The Case for a 4-Day Work Week | Juliet Schor | TED
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- The traditional approach to work needs a redesign, says economist Juliet Schor. She's leading four-day work week trials in countries like the US and Ireland, and the results so far have been overwhelmingly positive: from increased employer and customer satisfaction to revenue growth and lower turnover. Making the case for a four-day, 32-hour work week (with five days of pay), Schor explains how this model for the future of work could address major challenges like burnout and the climate crisis -- and shares how companies and governments could work together to make it a reality.
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We should have done this twenty years ago. Thank you for finally dragging this into the light.
yeah...go one, do like the french, and in 10 years you're going to have to deal with the anxiety of having to work 2 jobs or 3 a weak in order to get a decent salary. All she says is pure bs. If it sounds good it's probably lies coming from companies.
@@dr.benchcanister5277 Go back to history when people worked every hour they were awake. This change. It's time.
@@dr.benchcanister5277 You don't know what you are talking about, obviously.
The massive majority of french workers don't "work 2 jobs or 3 a weak in order to get a decent salary". In fact, nobody I know have 2 jobs.
It's you who are bullshitting.
Scandinavian countries are showing the way to do better. Less quantity and better quality.
@@dr.benchcanister5277 On what objective basis are you forming your argument? You just said "probably", so you're not sure of the facts. The research is already there. Reproduced multiple times by different organizations.
Yes! 💛
People want to work to live and not live to work.
Everyone needs a lot of time for their own lives and personal things.
Whats the point of earning money when you dont even have the free time to spend the money?
I support 4 day work week completely.
Thats a huge step forward from how things were.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
YESS!
@@vegetossgss1114right
I live in the UAE and they have implemented this and now we work 4 days a week with the same hours and I can promise you everything she said is absouletly true, I became more productive and more happy and I started having more time for my family and myself, and tbh during weekends that I didn't have much plans to do I started to miss my work and can't wait to start the week
That's fine but you're still working the same hours that part didn't change
@@kckillakrack9714 There are 2 models: the belgium and the spanish. In the spanish, you work in total less hours.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
@@vegetossgss1114 Spain gdp 30k Belgium gdp 51k USA 61k. Spain 47 mil people Belgium 11 mil people USA 331 mil. Its funny when ignorant people compare the USA to country's that aren't even as big as most of our states
@@kckillakrack9714 I am not even talking about USA. I live between Europe and Africa. It is funny how ignorant people think the world turns around themselves ;)
I work 4 day week and absolutely love it vs 5 day. I still work 40 hrs but having 3 days off feels like a mini vacation because you can make more plans
Plus an extra day away from the stress is huugggeee
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
How many hours you work in a day? What do you do and is it in the office? And do you never have / feel you need to work on your days off? I have an offer for a 4 day job 36 hours but have to commute, and this info would help
@@MariCatherinee I am scheduled 40 but usually only 38hrs. I don't ever feel I want to be at work when I'm not, I love my profession but there are alot more options and other jobs with 3 days off. It did take me getting used too but it is great. I work 3 11hr and one 7hr. I am a chef and never have worked in a office setting so I'm not sure how to compare with that but I would ask them how break schedules work so your not stuck at your desk for too long I think 🤔 lol. Long story short it's great for work life balance and if your commuting it's one less day to spend money on gas and time in a car
You have any such job in finance
- great for parents to spend with their child
- great for a partner to spend quality time with their spouse
- great for the individual to rest and recoup
- great for the local and interstate economies, cafes, restaurants, bars, leisure, tourism etc
great for ecology (less carbon dioxide emissions)
great for employers (highly motivated employees on the long run)
I support 3.5 days work week so that everybody could have 2 full time jobs per week. (Elon Musk would be happy to have 2 mandatory contracts with you.)
The market economy says, the Employees work so that the Owners can make Profit. Profit is King, say the Owners, and everybody must obey the King or else.
Why not work 1 day per week so everybody could have up to 7 different full time jobs. Let the people decide how much they want to work in a market economy. Furthermore, the Owners would be happy if you sign 7 different contracts, one for each day of the week, because for them it makes no difference as long as there is good Profit to collect.
@@reasonerenlightened2456 You tend to forget that we do not all live in the US. In some other countries, life is way less expansive, whereas free and family time is highly valued.
