Andrew Yang says US should ‘seriously look at 4-day workweeks’

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang says the United States should “seriously look at 4-day workweeks.”

“3-Day weekends are better than 2-Day weekends. We should seriously look at 4-day workweeks. Studies show that we would be just as productive,” Yang tweeted, linking to a Washington Post article. “It would create jobs at the margins and improve mental health.”

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci agreed with Yang’s workweek proposal. “#YangGang is a force to be reckoned with in 2024,” he wrote on Twitter. “Data shows 4-day work week increases efficiency, job creation and mental health. The guy just gets it.”

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Last week, as the story points out, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern floated the idea of a four-day workweek. Ardern pushed for companies to consider such new policies as a possible way to stimulate domestic tourism after the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’d really encourage people to think about that, if you’re an employer and in a position to do so,” Ardern said, “if that’s something that would work for your workplace.”

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Microsoft tested out a four-day workweek experiment in Japan last summer and found there was a major increase in productivity levels when work hours were cut to promote a better work-life balance. Employees actually sold more, while the company reduced spending on overhead costs.

One U.K. study cited in the Post found that almost two-thirds of businesses with four-day weeks saw staff productivity increase and more than three-quarters of workers associated the change with a better quality of life.

“It used to be that flexible work arrangements were a bit stigmatized,” organizational behavior researcher Karen Jansen said. “Those negatives I think are going away. COVID has had a leveling effect.”

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Yang in his presidential run amassed a small but fiercely loyal following, and centered his platform on a push for a universal basic income for Americans.