Imagining A Shorter Work Week

KQED's Forum

Imagine if your company announced that it was piloting a shorter work week. You’d work 32 hours for 40 hours of pay, and it would be up to you to get your work done in less time. With those free hours, maybe you could take a day off each week, or start the workday at 11, after exercising or taking your child to school. The French have tried working fewer hours. Some Spanish companies plan to pilot a 32 hour week, with financial help from the Spanish government. But could this be something adopted by U.S. companies, where working long hours is often expected? We discuss the idea of a shorter work week, what might change for employees and if it would be bad for business.