Vermont Lawmakers Pushing for a 4-Day Work Week – Should NJ Do The Same?

Times are a-changing!

Yet another state is making steps toward achieving a 4-day work week. And if you ask me, it's about time New Jersey did the same.

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Vermont bill proposes 32 hour workday

In an effort to increase the workforce's productivity and mental well-being, Vermont lawmakers are pushing for legislature to adopt a 4-day workweek.

The proposed bill would set Vermont's work week to a 32 hour schedule for both part-time and full-time employees.

“A scheduling nightmare, I think, but from a mental health perspective we have so many people dealing with burnout, especially coming out of the pandemic and remote work,” said one Vermont resident.

The 4-day work week works!

According to BusinessInsider.com, an experimental real-world study conducted by the group 4 Day Week Global was done across 33 companies in 6 different countries over the course of 6 months. In that 6 months, the companies ran on a 4-day work week schedule, with employees' hours being reduced to 32 hours a week, with the same salary and benefits!

You would think that productivity would be down, right? Wrong.

The companies reported increased revenue, and an improvement of employee health and well-being. More time for hobbies and to spend with loved ones! It also resulted in a positive impact on the environment.

The 40 day work week is 100 years old

Not to mention, the 40 hour workday format is 100 years old. It was made popular by Henry Ford in 1926, which is about 100 years ago. It was signed into U.S. law in 1940. 

Now that we have different, more advanced resources, technology and overall lifestyles, do we really have to keep abiding by a schedule that was made so long ago? Maybe it's time to evolve even more.

Will New Jersey move to a 4-day work week?

So far, there hasn't been any bills proposing that the state move to the 32 hour work week, but Pennsylvania has put forth a similar proposal in 2023. 

Sure, there can be pros and cons to switching to a 32 hour work week. The transition would be a challenge for the economy, but in the end, it could be well worth it for the sake of our work/life balance.

What do you think? Should New Jersey businesses embrace a 4-day work week?