Overworked, Stressed, Burnt Out: A Decision on Four-day Work Week Legislation Will Reveal the Priorities of American Society
Emma Zubak (PPS ‘25)
As my sophomore year comes to an end, my peers and I express overwhelming feelings of excitement — not just for the summer, but for our fall semester, for which many of us will be abroad. We’re tired of the constant whirlwind of assignments, work, extracurriculars, internships, and the pressure to be academically successful. In the past few months, a growing number of us opted to study abroad, particularly in countries known for their strong work-life balance. We’ve voiced feelings of dread for life after college, where we know we will likely be roped into a toxic American work culture and a life of stress and burnout.
This problem is not unique to Duke students or even students in general. Americans are exhausted. Across the country, students and members of the workforce spend eight hours a day and five days a week working physically and mentally demanding jobs. Lack of concrete legislation aimed at decreasing stress and burnout sends a loud message — American society values productivity and the economy over the wellbeing of the people who fuel it.
People are itching for a change.
Soon, we might actually see it. Last month, Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif.) reintroduced the “Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act” in the House, marking the second time that progressives attempt to shorten the standard workweek by eight hours for hourly workers. Representative Takano initially introduced the bill in 2021. From there, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred it to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, but legislators did not take action. If Congress fails to pass the reintroduced bill, it will have serious implications for Americans’ mental health, well-being, and productivity.
As the daughter of Bosnian immigrants who grew up immersed in the Bosnian culture, my peers’ growing discontent resonates with me. I have visited Bosnia five times throughout my life. Each time, what stands out to me is what I very lovingly call “Bosnian Cafe Culture.” At all times of the day, cafes in Bosnia are filled with people hanging out with friends, socializing, and taking the time to be present and enjoy life.
Although European work culture is far from perfect, it’s considerably more balanced. The World Economic Forum found that in Western Europe, 39% of respondents reported feeling stressed at work (a number that decreased from 46% in 2019). In an APA survey of 1,501 U.S. adult workers, nearly 60% of workers reported negative impacts of work-related stress, such as lack of motivation, energy, or interest, cognitive weariness, emotional exhaustion, and physical fatigue. A whopping 79% of respondents said that they experienced this work-related stress in the month before the survey.
The U.S. can not continue to abide by antiquated and arbitrary workweek standards simply because it is the status quo, especially when these standards negatively impact both productivity and wellbeing.
While I support Representative Takano’s bill, I believe it does not go far enough. The government must pass legislation mandating a four-day week in schools and across all industries in the U.S. The nonprofit 4 Day Work Week Global and professors at Boston College conducted a study where 33 companies agreed to institute a four-day work week. The study found that 97% of participating companies sought to continue the trial. Employees noticed an improvement in their feelings of burnout and stress, rating the trial a 9.1 out of 10.
Not everyone is a proponent of the four-day work week. Rebecca Brooks, founder and CEO of Alter Agents, found that the model created problems, as employees were confused about the division of work and felt that they missed important information on their off days.
Brooks and other employers can easily address the problems with the model. For example, they can provide workers with training on the importance of rest days to discourage them from working on their off days. Additionally, they can mandate daily 10-minute meetings among team members to discuss progress to ensure that no one felt behind. While employers may need to implement varying strategies in different industries to ensure the effectiveness of a four-day work week, the benefits far outweigh the efforts of executing these strategies.
When we talk about “American exceptionalism,” we must critically think about what exactly we are exceptional at. Our European counterparts are increasingly modernizing their work culture while we continue to suffer and put in unnecessary hours for minimal gain. Our government must listen to the growing body of experts and students who express disdain over American work-culture and mandate four-day work weeks to decrease burnout, increase productivity, and stimulate a higher work-life balance. We must reconsider our priorities and strive toward a culture where we place people above money.
- https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/3903040-32-hour-workweek-bill-reintroduced-in-congress-will-it-pass/
- https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/3756058-33-companies-tested-a-4-day-workweek-none-are-planning-to-switch-back/
- https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress
- https://www.fastcompany.com/90775215/why-this-company-ditched-its-four-day-workweek
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/employees-stress-mental-health-workplace-environment/
Emma Zubak (PPS ‘25) is from Chicago and is a Public Policy Undergraduate at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. This piece was submitted as an op-ed in the Spring ‘23 PUBPOL 301 course. This content does not represent the official or unofficial views of the Sanford School, Polis, Duke University, or any entity or individual other than the author.