@@vegetossgss1114 Capitalism is everywhere.
@@reasonerenlightened2456 Yes but there is a difference between keynesian capitalism and liberal one. Moreover, capitalism will not impact you as much if you live in the countryside / a small village as in a big city such as New York, Shanghai...
In many ways the 5 day work week only truly sees one day of rest. Friday is a work day. Saturday though a day of rest is often a day full of activities and no rest at all making Sunday the only true day of rest and it's marked by the stress of knowing and prepping for work which continues the next day.
Indeed. A vicious cycle. I’m typing this on a Sunday at almost 3:30 pm already dreading starting up the work week. Don’t feel recovered enough from last week to endure the bullshit again.
I’m blessed to do 4 day work weeks. I work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. I’m off Wednesday’s and the weekends. I work 6:30am to 4:30pm. Having a middle day off, helps so much before having to go back to work. I don’t have use personal time off from work, to make a doctors appointment, or dental or car oil change whatever. It helps out a lot I really hope everyone else can have a 4 day work week.
Where do you live? I hope this will spread across the world.
In Malaysia, as a baker I work 6 days per week , 10 hours per day
I have no life
I wish this could be implemented ASAP. I know that working 8 hours 5 days a week is how the world has set its standards, but as a student when I think about my life being that way for many many years… I hate it. I’m happy some changes are being made.
8 hours a day should be good when it stays 8 hours and not becomes 9 hours or 10.
Even in some latin america's countries, in some jobs they offer to work saturdays until mid day... Imagine More than 45 hours per week
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
I support 3.5 days work week so that everybody could have 2 full time jobs per week. (Elon Musk would be happy to have 2 mandatory contracts with you.)
The market economy says the Employees work so that the Owners can make Profit. Profit is King, say the Owners, and everybody must obey the King or else.
Why not work 1 day per week so everybody could have up to 7 different full time jobs. Let the people decide how much they want to work in a market economy. Furthermore, the Owners would be happy if you sign 7 different contracts, one for each day of the week, because for them it makes no difference as long as there is good Profit to collect.
@@reasonerenlightened2456 You tend to forget that we do not all live in the US. In some other countries, life is way less expansive, whereas free and family time is highly valued.
As someone else said, this prophecy is self-evident. It's blatantly obvious that a 4 day week would benefit not only workers, but employers just as much, as well as restore some much needed balance between work life and personal time. I spend my Saturday shopping and trying to get some rest, while doing my best to ignore the anxiety of the fact that i only have Sunday before having to get back on the hamster wheel; and i spend Sunday in absolute dread, crippled with anxiety due to the looming Monday, and also cleaning and cooking for the week, because if i spend my pay eating out everyday, there's no pay left - this isn't life, it's modern slavery.
The insecure egos of bosses throughout the world, that insist on low pay and long hours with very little productivity, as if not being able to do your work in less time is some sort of pride badge, and if you do, your reward is more work, is asinine and nothing but a sad artefact of the industrial revolution. Immature, insecure, selfish and unscrupulous people should never be allowed to own businesses and manage other people. Yet, they seem to be the majority.
I learned at a young age that working harder for a company didn't equal better pay.
At 18 I could run my machines 20-30% over expected rate while maintaining quality. I thought it would make me look good and get me a raise. I'm making them more money, right?
I ended up getting zero raise, got the expected rate increased for my section, and the other two shifts pissed off at me.
This was an actual minimum wage job that I worked 6 days a week, 8 hour shifts, and brought home a $290 dollar check(I remember this specifically because it wasn't even $300 dollars).
@@raymondlowe5454
Yep, then there’s the part where managers or coworkers may feel threatened by your competence compared to their own incompetence , and then try to sabotage your rep/get you fired :p
That was the craziest thing for me to learn in the workforce was that nothing about it is logical, and hardly earned. Mostly just the same insecure egos kids had. So instead dumb yourself down and throw away your talent just to people please. So crazy the amount of absolutely wasted talent I see as a manager. Had near genius kids stuck in my warehouse for years when they shoulda been working for big name corps.
I think it is largely dependent on the companies and bosses.
