MANY EMPLOYEES DISCOVERED they could work from anywhere during COVID. The next frontier is whether they can work less.
A handful of companies in Massachusetts and many more around the world are paring back the work week to see if they can improve the work-life balance of their employees and also boost their productivity.
On Beacon Hill, two bills have been filed that embrace a four-day work week. One, by Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven of Somerville, boldly replaces references in state law to five-day and 40-hour work weeks with four-day and 32-hour work weeks and requires overtime be paid after 32 hours of work.
The other bill, filed by Reps. Josh Cutler of Duxbury and Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth, takes the four-day work week concept for a test drive. It would establish a two-year pilot administered by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Employers who voluntarily choose to participate would be required to offer their employees a “meaningful reduction in actual work hours without any reduction in overall pay.” Employers would receive a tax break as an enticement to participate and provide feedback.
Both bills will get hearings before the Legislature’s Labor and Workforce Development Committee, which Cutler co-chairs.
Juliet Schor, a Boston College professor who has taken an active role in promoting and studying the idea of a shorter work week, says the available data from experiments around the world have been positive.
“We’ve had tremendous success with most pilots, with most employees reporting a very high level of well-being,” she said. “Companies for the most part have also been happy.”
Schor helped lead studies of pilots in the United Kingdom and other countries around the world that reached very similar conclusions.
“The trial was a resounding success,” the UK report said. “Of the 61 companies that participated, 56 are continuing with the four-day week, with 18 confirming the policy is a permanent change.”
Both studies indicated employees working fewer hours were less stressed, had reduced levels of burnout, and improved mental and physical health.
At a time when most employers are having difficulty finding and retaining workers, the global study suggested a reduced work week is paying dividends. “Revenue has risen over the course of the trial. Sick days and absenteeism are down. Companies are hiring. Resignations fell slightly, a striking finding during the ‘Great Resignation,’” the study said.
Schor said her research indicates the bulk of employers trying reduced work weeks are in white collar fields, although restaurants and some contractors have had success with the approach.
Cutler said the timing may be right for trying out a shorter work week in Massachusetts. He said hybrid work would have been unthinkable four years ago, but now it’s commonplace.
“It’s not a legislative mandate approach,” Cutler said of the pilot. “I don’t see it as something that divides business and labor.”