Julian Plotnick, 4 Day Philly

It sounds too good to be true – companies reducing their workweek from 40 hours to 32 are maintaining productivity and revenue. I started seeing articles on the trend a few years ago, so I collected some statistics from pilot studies and pitched a four-day workweek to my boss. Much to my surprise, she liked the idea enough to let me try it out!

For six months, I ran my own pilot. I began to experience all the benefits I had read about and more. I was easily getting more done at work in four days a week than I ever had in five, and outside of work, I was happier and healthier. I was even able to lose 40 pounds! After proving a shorter week worked for me, I pitched it to the rest of the company, and we made a plan to condense schedules for the whole team. Then I started to consider: What if a four-day workweek was a normal thing in Philadelphia?

Talent attraction and retention are systemic problems for the Philadelphia business community, particularly for our tech and life science industries. Establishing a four-day work week on a large scale could help prevent brain drain and incentivize workers to come to Philadelphia and stay. The prospect of a four-day work week would make return-to-office efforts more appealing to employees, and an extra day of weekend spending would contribute to Center City’s post-pandemic recovery.

I joined groups like YPC and started attending events, asking people if they could do their jobs in four days or if they thought wider adoption would help the city overall. Most people I’ve spoken with see ways they could do their work faster, while restaurants, bars, and entertainment businesses would thrive if people had an additional weekend day. An extra day off work would free up time for economic drivers like entrepreneurs and artists. Some people said they’d need to stagger their teams between Mondays and Fridays off, while others could manage a shorter week on a seasonal basis. Plenty of companies already offer some version of “Summer Fridays” and could easily implement that year-round. Biotech workers could reduce their hours, but they would still need to come in on weekends sometimes. Nurse managers at some local hospitals have already started switching to a four-day week, with great results according to a recent study from Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Local companies are just starting to adopt four-day workweeks, but the idea that this trend could help our economy has been shockingly enthusiastic. Multiple local news outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Citizen, have covered my journey getting a four-day workweek and promoting the idea for the city. Last year, I was asked to speak at a conference for economic development professionals to discuss this unique proposal for Philadelphia to stand out in the labor market. I recently created 4 Day Philly, an organization with the goal of making a 32-hour workweek the new normal for Philadelphia.

The best talent values their time enough to use it efficiently, and they increasingly expect to be able to get their jobs done and still have a life. I want those people to stay in Philly, getting their work done in four days and making the city more vibrant with every three-day weekend.