@@carsonhunt4642 Mostly everyone will only ever be kids. The amount of 70 year olds out there that never grew up, never processes anything and that think teraphy is for nutjobs and spend their life taking it out on other people, is staggering. Many of them own companies. I’ve known a 39 year old just like that all too well for the past 10 years.
@@carsonhunt4642 the worst thing is, management actually appreciate bare minimum effort or even none effort. Bad attitude, zero motivation, marvellous show off but no work behind.. and those type of people are the ones who get the shoulder tap and the spotlight. Impressive... I keep asking management if they were actually blind and deaf.. but we keep going back to square one🤷🏻♀️
I have a 4 day work week and it's amazing. Yall have no idea the depression it lifts off.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
I've seen this talk about 50 times in the last 10 years ...
SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO ACT INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT FOR ANOTHER DECADE???
"Overton Window"
I agree Memento.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
@@vegetossgss1114 Agree! Great answer.
Have you seen the response for Universal Health Care? It would take a huge change to the left for most people. And as we have people defending billionaires instead of the working class i dont see the change coming anytime soon. But youre right we should be demanding this for a long time.
This is so MANY wins for the world. It's time to really appreciate the true wealth that we possess: our ingenuity, our compassion, and our humanity. Love that ❤️
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
@@vegetossgss1114 salaries are trash today. Some people need 2 jobs to pay the bills. If you apply the 4 work days a week with payment decrease people will be obligated to keep the way it is.
I think people would be more incentivized to be more productive if they knew they were getting a guaranteed day off. I feel that way.
It'll be a nice band-aid for sure. I work 6 days a week and I know my company(which I actually like my job, just not the hours) will be nowhere near the first to adopt this change. If ever.
What I think would have a much larger affect on worker motivation, is a dramatic increase in the value these workers are allowed to keep versus that value being siphoned out of the communities as profit for shareholders.
Not being overworked on top of everything, is still a very positive start. While still maintaining the wealthy's status quo.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
At my University right now, I only have class 4 days a week. It makes me feel much more rested and willing to head into class the next week.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
to all those employees undergoing 4 day work week trials. please don't mess it up for the rest of us, and do a great job so that this becomes widespread :D
I support 3.5 days work week so that everybody could have 2 full time jobs per week. (Elon Musk would be happy to have 2 mandatory contracts with you.)
The market economy says, the Employees work so that the Owners can make Profit. Profit is King, say the Owners, and everybody must obey the King or else.
Why not work 1 day per week so everybody could have up to 7 different full time jobs. Let the people decide how much they want to work in a market economy. Furthermore, the Owners would be happy if you sign 7 different contracts, one for each day of the week, because for them it makes no difference as long as there is good Profit to collect.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
Won’t work for every industry my company already said it will never happen
In Japan, we are far to discuss over this topic due to the respectively low productivity and the traditional belief that labor is a virtue. But I am totally convinced by what she said and hope that it comes true one day (need 30 more years?).
Don’t worry, if it happens in the rest of the world first, then hopefully Japan see that as an example and will follow too ;)
Labor is a necessity for the Employees and a hobby for the Owners.
But there was a trial on 4 day week by Microsoft in Japan, resulting in 40% productivity increase!
Should have happened decades ago. Productivity increases through technology has just translated into higher expectations.
People also forget that we worked 5 day weeks back when only half the workforce worked (men), we then doubled the supply of labor by adding women, yet still all had to do 5 days? Workers have been screwed over far worse than they realize.
Lol.. tru
Yea you'll be replaced soon then if thats the job field you are in. I would never pay your the same and give you the same venefits to work less either
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
The key is working less hours. 32 to 35 hours a week. Not 4 x 10 hour shifts, which is terrible for health.
Nah 5 a day is what we are talking about out LOL
Where I live we have a max of 44, I used to work 6/1 now I do 5/2 working the same hours, I feel much more rested.
A few businesses in my area switched to 3 12-hour work weeks (Tue, Wed, Thur) and they now have minimal turnover. They also pay a full 40 hours if you work the entirety of your weekly shifts and provide monthly bonuses for attendance.
It is a great start but even better would be 3 10-hour weeks with similar benefits. When people enjoy their lives they are more likely to enjoy their jobs.
I do totally agree!
