Cyber Week Sale! 50% Off All Access

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.

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.

Growing a Business

How to Eliminate Unnecessary Tasks and Focus on What Really Matters

Hack away at the unessential and reclaim your time.

Business Solutions

'Please Hold' is Officially Cancelled — How to Future-Proof Your Customer Service for Gen Z and Beyond

Customers are increasingly expecting better service. Younger generations are leading the way.

Growing a Business

Who Shapes a Brand — The Leader or the Audience? Here's What Really Determines Success.

Great brands thrive at the crossroads of leadership vision and audience engagement, balancing strategic direction with real-time feedback to stay authentic, relevant and trusted.

Leadership

Stop Losing Millions Due to Bad Customer Service — 5 Ways to Retain Customers and Drive Growth

Stop the churn caused by bad customer service, which is endemic to many businesses. Here are five secrets for where to look for lapses and how to address them.

Data & Recovery

Secure 1TB Cloud Storage for Just $59.97

FolderFort offers 1TB for life—no subscriptions.