Now, look who wants a four-day workweek: the United Auto Workers (UAW).
The union is negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement between the Big Three Detroit automakers and the UAW’s 150,000 members and voted Friday to authorize a strike if necessary. Among the “audacious” proposals UAW President Shawn Fain has proposed are a 46% pay raise, a return to traditional pensions — and a 32-hour, four-day workweek.
“Our members’ expectations are high because Big Three profits are so high,” Fain said in a statement. “The Big Three made a combined $21 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year…. While Big Three executives and shareholders got rich, UAW members got left behind. Our message to the Big Three is simple: record profits mean record contracts.”
A four-day workweek might not be as unreasonable an ask as it would have been even five years ago. A new survey of more than 1,000 US workers found that nearly nine out of 10 US employees are interested in the idea.
A survey by business consultancy Morning Consult showed 87% of employed US adults were very or somewhat interested in a four-day workweek, and a nearly equal share (82%) said they think the widespread adoption of it in the United States would be successful. (The survey was conducted May 9-11, 2023 and involved a sample of 1,047 employed US adults.)
Millennials were most excited at the prospect of a shorter workweek. Nearly all millennials (93%) reported interest in the concept, with two-thirds “very interested,” and 85% said they believe its adoption would be successful, the study found.
Morning Consult
The survey also indicasted, however, that remote work policies could affect a four-day workweek’s appeal. While 75% of employed US adults reported interest in the truncated approach if remote work is allowed “all or nearly all of the time,” that figure dropped to 51% when respondents were given the option of “no remote work at all.”
More broadly, US workers in recent years have shown growing interest in lower impact lifestyles. The survey asked, for example, whether American companies should adopt work norms seen in Europe, and large majorities backed every tested policy — with support strongest for extended vacation periods and lunch breaks.
“Henry Ford was one of the first prominent leaders to introduce a 40-hour week almost 100 years ago,” said Dale Whelehan, CEO at 4 Day Week Global, the organization that conducts international studies on reducing worker hours. “He proved then that the sector was capable of cultural innovation, and the same is true today. A four-day week would undoubtably lead to commercial prosperity for these companies, but it’s also time the workers whose dedication has propelled the industry to its present success enjoy the benefits.”
Both employees and employers are interested in exploring a shorter workweek, according to research firm Gartner. In a recent…
2023-08-30 17:00:03
Link from www.computerworld.com rnrn