Game theory explains why the four day work week is stalled in America
And why we need to take action
Although the average American works 8.8 hours per day, productive hours is estimated at being only 2–3 hours with the remaining 6 or so hours being wasted on procrastination or other non-productive activities. The ideal number of work hours per day is about 3–4 with 6 being a maximum.
Given that science backs a shorter work day, it seems irrational for employers to ask their workers to spend more of their time working. This is especially given that so much work now happens remotely where “being in the office” is no longer a good reason. Likewise, the “always on call” tendency to have workers available by cellphones and email suggests that simply being available isn’t a good answer either. For whatever reason, employers and employees alike want to continue the charade that people produce for 40 or more hours per week.
Game theory may offer a reason.
Game theory is the study of costs and benefits when two or more parties are engaged in some kind of competitive or semi-competitive effort. The theory first arose from the study of simple zero-sum games where one player’s loss was another’s gain, but thanks to the efforts of theorists such as John Nash, John Harsanyi, and Reinhard Selten who jointly won the…
