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Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

https://www.4dayweek.com/casestudies

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39457728 ("HN: 4-day week made permanent for 89% UK firms who took part in Worlds biggest trial")

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/14/countries-that-are-embracing... ("4 countries that are embracing—or experimenting with—the 4-day workweek")

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/companies-around-the-wo... ("Companies around the world adopt four-day work week pilot programs to meet growing demand from Gen-Z and millennial employees")

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/08/1211632901/schools-across-the... ("Schools across the U.S. are trying a 4-day week. Why? To retain teachers") (My note: ~1000 US school districts have moved to a four day week, as they are unable to retain teachers otherwise)

https://www.police1.com/colo-pd-extends-32-hour-work-week-pr... ("Colorado police dept extends 32-hour work week program after successful start")

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https://www.abc15.com/news/national/4-day-workweeks-may-be-a... (“Nearly one-third (30%) of large US companies are exploring new work schedule shifts such as four-day or four-and-a-half-day workweeks, according to a KPMG survey of CEOs released this week.”)

https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2024/kpmg-2024-ceo-outlook-p...

100% disagree. If you actually look at what is happening in the world.

Firstly all tech companies are doing layoffs, meaning less jobs available -> harder to get jobs -> people are willing to work more/get payed less.

Both US and EU are aggressively pulling in muslim and african immigrants. Again creating pressures to find jobs. This time mainly in blue collar work.

This and cost of living ballooning I don't see how we are going toward 4day anything.

Its the opposite, the employers' position is strengthening and they will be squeezing the employees.

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/plainville-officia... (“Plainville officially implements 4-day workweek for town employees”)

“Moving towards” was the question.

Are we arguing direction or rate of change in velocity?

In Europe I believe you can request an 80% work week, I've seen job posting and heard it second hand. Here's a Swiss example, https://threema.ch/en/jobs#openings of 80-100% jobs

In North America there were and are a number of companies that operate or operated (pre-layoffs etc, ZIRP free money RIP) on a 4 day work week. You can search "4 day companies" and you'll find a list. Some companies still operate on a 4 day week, so it wasn't necessarily a ZIRP-era only thing.

US congress or someone in government proposed a 32 hour work week -- unlikely to be passed of course or get any traction any time soon.

But in general, there's growing mainstream sentiment towards trying and exploring shorter work weeks.

If AI/AI-enabled-capitalists doesn't enslave us, those grandiose promised AI productivity gains may push sentiment further in that direction.

So "moving towards" is a fair description.

If anything - the US and, the majority of the world with it - has moved to longer work hours with fewer holidays. Sabbaticals are virtually unheard of anymore. Two people in the family work instead of one. I would argue the world is moving in the opposite direction.

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