G.O.A.T. of the week – BERNIE SANDERS PUSHES BILL TO REDUCE 40 HOUR WORK WEEK TO 32 HOURS (NBC) - *SPRING BREAK BONUS BLOG*

 

(Bernie Sanders : Image Source : The New York Times) 

Happy Spring Break everyone! While no doubt most of you are taking a much-needed breather, I thought it might be fun to just keep the momentum of this blog rolling. I was delighted to see this piece come out this week as the benefits of suggesting this reduction would be plenty. Some constructive ways this would help Americans include having a better life / work balance, less health-related issues due to stress and burnout, economic prosperity and productivity, a positive impact on the environment, and improved gender equality by reducing pay gaps. 

"The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” - Albert Schweitzer 

Consider this: this is not an unusual view. There are a handful of countries which have experimented with a trial version of working less that have seen successful results for economic productivity and employee happiness. In 2021, Spain initiated a pilot-program “allowing employees to work 32 hours without reducing their compensation” (Kelly) which has resulted in less stress and fatigue, improved happiness, and the reduction in commuting led to less carbon emissions that hurt the environment. Microsoft trialed a four-day work week in their Japanese offices that resulted in “40% increased productivity and 23% less electricity costs” (“New Study Shows 4-day Working Week to Be a Success”) since no one was in the office on Fridays. In 2018, the company Perpetual Guardian based out of New Zealand, conducted a similar trial which resulted in “78% of their staff reporting a better work - life balance, as well as a 7% reduction in work related stress issues” (De Jong). From 2015 – 2019, Iceland trialed their version of reducing the 40 hours to 35 with no reduction in pay and it “saw so much overwhelming success that 86% of the country’s workforce has now adopted this standard” (“Going Public: Iceland’s Journey to a Shorter Working Week - Autonomy”).  

(The Embodiment of Happiness : Image Source : Pexels) 

Back in 1996, Finland passed the Working Hours Pact which “allowed employees the ability to shift their working hours to suit their lifestyles in completing their work responsibilities three hours earlier than the standard workweek” (Kelly). Here in the United States, the San Diego based company Tower Paddle Boards extolled the virtue of a five-hour workday because "managing human energy more efficiently by working in shorter bursts over time creates better periods of heightened productivity” (“About Inflatable SUP Brand Tower Paddle Boards”). Finally, Scandinavian countries consistently rank as the happiest in the world because their “labor markets are regulated to avoid employee exploitation” (The Nordic Exceptionalism: What Explains Why the Nordic Countries Are Constantly Among the Happiest in the World | the World Happiness Report) unlike what you find here in America where the cost of living keeps increasing, minimum wage remains stagnant and employers demand increasingly more out of their employees.  

(Heart Health : Image Source : All About Women)

According to a study released in 2021 from Psychology Today, “52% of Americans are facing burnout at work” (PsyD). Overworking our employees has created a mental health epidemic resulting in elevated levels of depression, anxiety, burnout, and stress. Moreover, Statista published a statement that “63% of the employees they surveyed reported that the stress they felt from working often resulted in unhealthy coping mechanisms” (Statista). Being in a state of chronic stress because of workplace related factors can put the body at risk for cardiac events, such as fatal and nonfatal heart attacks as well as strokes (Brody). We should not be putting ourselves at risk of death so someone else can enrich themselves and profit off our demise.  

(Continual United States Birth Rate Decline : Image Source : Study Finds) 

In adopting a reduced work week, it would create a better work-life balance for many millions of American families. The extra time afforded with a bonus day off would allow people to invest in hobbies that create self-fulfillment and satisfaction much like they did with their extra free time during Covid, better mental health, flexibility for parents to prioritize family responsibilities and would even give people more time to make babies. There was a bit of a ‘baby boom’ during the pandemic when people were stuck doing virtual work at home and there was nothing else to do. Ever since then, births are rebounding back to a decline. As of 2024, “the birth rate for the United States per 1,000 people is seeing a 0.12% decline from 2023” (“U.S. Birth Rate 1950-2024”) and as most developed countries around the world keep lamenting on these statistics, a reduced workweek would afford people the time to not feel so exhausted to engage in romance. 

