In 1929, GM executive John Raskob argued for a five-day work week not for employee well-being, but as an economic strategy. He believed a free Saturday would spur growth by encouraging people to buy cars and other goods for their new leisure time.
Related Insights
The standard workweek wasn't designed for optimal output. It evolved from 19th-century religious groups lobbying for Sundays off, followed by Jewish workers getting Saturdays, eventually leading to a two-day weekend for all. This historical context reveals its arbitrary nature and challenges its modern-day necessity.
According to Ari Emanuel, the traditional 9-to-5 week is a myth. He points to real-world data: rising Thursday hotel bookings indicate a shift to 3-day weekends, and peak drive times are now 11 am to 4 pm. This signals a permanent lifestyle change, creating more leisure time for entertainment consumption.
A four-day work week could paradoxically lead to more financial stress. While people may earn the same, the extra day of leisure provides more opportunity for spending. Without financial discipline, this trend will result in greater consumer debt, not wealth.
To convince skeptical leadership, frame the four-day week as a limited experiment, not a permanent policy. An instructor successfully argued for the change at a community college by presenting data on low Friday attendance and millions in potential air conditioning savings, making an undeniable business case.
The 1929 crash's roots aren't just in stock speculation but in a 1919 cultural shift where General Motors began offering car loans. This normalized consumer credit, which was then applied to appliances and ultimately, stocks on margin, creating the bubble.
Rather than causing mass unemployment, AI's productivity gains will lead to shorter work weeks and more leisure time. This shift creates new economic opportunities and jobs in sectors that cater to this expanded free time, like live events and hospitality, thus rebalancing the labor market.
Instead of just cutting a day, position the four-day week as a powerful incentive for employees to embrace process overhauls and new technologies they might otherwise resist. The shared reward of more time off motivates them to achieve the necessary productivity gains.
To escape the operational hamster wheel, create artificial constraints. By mandating that all work gets done in four days instead of five, you force efficiency and create a dedicated day for working *on* your business, not just *in* it.
Before the 1920s, personal debt was widely viewed as a moral failing. This changed in 1919 when John Raskob of General Motors introduced auto loans to boost car sales, fundamentally shifting the American mindset and paving the way for a consumer credit-driven economy.
Jason Calacanis predicts the four-day workweek will become a reality in the United States. However, it won't be about working less, but rather consolidating work into four intense, 10-hour days. This model may better suit some workers' rhythms than the traditional five eight-hour days.
