On the surface, the concept of a four-day workweek could easily be lumped together with other flexible work trends that have sprung up since the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the length of an average work week has long been a topic of discussion and speculation. The economist John Maynard Keynes opined in 1930 that more efficient working methods would usher in a 15-hour workweek for many “within 100 years.” In 1956, a New York Times headline read: “Nixon Foresees 4-Day Workweek”, referencing the then United States vice president’s optimism that American economic prosperity would lead to less work and more family time.
However, for many full-time workers globally, a five-day workweek has remained the standard, and in the U.S., 40 hours has been the legal definition of a full workweek since 1940.