📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

92% of Young People Want a 4-Day Workweek So Much They're Willing to Make This Other Major — and Controversial — Professional Sacrifice Gen Z doesn't dream of labor — or five days in the office.

By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas

Key Takeaways

  • Gen Z and millennial workers will forgo remote and hybrid work if it means extending the weekend.
  • They're willing to make other sacrifices too, including working longer hours and switching roles.
entrepreneur daily

The five-day workweek, the U.S. standard since the Great Depression, might be coming to an end.

Nowadays, 92% of young people say they want a four-day workweek so badly that they're willing to give up other professional perks for it, according to a new Bankrate survey reported by CNBC Make It.

Related: Why You Need to Consider Implementing the 4-Day Workweek

Perhaps the biggest sacrifice young professionals are willing to make? Saying goodbye to remote and hybrid schedules: One-third of Gen Z and millennial workers say they'd accept a fully in-person role if they could tack an extra day onto their weekends, per the survey.

That might come as a surprise to some, considering how divisive return-to-office policies are. Although some CEOs and senior leaders frequently push for more in-person days, their remote and hybrid employees who have to commute aren't always on the same page.

In fact, Gen Z and millennials value remote and hybrid work so much that three-quarters of them working in remote or hybrid roles would consider finding a new job if their employer requested they go on-site full-time, according to a recent Deloitte report.

Related: This Is What It's Actually Like to Work a 4-Day Workweek

But they'll do it for a shorter workweek. And they'll make additional sacrifices for it, too, the Bankrate survey found, including working longer hours (48%), changing jobs or companies (35%), working weekends or evenings (27%) and even taking a pay cut (13%).

Many Gen X and boomer workers are also interested in a four-day workweek, and they're even more willing (61%) to work longer hours to make that a reality, per the survey.

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Data & Recovery

Manage and Share Files Easier with a Great Deal on This Cloud Storage Subscription

Save 68% on a FolderFort subscription — the best price online.

Green Entrepreneur®

How to Make Your Ecommerce Business Truly Sustainable (and Why It's Important)

Effective data collection solutions help overcome the challenges of shifting to more sustainable ecommerce practices.

Business Solutions

Bring Programming In-House with Visual Studio and Coding Courses for $56

This bundle features Microsoft Visual Studio Pro 2022 and a wealth of online coding courses.

Marketing

How to Combine Your Online Marketing Tacts With In-Person Marketing

Here's how to combine offline and online marketing approaches for a better outcome for your business.

Business News

Waymo Is the Second Automated Driving Company in 2 Days to Face an Investigation

This week, Waymo announced it makes 50,000 paid robotaxi rides weekly.

Money & Finance

This Toxic Money Habit Is Becoming More Common — If You've Picked It Up, Your Finances Are at Serious Risk, Expert Warns

Kaitlin Walsh-Epstein, chief marketing officer at digital banking platform Laurel Road, reveals the frequent mistake.