The creation and adoption of the current five-day workweek was a slow process of continual change. However, many people don’t see this workweek as the final result, but as just another step in an ever-evolvingsystem. Renownedeconomist John Maynard Keynes predicted in 1928 that people would be working 15 hours per week within 100years because of technological advances. This idea was even repeated in 1965 by the US Senate, which thought 14-hour weeks would be standard by the year 2000. Unfortunately, those predictions haven’t come true. For some reason, people have stuck to the five-day workweek, but the pandemicmay have finally changed that.
You might assume we have a five-day workweek because it’s good for business, butthis theory isn’t supported by research. Some studies have found that a five-day week limits productivity, while a four-day week raises productivity. Other research indicates that a four-day workweek improves employee moraleand overall well-being. The shorter workweek isn’t just beneficial for workers, though. Companies that have employed or trialed four-day weeks have found that they have a higher employee retention rateand thatthey have been able to attract more talent needed to grow their business.
