Editor's note: This conversation originally aired January 10, 2023.
Has the five-day, 40-hour workweek got you down? You may be in luck.
Researchers conducted tests at 33 different companies to see if a four-day, 32-hour workweek worked. It did. Researchers and workers discovered it resulted in a reduction of worker burnout, improved work-life balance and even cut down on carbon emissions that could help curb climate change.
Employers found workers were more productive and experienced higher job satisfaction. There was a reduction in worker turnover — and revenues increased. It was a win-win at no reduction in pay.
Can this be the future of work? Mike Collins talks with one of the lead researchers.
Guest
Juliet Schor, economist and sociologist at Boston College, lead researcher for a project that ran trials of companies that implemented four-day workweeks. Author of many books, including the New York Times bestseller “The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure.”
