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One of the companies planning to pilot a four-day workweek is Kickstarter.
The company announced that next year it plans to pilot the shorter workweek while keeping pay the same for employees, according to the Wall Street Journal. The chief executive of the company said he hopes staff will remain just as productive while having more time to focus on their life outside of work.
A study in Iceland found that cutting weekly hours without reducing pay led to better wellbeing among employees, and their productivity either remained the same or improved, according to Wired. The outlet reported that now 86% of the workforce in Iceland work shorter weeks, or can ask to do so.
However, Wired reported that the country didn't test out a four-day workweek, the trials just reduced hours from 40 to 35 or 36.
In July, legislation to reduce the standard workweek from 40 to 32 hours was also introduced to Congress by a California lawmaker.
"After the COVID-19 pandemic left so many millions of Americans unemployed or underemployed, a shorter workweek will allow more people to participate in the labor market at better wages," said Rep. Mark Takano, who introduced the legislation.
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