“The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.” - Mahatma Gandhi 

Expanding on the environmental benefits as demonstrated by Spain’s pilot-program, this could also work in our favor too. As stated in a report published by NASA, “emission reductions had unexpected effects on the atmosphere that gave unprecedented results which would have taken years of regulations to achieve” (Laboratory) with people engaging in virtual work during the pandemic. By not commuting to the office every day, this would help our world recover from the negative effects of industrialization. Of course, nothing is a panacea to the woes of human-caused climate change, but every little bit helps! There are only positives to Bernie Sander’s proposed bill and I for one will hope that one day Congress gets its head out of its ass and finally starts caring about the people who they are 'supposed to' represent.  

 

Sources: 

“About Inflatable SUP Brand Tower Paddle Boards.” Tower Paddle Boards, www.towerpaddleboards.com/pages/about. 

Albert Schweitzer Quote: “The Purpose of Human Life Is to Serve, and to Show Compassion and the Will to Help Others.” quotefancy.com/quote/764507/Albert-Schweitzer-The-purpose-of-human-life-is-to-serve-and-to-show-compassion-and-the. 

Brody, Jane E. “Why Stress May Be Your Heart’s Worst Enemy.” The New York Times, 14 Jan. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/01/03/well/mind/stress-heart.html. 

De Jong, Eleanor. “‘No Downside’: New Zealand Firm Adopts Four-day Week After Successful Trial.” The Guardian, 11 Jan. 2021, www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/02/no-downside-new-zealand-firm-adopts-four-day-week-after-successful-trial. 

“Going Public: Iceland’s Journey to a Shorter Working Week - Autonomy.” Autonomy, 12 Jan. 2024, autonomy.work/portfolio/icelandsww. 

Kelly, Jack. “Spain Is the Latest Country to Try a Four-Day Workweek.” Forbes, 18 Mar. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/03/15/spain-is-the-latest-country-to-try-a-four-day-workweek/?sh=38282627f1da. 

Laboratory, By Carol Rasmussen NASA’s Jet Propulsion. “Emission Reductions From Pandemic Had Unexpected Effects on Atmosphere.” Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet, 10 Nov. 2021, climate.nasa.gov/news/3129/emission-reductions-from-pandemic-had-unexpected-effects-on-atmosphere. 

Mahatma Gandhi Quote: “The Greatness of Humanity Is Not in Being Human, but in Being Humane.” quotefancy.com/quote/856019/Mahatma-Gandhi-The-greatness-of-humanity-is-not-in-being-human-but-in-being-humane. 

“New Study Shows 4-day Working Week to Be a Success.” World Economic Forum, 28 Feb. 2023, www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/four-day-week-work-life-balance-trial. 

PsyD, Jennifer Guttman. “Learn Four Techniques to Control and Curb Its Symptoms.” Psychology Today, 16 Oct. 2021, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sustainable-life-satisfaction/202110/burnout-work-is-affecting-52-americans. 

“Sanders Calls for Four-day Workweek at Senate Hearing.” NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024, www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/bernie-sanders-pushes-bill-establish-four-day-workweek-rcna143354. 

Statista. “Stress and Burnout - Statistics &Amp; Facts.” Statista, 28 Feb. 2024, www.statista.com/topics/2099/stress-and-burnout/#dossier-chapter1. 

The Nordic Exceptionalism: What Explains Why the Nordic Countries Are Constantly Among the Happiest in the World | the World Happiness Report. 20 Mar. 2020, worldhappiness.report/ed/2020/the-nordic-exceptionalism-what-explains-why-the-nordic-countries-are-constantly-among-the-happiest-in-the-world. 

“U.S. Birth Rate 1950-2024.” MacroTrends, www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/USA/united-states/birth-rate. 

 

Image Sources: 

All About Women Editor. “‘Spread the Word’ About Women and Heart Disease - All About Women.” All About Women, 30 Sept. 2022, blog.allaboutwomenmd.com/womens-health-awareness/women-heart-disease-awareness.htm. 

An, Min. “Person in Beige Top on Mountain Cliff · Free Stock Photo.” Pexels, 4 June 2018, www.pexels.com/photo/person-in-beige-top-on-mountain-cliff-1134188. 

Conversation. “U.S. Birth Rates Reach Record Lows – Even Though Number of Kids Most People Say They Want Remains Steady.” Study Finds, 6 Feb. 2023, studyfinds.org/birth-rate-record-low. 

Day, Meagan, and Bhaskar Sunkara. “Opinion | ‘Modern Day Debtors’ Prisons’.” The New York Times, 6 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/opinion/columnists/bernie-sanders-cash-bail.html.