Four-day workweek would boost productivity, 81% of younger workers say
FILE-Workers sit at their desks working on desktop computers. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
A shorter work week is something any working professional would dream of, and this sentiment is shared among a younger generation of workers who say they don’t need a traditional 40-hour work week to finish their tasks.
A survey conducted by CNBC/Generational Lab polled 1,033 people between the ages of 18 and 34 with 81% of respondents saying they support a four-day workweek because it would boost their productivity, compared to 19% sharing that their productivity would plunge.
RELATED: Is the U.S. ready for a four-day work week?
While there was consensus about a shorter workweek, respondents were divided about the type of work setting they would prefer, with 60% saying they work best in an office and 40% sharing they’re more productive working from home.
Some experts say a four-day workweek is rare in the U.S., and it’s a challenge for many companies to retool their workflow.
The push for a shorter workweek has been introduced before and has support from some lawmakers.
RELATED: 32-hour workweek? Bernie Sanders' bill would make it US law
Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed a 32-hour workweek with no loss of pay in America. His bill, the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, would reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours over four years by lowering the threshold for overtime pay for non-exempt employees.
Sanders introduced the legislation on March 14, 2024, during a hearing on shorter workweeks. The bill would require overtime pay at time-and-a-half for workdays that are longer than 8 hours and overtime pay at double a worker's regular pay for shifts longer than 12 hours.
This legislation also contains language that would protect workers' pay and benefits to ensure the shorter workweek does not result in reduced income.
Last year, state lawmakers in Maryland proposed a bill offering tax incentives to businesses that try the four-day workweek, FOX Business reported.
FOX Business contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.