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
@@vegetossgss1114 I support 3.5 days work week so that everybody could have 2 full time jobs per week. (Elon Musk would be happy to have 2 mandatory contracts with you.)
The market economy says the Employees work so that the Owners can make Profit. Profit is King, say the Owners, and everybody must obey the King or else.
Why not work 1 day per week so everybody could have up to 7 different full time jobs. Let the people decide how much they want to work in a market economy. Furthermore, the Owners would be happy if you sign 7 different contracts, one for each day of the week, because for them it makes no difference as long as there is good Profit to collect.
@@reasonerenlightened2456 You tend to forget that we do not all live in the US. In some other countries, life is way less expansive, whereas free and family time is highly valued.
To say that I agree with Juliet it's an understatement, and thankfully it's a rationale that benefits both parties. Productivity is directly related to well-being. We see some "industries" squeezing employees, that's not only harmful, it's illogical, since you are "damaging" the company's Human Resources. I am glad to know we are on this level of discussion. Nonetheless there are some caveats to be considered and one of them is, this still approaches human beings as equal, meaning it does not account for each individual. For some people a 4 day week would be fantastic, while for others it will mean they would have to deliver a kind of productivity they just can't. Moreover, without government incentives, only the highly profitable companies will adopt this model, increasing the gap between skilled and unskilled workers.
I got 4, 10’s now. I noticed I’m not as depressed or anxious. Now with Memorial Day having a 4-day weekend makes me want to commit harder to my job when I come back.
Recently changed to a four day week and the difference is night and day. I come back on a Monday actually feeling refreshed and not just getting more and more and more burnt out week in week out. I don't ever want to go back to a 5 day week. I even managed to get a job that pays me more for those four days then I got working five days a week. It is the future of a healthy work/life balance.
Which job!?
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
Im actually happy that my school implements this with friday being a day for orgs or events which helps a lot in handling school stuff.
When I worked 32 hours for my small family business, I took Thursdays off to volunteer so I could enhance my resume to land a corporate job, while giving back to my community and learning new skills. I also had time to get car work done, errands, chores, self-care, etc. so I could FULLY enjoy my 2 day weekend. Friday/Sat./Sun. Sounds ideal, but a random day off in the middle is just as effective.
Ive learned on my own just to work just 3 days a week and just live very frugal. I sold my car and work at local shops for less but can afford since I dont have car payment and all the cost that go with cars. I moved in with family and share cost of everything. I have been so happy in life having 4 day weekends and knowing I can leave my job any time it makes me unhappy and changing it for another job. I walked away from all debt and so free in life. Its good to be free!!!
Surely this has implications for education as well. Does the four-day work week imply a four-day school week, and if so, is there any data to support whether or not there are equivalent benefits for students, educators, and administrators?
Some schools in Texas are switching to 4 day school weeks.
4 days , 5 days it doesnt matter if your job kills your soul every day.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
4 10’s was life changing for me.
3 day work week is one thing. Two 3 day work day week days two people working. You eat fruit and veggies taxes pay for taxes to be done for free. I’d your buying fruit and veggies you get a tax refund twice a year for eating right
A good step towards better mental health
Only lazy* people will enjoy it (* lazy people without money). Hard workers will utilize every opportunity to work extra days to earn extra money. It means only one: longer hours = more stress. Prices will keep going up as businesses will try to compensate for the lost day. It's all fake.
Where do I vote for this woman!?
It's not a woman it's an android, can't you see?
Most of the unionized construction industry (Ontario Canada) we've had a 4 day work week for decades. It is the best. We work 36hrs per week that's 4x9s....perfect balance
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
My university is only 4 days and I love it
I would love to participate in one of these studies. Please guide me to the nearest company in need of participants! I agree with you 100%. It seems that the shutdowns of 2020 have shortened the working hours of many businesses, but it won't be long until we're back up and running 24/7. Once one store extends their hours, the others are soon to follow, they feel they have to in order to compete. Perhaps they should be more concerned with customer service which starts with happy employees. People want to frequent places that make them feel relaxed and/or happy. What they also don't understand is that if someone wants your services, they'll find a way to get them. For example...doctors, banks, insurance companies etc., are all open during business hours...yet we still find a way to make it work and fit it into our lives. People need to have more time to spend with family and on their personal lives so they're less distracted at work.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
I’ve done 4 10s for years. It’s the only way I feel I have a work-life balance, having 3 days off. If my company told me to start doing 5 days again I would quit.
