For decades, American workers have quietly endured a work culture obsessed with output, often at the expense of their health, families, and sanity. The 9-to-5, five-day grind has long been viewed as non-negotiable — a bedrock of corporate life. But maybe it’s time to admit something we’ve all suspected: it’s not working.
Enter Juliet Schor — economist, author, and quiet champion of a revolution that has taken its sweet time to arrive. Since publishing The Overworked American back in 1992, Schor has argued that we need to work less to live better. For years, she was met with polite applause and little action. Then came 2020 — a pandemic, a global pause, and the startling realization that life is short, burnout is real, and our relationship with work is broken.
In the years since, Schor has helped lead one of the most comprehensive studies of the four-day workweek the world has seen. Hundreds of companies. Thousands of workers. And the results? Honestly, shocking — in the best way.
Productivity didn’t fall. It improved.
Mental health soared.
Burnout dropped.
Turnover evaporated.
Let that sink in.
One less day of work. Same pay. Happier, healthier, more focused employees — and businesses that didn’t just survive, but thrived.
Even more unexpected? Workers didn’t use that “free” day to chase side hustles. They used it to breathe, to rest, to live. That missing day gave them their lives back — and their joy for work along with it.
So why, in the face of such compelling data, are so few companies making the leap?
Schor’s answer is painfully simple: control and fear.
Too many managers are still clinging to an outdated idea of leadership that confuses visibility with value. If employees are out of sight, they must be slacking. If we give them more freedom, we lose our grip on performance. The reality? That grip is already slipping — not because people are working less, but because they’re overworked, disillusioned, and quietly quitting.
The irony is that companies could retain their best talent by simply offering them less time at work. Instead, many are doubling down on return-to-office mandates and clock-watching, even as workers flee for more flexible futures.
Some worry a four-day week might mean lower pay. Schor is clear: that’s not the model. Companies in her studies kept pay steady — and still got better results. In fact, reducing pay would likely backfire. Workers aren’t interested in losing income to win time. They need both — especially in an economy where too many are already stretching to make ends meet.
Could some companies try to slow wage growth over time? Maybe. But Schor notes the rise of AI could actually make that harder. If technology boosts productivity, then economic theory — and basic fairness — says wages should rise, not shrink.
Still, the biggest hurdle isn’t economic. It’s psychological. The five-day week feels “normal.” But normal isn’t always smart. In truth, Fridays are already fading — Summer Fridays, soft office hours, unofficial “catch-up” days. Productivity isn’t being sacrificed; it’s just not where it used to be.
So why not make it official?
We have the data. We have the stories. We even have the technology. What we don’t have — yet — is the courage to let go of old habits.
But here’s the thing: the four-day workweek isn’t radical anymore. What’s radical is continuing to ignore the truth when it’s staring us in the face.
As Juliet Schor makes so clear: a better way to work is not only possible — it’s already happening. The only question now is how long it will take the rest of the world to catch up.
