In California, a bill that would reduce the workweek from 40 to 32 hours for companies with more than 500 employees is being studied, essentially creating a four-day work week.

The idea of reducing working hours has been experimented with  -- in many cases successfully -- in the United States and around the world for several years, but it has yet to be enshrined in law.

Have you already heard of the four-day workweek?

Democrat Mark Takano introduced a bill in the California state assembly designed to reduce working hours from 40 to 32 hours per week (with 8-hour days) for companies with more than 500 employees. This is a significant step that takes the concept beyond the experiments implemented in several companies around the country and abroad. California may be well on its way to enshrining the four-day workweek in legislation.

The issue of shorter working hours has been debated for many years, but it is back on the table following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted working patterns, with remote work being implemented on a massive scale and the consequent dissolution of the traditional workplace.

Since returning to offices, US employees have been calling for more flexibility at work and improved work-life balance.

And indeed this is one of the arguments regularly put forward in support of this proposed legislation. "Employees are talking about wanting a work-life balance, wanting to be healthy mentally, physically and emotionally. And a four-day work week is part of that discussion," Cristina Garcia, one of the assembly members behind the proposal, told the Sacramento Bee.

Supported by several groups, including the Economic Policy Institute and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the measure has its critics, including the California Chamber of Commerce. Opponents argue that it is not feasible for certain industries, particularly customer-facing industries, and that it is too costly for businesses. The proposal would pay employees who work more than 32 hours a week in overtime.

Is the world moving to a four-day workweek?

The four-day work week is not just under discussion in the United States, but an idea being looked at around the world. Iceland has long been a leader in this movement, launching a full-scale experiment in the country in 2015.

After four years of the experiment, researchers reported a notable increase in productivity and employee well-being. This finding is shared by many companies that have tried out this alternative work rhythm, such as Microsoft in Japan in 2019 and Unilever in New Zealand.

Following Spain, which launched a pilot project with 200 companies in 2021, Belgium and the United Kingdom joined the movement in February 2022 by launching a trial program. In Belgium, the program involves working the same number of hours as before and turning the fifth day into a rest day. In the UK, the program will start in June for a 6-month trial period. Employees commit to working four days a week, with the same pay, while maintaining the same productivity levels as in five workdays