Right now, a 40-hour, Monday through Friday work week is the golden standard across the globe. It wasn’t always this way; this concept only became protocol in the early 20th century. Following the rise of industrialism, workers demanded an extra day off, resulting in what we now have as weekends. Henry Ford implemented the 40-hour, 5 day work week at his factories in 1926, and this schedule wasn’t widely accepted until the 1940s. Although this is currently the standard work week model, does it still benefit us? With the rise of technology and therefore greater efficiency, 5 day work weeks may start making their way out. 

At large, attention problems are a growing concern. In an attempt to figure out what factors affect someone’s ability to pay attention, YouGov carried out a poll that asked individuals why they thought their ability to pay attention was worsening. With the ten options to choose from, stress and changes in life circumstances (like getting older or having a baby) were chosen by 48% of participants. Surprisingly, phones came fourth, after sleeping issues. So if technology isn’t necessarily the root of attention problems and stress might be, what can be done to lower stress levels?

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, the former Surgeon General of California, decided to conduct a study relating stress to the prominence of attention disorder symptoms. They found that childhood trauma tripled the development of ADHD symptoms, financial issues in the family raise a child’s chances of being diagnosed with attention problems by 50 percent, and a serious illness raises the chances to 75 percent. If a parent has to make a court appearance, it goes up roughly 200 percent. Through these findings, Dr. Harris came to a conclusion; to pay attention in normal ways, you need to feel safe.

To apply these findings to working people, financial stability could be a key factor in the ability to pay attention. Sendhil Mullainathan, a University of Chicago professor, conducted a study that explores the relationship between financial stress and thinking skills by studying sugarcane harvesters in India. They were tested before and after the harvest, and once they had financial security at the end of the harvest, their averaged IQ points rose by thirteen. Other studies and initiatives have been conducted and lead to similar results; money problems relate to attention problems. 

So, how does this relate to a 4-day work week? Work is also a major stressor for many people. By switching to a 32 hour week, Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand based company, was able to give employees an extra day to decompress, refresh, and hit the ground running when coming to work. The company was able to achieve five days worth of work in four, so the shortened work week became permanent. In 2019, Microsoft Japan moved to a 4-day week and reported a 40 percent improvement in productivity. Other companies like Toyota decided to cut 8-hour days down to 6 hours, and this provided similar results.

Although it may not happen for a while, it seems that 40-hour work weeks prove to be just as efficient as 32 hours, if not more. As the workforce continues to become more efficient, companies can afford to give their employees an extra day off so they can come to work refreshed, focused, and stress-free.