Do More In Four
There’s a lot going on out there, as usual. But I want to spotlight a solution that I think would make a huge difference in millions of people’s lives that is achievable right now without legislation. What is it?
A four-day workweek.
In early 2025, I got an email asking, “Do you want to be interviewed for a book about a 4-day workweek?”
“Sure,” I said. This was a topic that I was very fond of.
The book is now out. I interview the authors of “Do More In Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek” Joe O’Connor and Jared Lindzon on the podcast this week. I advocated for a 4-day workweek during my presidential campaign in 2020. I believe a shorter workweek would enable us to benefit from AI’s ability to do more and would also preserve a few jobs at the margins. It would also preserve our health, our mental health, our time, and our relationships.
Right now, it feels like we’re working harder and harder. Meanwhile, Keynes predicted years ago a 15-hour workweek because our productivity would be so high and techies like Bill Gates have recently predicted the same.
“Work expands or shrinks to fill the time you allocate to it,” Joe observes. “This has become known as ‘Parkinson’s Law’ after someone who lived this rule in her own life.”
Most of us have experienced this - if we have to get something done in a couple days, we get it done. If we’re given five days for the same task . . . it somehow takes us to the end of the period.
“Numerous studies with dozens of companies have found that we get the same amount of work done in 4 days as we do in 5,” Joe states. Most of us have experienced this too. If we’re going on vacation for a weekend, we work harder to make sure we get our stuff done so we can leave on time and relax.
“There’s nothing magical about a 5-day workweek,” Jared points out. “It originated during the Industrial Revolution and Henry Ford. People actually thought a forty-hour workweek would ruin the nation’s work ethic because previously, people worked much longer hours at factories. That obviously didn’t happen. But this industrial setup has essentially lasted a hundred years till today. Now, with AI and knowledge work, our jobs are vastly different but we are still adhering to the same schedule.”
Joe’s company, Work Time Revolution, helps companies make the transition. “41 American companies adopted a 4-day workweek as a pilot, and the vast majority of them elected to keep it after six months. They saw an average increase in company revenue of 15% per year, as well as a marked improvement in morale and retention.” Early adopter companies will have a real advantage in keeping the best people; who would want to go from a 4-day workweek back to a five day?
Joe and Jared believe that this is the path to change – “Historically, a change like this has been made in the private sector by organizations, not through legislation. If anything, the legislation follows after it’s already been adopted by companies.”
As you’d imagine, this made me think about my own company, Noble Mobile. We’re less than a year-old and still need to work hard and grow. But years from now, would I like to see us adopt a 4-day workweek? I’m sure the team would enjoy it, and I’ve always believed in investing in talent and morale. This is, fundamentally, a different way to invest in people that most companies can afford.
Joe and Jared are thinking big. “A four-day workweek is better for the environment. It benefits our mental health, our physical health, our stress levels, our creativity, our relationships and our productivity. It could even encourage people to have children since they’d be able to spend more time with their families, as there are numerous findings that parents distribute more responsibilities when they have another day at home.” Imagine if every weekend was a 3-day weekend. That’s a change that most of us could get behind.
For my conversation with CEO of Work Time Revolution Joe O’Connor and journalist Jared Lindzon, the authors of “Do More in Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek,” click here. To check out Forward Party candidates in your area, click here. To get a copy of “Hey Yang, Where’s My Thousand Bucks?” click here and use the code “UBIUBI” for 25% off. For a limited time only you can get 6 months off your mobile bill with Noble Mobile, an absolutely crazy value that will save the average family $1,000. You read that right. Email matt@noblemobile.com and use my name to switch or explore. Look up.