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
It would be interesting to have some statistics for how a four day work week benefits the disabled class. I personally could see how an extra day off would allow for necessary downtime for them as well. Even implentation of a custom work week for a disabled employee, such as every other day off or three on one off one on two off could benefit society simply by utilizing their untapped potential, sometimes extremely specialized insights from their own unique health situation which is often underestimated and overlooked along with any other potential from adding an untapped resource. Most yearn for as close to a "normal" life as anyone can get. They need to be productive and useful to society somehow also.
Well said. When the working days reduce, it doesn't mean the productivity will reduce. We need to emerge from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking. Everything is possible. We need to strike the balance between work and others.
I work a four day work week with every other week being a three day work week. I feel my life is more balanced and not so work-focused. Some weekends I almost forget I'm employed.
Which job bro?
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
I worked a 4-day 10 hr day week back in 1968 for more than 8 years before moving to another job. If we ever needed to meet our sales then we would do overtime on the 5th day. I never contemplated wanting to get an extra job. I looked at the three-day weekend nearly every week as a real bonus.
Should the four day week be a block of four days? I wonder if we can get even higher productivity gains if a typical working week, let’s say Monday to Friday, had a Wednesday off in the middle. A chance to recharge and have maintained energy levels throughout the week…
I was just offered a 4x10 with Mondays off ❤ I’m so excited and nervous at the same time. Thank you lord
100% love it! 2 days off is really no rest. You spend it doing everything you couldn't get done during the week! Would love a 3 day weekend? I wonder if they'd cut out paid holidays out or.... what's the catch? 🤔
Here in Brazil its only one day
I work seven days a week, and I don’t even know how to take a day off. The more I work the less I know what to spend the money on. The more I work the more impoverished I feel.
Please, let's do this NOW!
Meanwhile in some areas of my country people are still working 6-7days a week, 10hrs each...
I live in vietnam,thank your video and i will study about you
Thanks to 4 day week day, situation in Japan seems to get fixed, slowly albeit something is getting better.
I felt happy only by listening to that imagine if my country implement the idea
My company prides itself on 5 day 10hr plus days. Perhaps they should watch this.
You had me at the title
I live in America and I now work Monday-Thursday from 5am-3pm. It might suck getting up earlier but I’d rather do that than work 5 days. I used to work Monday-Friday from 7pm-3pm. I have more free time. It’s really nice having 3 days off
3:42 I've heard that it's customary in the US to start a phone call with some chitchat. This is not the case (or less so) in The Netherlands.
I worked a 4/10 schedule in the oilfields. Opposed it at first, but we were more productive after 2 months of adjustment. And if I worked my off days I made more money. Better life! More money! And most importantly more time with family! I could finally pick my sons up front school and hear them say “that’s my dad!” Once Biden was elected I lost my job immediately 4/1/2020. Why?
Vast improvements in productivity, health both physical and mental.
Can Juliet transplant her progressive labor ideas into my commissioner's brain??? I'm hoping that telework comes back. Going into the office 5 days per week is definitely a work-life balance killer.
I live in the USA, working at lowes on a four day work week, full time
هذا صحيح جدا وانا متفق مع هذا النظام الجديد ،لأنني كنت معلما في المغرب وكانت وزارتنا تلزمنا بالعمل ستة أيام في الأسبوع ،فكان الأمر مرهقا جدا للمعلمين ولكي يمتصوا تعب الستة أيام يقضون وقتا طويلا في الاستراحة أو يتغيبون عن العمل أو يتهاونون بشرب الشاي والضحك داخل المدرسة وكذلك في الادارات الأخرى ،ولكنني سنة 2017 رايت أن هذا الأمر غير مقبول فدخلت في صراع مع المدير والنائب لانني قررت العمل خمسة أيام فقط واخذت السبت إجازة لوحدي داخل المؤسسة مع الإشارة إلى أنه كانت مذكرة تسمح لمعلم السنة الثانية بالعمل 24 ساعة فقط ،فلاحظت نشاطا في نفسي وعند التلاميذ حيث أنهم ياتون مرتاحين ومشتاقين لي شخصيا وللقسم ،بعد عطلة السبت والأحد ،وتطورت مردوديتي وعطاءهم بشكل لا يصدق لذلك فنظام 4 أو 5 أيام فقط نظام تحفيزي جدا للموظف وخصوصا الاستاذ والتلميذ .
