How Mass. gets to a four-day work week
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Massachusetts employers haven't yet embraced the idea of a four-day work week, but lawmakers on Beacon Hill are preparing for a future where workers have a bit more leisure time.
Why it matters: A four-day, 32-hour standard work week isn't going to become mainstream for years or decades to come, if ever, but some state lawmakers want to chart a path for businesses that wish to limit work hours.
What's happening: The Legislature's labor committee heard a proposal this month that would set up a pilot program for employers who want to limit workloads without cutting pay or benefits.
- The state's Office of Labor and Workforce Development would screen and select volunteering companies with diverse workforces and ownership interests in different parts of the state.
- The bill calls for companies to experiment with a significant reduction in work hours, but doesn't specify the number of hours.
Details: Bill co-sponsor Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury) wants to gather data over the course of the proposed two-year program to help guide the state's approach to updating labor laws that haven't changed much since the Great Depression.
What they're saying: "You think about all the changes in technology and productivity since 1940, and yet there's been no corresponding shift away from that workload," Cutler told Axios.
The intrigue: That's the idea behind the "100-80-100 model."
- Workers get 100% of their pay working 80% of the time, but maintain 100% of their output.
What we're watching: The nonprofit group 4 Day Week Global found that 39% of workers reported feeling less stressed when they participated in a similar trial run of a four-day week.
- 92% of 61 U.K. companies that participated in the study planned to stick with the lighter week.
- Pennsylvania and Maryland are also considering incentivizing companies to switch to 32 hours.
Reality check: Shorter workweeks are already becoming a popular perk in recruitment at white-collar jobs, especially for small businesses trying to compete for talent against larger companies.
- Blue-collar unions like the United Auto Workers are calling for similar changes.
What's next: Lawmakers are setting records this year for the low number of bills they've voted on, so don't expect quick action on Cutler's proposal.
- If the House and Senate do approve the measure, the pilot program could launch as soon as 2025.