The four-day workweek is coming

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The pandemic showed that work-life balance can quickly shift in unexpected ways and ignited a debate about work from home versus work from an office. But the controversy over the future of work did not end there.

This week on Down to Business, Joe O’Connor, director of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence in Toronto, explains why some companies are adopting the four-day workweek.

O’Connor says email, smartphones and other technology have made it not only possible, but also logical to trim the workweek: Working less makes employees more engaged and can be a huge advantage for companies, especially when it comes to recruiting talented workers.

In a possibly confusing twist, the episode also features a second Joe O’Connor — a staff writer for the Financial Post who has reported extensively on the pros and cons of a four-day workweek and why hundreds of companies are experimenting with trimming their hours.

As always the interviews are edited for clarity and brevity.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube where you can also subscribe to get new episodes every Wednesday morning.

If you have any questions about the show, or if there are topics you want us to tackle, email us: downtobusiness@postmedia.com.

• Email: gfriedman@postmedia.com | Twitter: GabeFriedz

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