Companies Around the World Are Shortening Their Employees' 40-Hour Workweeks. Here's How It's Going So Far

Studies show that Americans work longer hours than many people in Europe and Japan, with many U.S. employees spending 50 hours at work each week. Though the average number of hours spent at work per week is not going down significantly in the United States, some American companies and local governments are joining other parts of the world in testing whether a reduction in the number of weekly work hours can boost employee productivity, reports Inc.com . Reusser Design, an Indiana-based company that designs websites and apps, enforces four-day workweeks but rotates employees to still help clients on Fridays. "When we eliminate distractions or tackle their source, we can be just as productive in four days as we can in five days," the company wrote on its blog. "In fact, we find that we're just a little more productive." The company rotates employees on Fridays to answer phones and help walk-in visitors, and accommodates client emergencies as well. In August 2016, Amazon announced plans for a pilot program in which some part-time employees would work 30 hours per week. The company said it would allow about a dozen part-time workers to reduce their number of weekly hours to 30 at 75 percent of their salary, though they retained all of their benefits. While Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pilot program, the company advertised job openings for positions with 30-hour workweeks as recently as last month.