Im here because my work is gonna implement this system on April 😅
I work 6 day weeks and I love it
I'd like to know a good case for a 5-day work week. People work Monday to Friday for no fucking reason whatsoever.
End coerced labor!
No more evictions from primary residences!
No one should live in fear of losing the only home they have!!!
Ok, so an electrician, nurse, teacher, auto tech all work 32 hours a week?
How exactly is that going to work?
If your power goes out and its overtime your rates will reflect that.
Schools are 4 days a week? Ok anything over 32 is OVERTIME for teachers?
So basically businesses service less people for more money?
Some will simply work when emergency situation like that occurs, they already have anyway.
There is no benefit in keeping someone long hours at their job and making them lose something essential like sleep, energy because something may happen.
If you make them lose these things for bodies to function you get lesser quality work.
Thanks
Work a 4/10s 5am-3:30pm is crazy.
well i have 2 boys age 3 and 8 and i'm rooting for a 6-Day Work Week cause i'm exhausted...when they are away is when i can breathe.
Haha! I know what you mean
In EU every citizen has a possibility to write a petition… I really think we “small people” should finally push it. Demography in Europe is going down, depression is more and more common, young generations are demotivated and can’t see the reason to live, obesity is rising, people don’t have hobbies… because we have no time or power left to find them… WHY WE ARE NOT PUSHING FOR CHANGES??!! Productivity all over the world has spiked incredibly over the last years… Automation and AI were developed to the point a lot of tasks are done faster… Our salaries didn’t rise at all… Why are we still working 40h??? In industrialisation times people predicted that in the future we will work 12h with all the technology we will create… And here we go… still 40h… pouring the benefits of our hard work to the pockets of 0.1% of the richest people… We need to wake up, we need to push regulations which will make life worth living again…
What about 3 day work?
Would anyone have the contact information of Juliet's advisor? I would like to invite her to a webinar.
So good
I'm a hospital worker. I used to have a 4 ten hour day. After pandemicsl, now 5-8 hour days plus mandatory overtime and weekends. Are webstretched to the limit yet? I wouldn't mind working 4 8 hr days wirh lower income, but employer won't budge for anyone. They'd rather over work us than hire more.
Back in the 1970's some military installations tried that with their civilian employees. People being people cheated the system repeatedly and it failed. The idea was you would work 10 hours/four days a week. It seems many cut short that 10 hour day as many of the division chiefs would come in early and leave 10 hours later. What happened was people who came in later in the day, would, after the boss left, just go home too. It didn't last 6 months at the installation I dealt with. Our forward area group was too small of staff to split the time, so we didn't have that option ... but I dealt with that other installation daily and heard the stories. Most of the civilian personal there were WWII Veterans or people of that age group. Like I said, people will be people ... sad really as I had a young family, I was the only Vietnam Veteran working there at the time ... a three day weekend with my sons camping or what ever would have been nice.
4 day work week will be the norm around the world like 5 day is right now, in a year or two
Let’s do this!
for big corporate world this is great. But, small biz owners with endless part time staff whats the upside for them? Not against it, just want to grasp how a small retailer implements this? How does a small car dealership implement this? How do small, have to work 7 days a week businesses implement this? Again, not against, just want to understand how we implement this so we can all benefit from this society change.
Well with more freetime, people would have opportunities to try new things.
I have said for years school and work should be 4 days..I mean with Laundry, Yardwork, chores, family time? Wth
majority of people want 4day work week. why dont we have it yet?
I mean if you can *afford* to only work Monday through to Thursday then go for it. But most people can't afford to take Friday off, so they have to work 5 days.
Come to Sydney where a 6 day week is the norm these days
There are many nuances to hours / productivity scores in most cases, and its correlation vs causation thing.
Wish if she would site the study sources and not just "The Study Shows"
Re-watching this video 1.5 years later I find traffic more congested than ever. (Deadly) traffic accidents happen far more frequently. People seem to have forgotten how to drive since the pandemic, or are too stressed/rushed to pay attention.
