Connecticut Town Adopts 4-Day Workweek After Trial Run ‘Proved Successful’

The town of Plainville, Connecticut, announced Tuesday it is adopting a four-day workweek for some of its employees.

Plainville officials said the schedule will be implemented for workers in its Municipal Center, Recreation Department, and Youth Services Department.

“The official implementation of this program comes after a pilot program that began in August 2023. The pilot program proved successful in the Town’s goals to retain and recruit talented employees and continue to provide high quality services to the community,” the announcement read:

Under this 4-day work week schedule, employees in participating offices continue to work the same number of hours each week, but in a condensed 4-day timeframe. This model has allowed the Municipal Center, Recreation Department, and Youth Services Department to extend their hours of operation on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to 5:00 PM.

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The adoption of a 4-day work week is a significant step toward innovative work practices in response to the evolving needs of our workforce. The 4-day work week is widely recognized for its popularity nationwide and is considered a pivotal factor in remaining competitive in today’s hiring environment. In Connecticut, towns, such as Vernon and Mansfield, have also successfully implemented similar schedules.

In March, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced legislation that would reduce employees’ working week to 32 hours, according to Breitbart News.

“The 40-hour workweek has been law since the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1940,” the outlet said.

In 2022, CNBC reported the five-day work week has been attributed to Henry Ford. He experimented with the schedule by reducing the work week to five days, believing it would give employees more energy; thus, they would be more productive:

According to the Breitbart News article regarding Sanders, “Participants in recent experiments have reported lower rates of stress and burnout and reportedly even higher productivity, well-being, and happiness.”

“France codified a 35-hour workweek in 2000 and may even reduce it to 32 hours,” the outlet said.

In August, a survey published by Bankrate said American workers wanted a four-day work week as a way to gain more flexibility, UPI reported.