Why four-day work weeks are not a great idea
By: Shirley Zhu
Recently, the concept of a four-day work week has emerged as a beacon of modernity and a symbol of progress. In March, Bernie Sanders proposed legislation of a four-day work week in the HELP committee hearing and wanted to reduce minimum working hours from 40 hours to 32. The shorter week promises an improved work-life balance, reduced burnout, and reduced stress. However, a four-day work week also brings many neglected drawbacks: more financial strain and instability among lower-income workers and worsened mental health.
A four-day work week would require only four working days. So instead of working Monday through Friday with Saturday and Sunday off, one’s week may be Monday through Thursday with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Plans for four-day work weeks do not benefit minimum wage workers or families with lower income, though, because they fail to consider those who depend on working for longer hours or overtime or those who rely on tips. According to the National Employment Law Project, more than half of waitstaff and bartenders’ wages come from their tips. With fewer workdays in a week, there will be fewer opportunities to earn tips, potentially leading to a decrease in the overall earnings of service workers. The decrease in overall earnings not only affects those in the services sector, but also other workers with minimum-wage jobs, those in poverty, and workers who get hourly pay. The US Census Bureau estimates that “the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) rate in 2022 was 12.4%” in the United States. That means more than one person out of ten can be considered to be living in poverty. Furthermore, according to the Statista Research Department, “in 2022, 1.3 percent of workers in the United States were paid hourly rates at or below the official minimum wage.” By this metric, if a four-day work week system gets implemented, it will only contribute to their financial instability.
Many claim that four-day work weeks will reduce burnout and stress among workers, since they work for fewer days. However, that is not always the case. Studies have demonstrated that deadlines are one of the most stressful aspects of a workplace. If a report is due at the end of the week, the five-day work time would turn into four. Having a tighter deadline would only create more burnout or stress because workers would have to cram the same amount of work in a shorter time frame. Thus, some workers may have to work for longer hours to keep up with the same amount of work, worsening the work-life balance that four-day work weeks are supposed to ameliorate. Some people may say the expected work output would be reduced to be more feasible for employees. However, the market won’t be reduced. Many clients will still demand the same amount of output. Thus, employers may not necessarily decrease workload in order to meet demands from clients.
Instead of having businesses force their employees to work four-day weeks, they should introduce the concept as a choice. Some may be financially stable enough to support themselves with fewer days of work, or their work doesn’t have strict requirements for deadlines. Under certain circumstances, a four-day work week could be beneficial in terms of having more freedom or longer worker retention.
While the idea of having all employees work four days a week may seem enticing at first, it poses many downsides and drawbacks that should not be overlooked. It creates financial problems for lower income workers, families, and people in the service industry, as well as creating more stress in workplaces. Four-day work weeks should not be implemented as a system, but rather be presented as a choice.