At the same time, my colleague is out of the running due to burnout and I was exceptionally close due to a massive rush of service request I've never seen before that lasted in excess of 5 weeks, whereas 2 is the max anyone should 'peak' to remain mentally sound.
People get laid off left and right because excuses, yet the same work is expected to be done by those who remain.
Every single thing that's happened since this video has reinforced its message. Rather than letting the - financial - rewards from automatization, AI, etc. stay in private hands, we should funnel it to benefit society as a whole. The current system is ill suited to make that a reality.
Burnout is real. We need more balance
It's not about working four days a week. If you still have to work 40 hours you haven't gained any time. It's about working a 30 to 35 hours a week (or less) on a flexible schedule whenever possible.
you didn't watch the video
You didn't get the point
This is so beautiful and true,,,,
Im honestly open to working (painfully) 10 hrs per day, as long as I can have 3 weekends to mix with society (though I'm an introvert).
I love the gait
Very good idea !! ... But do corporate- and share-holder greed allow for this??? It could also become dangerous for governments if many people have more free-time in which they could easily develop their own ideas about how to lead and spend their life; something that may be not for the sole benefit and interests of the elites... 🤔🤔🤔🤔
Initially, individuals may have been compensated for five days of work while only working four days. However, this is expected to transition to a compensation structure that reflects four days of work along with payment for consulting hours, totaling a 32-hour workweek. It's will help in reduce the employee salary budget by 20% and reduce the bonus by 20% since, base salary may go down.
Wonder how much of this is just a honeymoon period. The Law of Reversion to the mean is strong. Would like to see longer term data on 4 day work weeks.
We've been doing 4 10 hour shifts for 3 years, it's a game changer. Fr I'd rather do 3 12s and 4 hours on day 4.
We want Wednesdays off 🎈
Nah, I'd rather have Fridays off. A 3-day weekend every week can't be beaten. In contrast, having just 1 day off by itself feels like I'm being "tricked". It just doesn't work
@@catguy4996 ima use it as my repair Day, I’d get to use to a three day weekend quick
The 4 day work week would be good if we get that 5th day of pay. It's a start.
Then if we can make some progress on how much value the heads of companies are able to extract from its workforce, we'd be on to something.
Look at how many tens of billions people like Musk are able to take instead of allowing the employees that create that value to keep more of it.
This comment is so underrated. Take my upvote 👍
Having been raised in the 1980s business culture... and then working in it straight out of high school, contrasted with having worked from home (when no one was) since the early 1990s... and then having to return to the on-site, cubicle-centric environment that is corporate America (and one year was plenty...), not only had not much changed, but the general work ethic had actually worsened. The concept of an hourly wage is a privilege once your profession has sold out to subcontracted "piece work," as it were, with pay only generated for literal, produced "deliverables" I suppose you would call them now. While on-site for that brief interlude in the recent past, I could not comprehend the amount of "leaning," and "visiting" and just general faking being busy that was happening. I was accustomed to performing an 8-hour requirement within 6 hours, just at my given rate of workflow; everyone's would vary one way or the other. Especially, to observe the use of personal cell phones at desks--while on the clock--for nothing resembling pertinent family business, emergencies, and the like... was definitely culture shock. All the above being said, the concept laid out here is fantastic and should be commended, notwithstanding implemementation. However, what must always be factored into the equation is the integrity and accountability skills of those employed under any labor scheduling format. A tiered system to counterbalance those who "slack" versus those who pick up that slack by way of consistency and flexibility, would add to validity of the reconfiguration of days. And regarding those "slackers"... built in supports for those truly struggling versus quality monitoring for those who are not... and the resultant consequences. An offering regarding just such a (long renowned and well thought-out concept): Regarding "maximizing the realm of individual freedom... that individual freedom can only be maximized when the realm of necessity is taken care of." Feel free to Google it. :)
@@B41988 I do see the 4 day work week being a general step in the right direction for worker happiness, but also doesn't address the underlying problems many of us are experiencing.
I can see a lot more time being wasted in office settings for sure, but I have little personal experience of that. I do believe you though lol.
While I agree with slacking being negative in a productivity sense, I think that the opposite is also true, company heads are "slacking" on the amount of value they allow workers to keep in their communities.
