay with the business far longer than average, as well as improved mental and physical health. And yes, we know this isn’t something companies can cotton to and some of them might want to keep the 40-hour week but divvied over four days; employees might see an uptick in their stress levels. But if stores and restaurants in Italy can indulge in an hour or two of (‘rest’ in Italian) after lunch because of their culture, maybe there’s no harm if we start this habit of a shorter workweek.
