New York State Lawmakers Push For Four-Day Workweeks

Could shorter work weeks be coming to New York? Some politicians are pushing for a pilot program that could shorten the workweek for some across the Empire State.

The average American adult works 38.7 hours per week, according to Zippia. If you focus on Americans in the 25 to 54 age group, then that average goes up to 40.2 hours per week. The International Labour Organization found that Americans ork more per year than many other European nations.

New York State Lawmakers Push For Four-Day Workweeks 

FOX 5 NY is reporting that a New York state assembly member has introduced two pilot programs which, if passed, would reduce the traditional five-day workweek to four.

See Also: The Depressing Truth About New York State's Current Job Market

Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest has proposed a pilot program that would establish a four-day workweek for state employees, and another one that will offer tax incentives to private employers to run the pilot, says FOX.

FOX reports that the bill "also ensures that employees selected for the pilot program would not experience cuts in pay and benefits", nor have their hours cut to under 36 hours per week.

Would Four-Day Weeks Really Work? 

The World Economic Forum says that a four day work week could mean healthier workers, as well as less CO2 emissions. Sloan Review goes on to say that companies in Europe have experimented with shorter work weeks, and found that it "significantly increased job satisfaction, improved work-life balance, and reduced employee stress."

However, some cons to the idea, posted at People Hum, says that shorter work weeks could mean longer work hours for the days you're actually at the office, and actually create higher levels of absenteeism,