How the 4-day workweek allows workers to get more done

"There is no good reason for the workweek to be five days long. It isn't backed by science, ancient wisdom, or divine decree. Nobody sat down to conduct an objective analysis of the optimal number of days for humanity to work and rest, and determined that the current 5-2 split was right, fair, or necessary. Our conventional workweek was instead shaped by a period of rapid economic and technological change that concluded over 100 years ago, during the Industrial Revolution."

"For 95 percent of human history, we worked an average of 15 hours per week, and that work was typically fluid, flexible, and quintessentially human. Then the early industrial era changed both our relationship with work and the kinds of skills needed to thrive. In the early industrial era, there were no evenings or weekends; those who showed up were paid for the hours they worked, and those who didn't were replaced."

Working less time while producing better results has succeeded across industries, geographies, company sizes, and cultures. The conventional five-day, 40-hour workweek lacks scientific or moral justification and originated during the Industrial Revolution, not through objective optimization. For most of human history, people averaged roughly 15 working hours per week in fluid, flexible arrangements. The early industrial era imposed rigid schedules, no evenings or weekends, and employment tied to visible hours. Organizations and researchers now pilot reduced-hour models, including four-day weeks, and report that shortening work time can maintain or improve productivity, employee well-being, and organizational outcomes.

Read at Fast Company