These Companies Operate on a Four-Day Workweek

(TruthandLiberty.com) – How would you like to work for 32 hours but get paid for 40 hours? If some lawmakers get their way in California, shorter workweeks could become a reality. California Assembly Bill 2932 seeks to redefine what a workweek looks like, including requiring employers to pay workers overtime if they work 33 hours or longer. The bill has strong opposition, and its highly tailored approach only targets companies with 500 employees or more.

Some companies have already implemented similar changes. Most of them are in technology, software, or government. Here’s a quick rundown of a few companies already on four-day workweeks:

Basecamp is a software company offering a seasonal approach to the four-day workweek. From March 1 through August 31, employees each worked 32 hours per week.
Bit.io is another software company that first launched its four-day workweek in 2019. It’s proven so successful it’s still in operation.
Boulder County, Colorado, adopted a Monday through Thursday schedule that began in May 2021. Officials said the public received policy better than anticipated.
Buffer initially launched a trial in May 2020 and, soon after, made the change permanent.
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding online-based platform that began a four-day workweek in January.

A dozen or more other companies instituted shorter work schedules over the last few years. Will the trend catch on nationally without government intervention? It may have to, even in California. Business groups expressed strong opposition, and there aren’t enough votes to pass it in the legislature. Still, the four-day workweek could become more common in the days to come if interest among workers remains steady.