They absorb the bulk of that created value as profit and keep it to themselves. This doesn't do a lot for the nearby community and bettering it. It has an opposite effect. A lot of programs remain underfunded, we have horrible education, roads, and other very poor infrastructure.
Also, when working harder doesn't translate into more value being created for yourself or community, slacking will be prevalent. Because why would anyone care how much more money they make their shareholders?
Plenty of debate on how to address this, the most common being raising minimum wage.
I'd argue that not only are these massive corporations not paying nearly a fair share of taxes, they are also a drain on the community with the subsidies they are granted to entice them to offer these poor jobs to begin with. Further removing value from the systems in the local communities.
The solution, in my opinion, is a mass awareness shift where billionaires and wealthy shareholders aren't idolized as heroes, but should be looked at more as parasites or leeches.
@@raymondlowe5454 ... and in my eyes, parasites they are, good man. (*wink, wink*).
Best employers know that they have to make sure that their employees love the job and are able to sustain a good professional / personal life balance. Working 5 days a week every single week is just too much, especially in high demanding jobs, and when you actually have to go to the office, loosing plenty of time and energy stuck between the traffic jam.
Working 4 days a week should be an option offered to every single employee, even considering a 20% reduction of one's income. And this should apply to high demanding jobs too such as Consulting, Finance, Computer Science...
Definitely one of the most USEFUL Ted talks.
Cheers to that
I think since everyone treats Friday as the new Saturday, it may as well just be a day off. The Weekend should be Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A lot of people also dislike Sunday due to the shops closing early + that Sunday dread. So therefore Friday and Saturday would be the "true" days off and we would finally, actually get that Weekend which we were robbed of! (Since 2 days off feel like just 1 day off)
Great! Just wondering how ready is India for it
not at all
Meanwhile, in Hebei, China, students study 7 days a week, 15 hours a day and only get to have a one-day vacation each month
and have a huge burnout rate
6 hour shifts as well
Thank you very much for this content, I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I’m Spanish and since you mention spain you made me think further. I feel some of the data you are comparing and using is missing some culture and local context.
Here is some data that would help to put in context:
- For example this Spanish government suggestion has been a political propaganda movement built only to get votes from the extreme right politics (almost comunism).
- We are one of the countries with the higher percentage of public workers and the most expense on public politics. And this is bleeding us the workers middle class who we get nothing in exchange of our taxes.
- for most small business pay 5 days of work for a 4 days worker would mean bankruptcy
- Spanish school has a 5 days schedule
- at this moment in Spain we have economical help for unemployed people. They are getting payd for doing nothing almost the same as for working. So we have a deep crisis on finding workers since people prefers to stay home doing nothing and get public money.
All this previous facts are bleeding the country and bleeding us the entrepreneurs and small businesses owners. All this together with the fact that is a country focused on tourism is killing factory, I+D, entrepreneurs and business creators
I’ve been also thinking about the issue of the balance work / live and I found an starting point for the Spanish problem:
- stop public help or leave it only for people who has previous contributed to the tax system.
- free time (we have local rules regarding Busines schedules like for example all shops must close on sundays)
- decrease the cost of hiring and firing workers
- 4 days / week schooling and university
- and then create a wider schedule options. For example two or 3 turns. One from Monday to Thursday mornings, the same for evenings and a third one from Friday to Monday.
That would allow more quality time all together (3 days) which also means more money expenses on fee time (more Busines making money) and would allow students to have not only work experience but also money to save, invest on more studies or spend on free time.
It is not, as you suggest, pay 40 for something worth 30. It is pay 30 for something worth 30 but allowing more people inside the party and reducing costs.
Its a start but without increase in salary and work conditions its just a bandaid. I well welcomed one.
Yes ! And we have to produce for our needs. 🌎
Not produce useless things that go directly to the trashcan.
Supply and demand -> demand and, then, supply.
Less energy and less waste for a more sustainable future.🌞
Also less work means less stress, less work related injuries or deaths and more jobs for unemployed people.
And if taxes are fairly paid by everybody, it will provide money to run public services like hospitals and schools.
Its a win win strategy.
IN india working hour for labors is 85 hrs in a week , and for tech companies its more than 70hrs ,
im all for it