Jeffrey (Jeff) H. Ruzal, Member of the Firm in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practice, in the firm’s New York office, was quoted in Law360 Employment Authority, in “4-Day Workweek Shows Promise Despite Compliance Issues,” by Daniela Porat. (Read the full version – subscription required.)
Following is an excerpt:
A four-day workweek can bring employee retention and increased efficiency as well as reduced overtime liability, attorneys say, but a truncated week is not without its challenges, particularly for hourly workers. …
At the very least, the prospect of a four-day workweek may prompt employers to engage in a "useful operational exercise" and evaluate things such as worker efficacy, said Jeff Ruzal, a member of management-side firm Epstein Becker & Green PC.
"What meetings are necessary and which ones could be shed? Looking at who works in which departments and how much people power is actually needed," he said. "Taking a hard look at how efficient operations actually are because all of those issues will inform the viability, I think, of a four-day week." …
A four-day workweek may also affect the independent contractor debate, Ruzal said. It may give the gig economy an edge.
"Does everyone take a step back and just think about work as a general proposition and how fluid things are?" he said. "Will gig economy advocates say, 'Well, look, there's an evolution here, and this evolution should also be thought of in connection with the gig economy and how workers operate'?"
These discussions, like the persistent debate on remote work, are not going away.
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