Some companies are turning to the four-day workweek to combat burnout in employees and entice prospective employees to join, CNBC reported Nov. 15. The tactic may not be well-suited to the healthcare industry, though.
A bill was introduced in July by Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., that would reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours.
Fifteen companies in the U.S and Canada have joined 4 Day Week Global, a six-month pilot program that will test a version of the four-day workweek. Pay and productivity are supposed to remain steady, but time at work will decrease.
Joe O'Connor, global pilot program manager at 4 Day Week Global, told CNBC that companies are working with employees to figure out the logistics of the change.
"They have empowered their people to come up with ideas and solutions to change the way we work to ensure we produce the same outcomes over four days rather than five," he said.
Research has shown that employees working four-day weeks are happier and less stressed. Companies offering the schedules are also far more attractive to prospective employees. However, these schedules can be difficult to manage in the healthcare industry, given the prominence of shift work.