Why a 4-day work week in New Jersey makes sense

Every year, a debate over the four-day workweek comes up with little to no progress. It's been talked about in this country for some time, and yet, nothing gets done regarding this issue.

The five-day 40-hour workweek is, quite frankly, outdated. It stems back to when the men of the household would work while the women would stay home and tend to the house.

That's no longer the case nowadays as both men and women have to work to maintain a decent living. Gone are the days of one parent working all week while the other tends the house. And since it takes two to work instead of one, it should only be fair to change the number of hours one has to work each week.

Think about how much time is lost at home when all members of the household are working 40-hour workweeks. It's not that many of us want to, but rather, that we have to.

A four-day workweek would help solve that issue. Instead of burning yourself out working five or more days in a row at any given job, you'd be guaranteed at least three days for yourself.

It's also been shown that a four-day workweek improves the quality of life, and yet, we can't seem to get out of our own way in this country.

And if this country won't move forward on making this a reality, we should at least lead the way here in New Jersey.

Think about the benefits here. On a personal level, we'd have three days to slow ourselves down each week. And in a state like ours, that goes a long way.

But the benefits in New Jersey go beyond that. It's also very expensive to travel on some of New Jersey's roads.

Especially if you travel over a bridge or tunnel, it costs a fortune annually if that's part of your usual routine.

By eliminating that extra day, you not only save yourself from traveling 52 days a year for work, but you're also putting less strain on your vehicle.

Speaking of vehicles, we'd also be able to make our commutes easier by reducing traffic on our roads.

And let's face it, New Jersey could use any relief it can get when it comes to less congestion.

This would also benefit New Jersey's rail service. Our trains are already in bad shape and are often delayed.

Hopefully, with fewer passengers, the train schedules would be able to lighten up a bit and put less strain on the overall system.

And finally, there'd be less pollution. With fewer vehicles traveling on the roadways, our emissions would scale back, which is good news in such a heavily populated state.

Out of all these benefits, having more time for yourself and your family would be the most ideal. And no, that doesn't mean we should be forced to sign onto our computers to work from home.

Nor does it mean we should take a pay cut. You'd just get that extra day free to do what you want to do.

Whether or not this ever becomes reality is anyone's guess. But if we don't move forward on this issue as a nation, New Jersey should at least lead the way.

What do you think? Would something like this benefit us in the Garden State, or would it somehow make things worse?

Yes, remote work is more of a reality nowadays, but is it really enough? And is it fair to those who can't work remotely not to have that extra day?

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.