A four-day workweek sounds appealing to workers. Possibly alarming to employers.

A bill introduced in the California legislature earlier this year proposed a regular pay rate for 32 hours of work per week, with overtime kicking in after that. The measure stalled in committee for a lack of broad support but could resurface in 2023.

Meanwhile, 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit foundation associated with Oxford University, is piloting a six-month trial of a four-day workweek 91裸聊视频渨ith no loss of pay for employees.91裸聊视频� More than three dozen companies in the U.S. and Canada are participating in the experiment, with a total of 150 organizations and 7,000 employees involved worldwide.

Of more than 1,000 U.S. adult employees surveyed by research firm Qualtrics in January, 92% said they would support their employer going to a four-day workweek; 79% of them said it would help mental health, and 82% said it would make them more productive .

Will more employers embrace the change?

THE CHANGE CAN BE CHALLENGING

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e always been curious about burnout. It truly affects those that should be thriving,91裸聊视频� says Lisa Belanger, CEO of ConsciousWorks in Canmore, Alberta. She consults with businesses on workplace well-being. In her quest to find 91裸聊视频渉ow work is meant to be,91裸聊视频� she decided to explore a four-day workweek herself.

Results have been mixed, at best, she says.

91裸聊视频淚 think I91裸聊视频檝e failed so far in my own personal experiment,91裸聊视频� Belanger says. Business travel plans or other work-related responsibilities often interrupted her Day Five off.

91裸聊视频淥ne of the reasons it91裸聊视频檚 so challenging for me, and most people, to do a four-day workweek is other people are working on that fifth day, so you91裸聊视频檙e getting email and you91裸聊视频檙e getting pulled in,91裸聊视频� Belanger says.

ALTERING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND EXPECTATIONS

91裸聊视频淧eople are realizing that while this might be an intriguing or interesting idea, there91裸聊视频檚 probably some trade-offs,91裸聊视频� says Benjamin Granger, head of employee experience advisory services at Qualtrics. He says the company91裸聊视频檚 research indicates concerns regarding customer frustration if staffing changes have an impact on response time.

Widespread adoption would have to reach critical mass, where companies believe they have to adopt a shorter workweek to compete in the workforce, he adds. And consumer behavior and customer expectations and services would need to be reshaped.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e not even close to that yet,91裸聊视频� he says.

If it91裸聊视频檚 not a four-day workweek, there are other levers to pull when it comes to workplace flexibility, Granger says.

Those could include , like choosing the hours you want to work rather than the usual 9-to-5, or the ability to run errands during the workday.

FEW EMPLOYEES WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE A PAY CUT

Less than 4 in 10 (37%) of the employees surveyed by Qualtrics would be willing to take a 5% or more pay cut for a four-day workweek . But nearly three-quarters (72%) of those surveyed said a four-day workweek would mean they would have to work longer days.

However, 10-hour days often aren91裸聊视频檛 child care friendly. And if a company offers to pay for only four days of eight hours each, it could indicate a shorter workweek might be the result of a company trying to reduce expenses.

CONSIDERING THE TRADE-OFFS

91裸聊视频淚 think there is a lot of work and research that an organization has to do before it pulls the trigger on this,91裸聊视频� Granger says.

A four-day workweek 91裸聊视频� or other workplace flexibility 91裸聊视频� might begin with a series of discussions. If there is interest on both sides of the payroll, Granger suggests a trade-off analysis: 91裸聊视频淟ook statistically at the factors that people would be willing to trade off, and would it be worth it to them?91裸聊视频� If interest remains strong, the organization could run a pilot program with a small group of employees before a wider rollout.

If a four-day workweek isn91裸聊视频檛 in your near future, Belanger offers these ideas for employees to possibly seek 91裸聊视频� and employers to consider:

91裸聊视频� Occasional extended weekends off. Belanger says this allows time away without the stressful 91裸聊视频渨ork is piling up while I91裸聊视频檓 away91裸聊视频� feeling during longer vacations.

91裸聊视频� A meeting-free Friday or a reduction in the number of meetings overall.

91裸聊视频� Email, instant messaging or texting hiatuses. 91裸聊视频淭elepressure91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� the compulsion to quickly respond to work-related messages of any kind 91裸聊视频� , Belanger says.

91裸聊视频淵ou need a couple of hours every single day where you91裸聊视频檙e wholly not working 91裸聊视频� 100% not working,91裸聊视频� for mental health, she adds.

91裸聊视频擧al M. Bundrick Of Nerdwallet, The Associated Press