Every day there are more people who are rethinking this possibility, moving from a 40-hour workweek to a 32-hour week, and without reducing salary. For years, tests have been carried out to shorten the working week in various countries and by different companies.
And what is curious is that the results they offer are generally positive. Companies generally find that their workers increase productivity by percentages greater than 20%, so that the company does not "lose" economic efficiency despite the fact that people work less time.
Microsoft tested it in Japan and found a 40% productivity improvement, and what I don't know is whether Microsoft has extended those business hours to other parts of the world. But I think not.
These social changes take a long time to take place, because people are quite resistant to change, even if it is to work less.
Those who defend this type of work argue that people with this schedule are more motivated (because they have more time to spend with their family and friends) and are more rested. Which is true, but I don't know where the limit is.
I recently found out that in the UK they are also going to carry out a national test of a possible 32-hour work schedule. weekly, and that they will carry out a pilot test for 6 months.
They are going to monitor more than 3,300 people from 70 different companies, and the study is going to be carried out by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, and they will verify that the work they do in the 32-hour week be the same as the one they made when they worked 40 hours.
We will see the results that they obtain, although I anticipate that they will be positive, since people like the idea of having a 4-day work week, and they will be motivated so that the results are positive.
If we think a bit and see the great advances that are being made in people's productivity thanks to automation in the broad sense (Artificial Intelligence + Robotics + New Technologies + etc...) it is quite logical that our society tends to shorten the week labor.
But I think we should not lose our sense of direction, and be aware that there are many people who work 40 hours weekly and even more, and despite this they only get salaries that allow them to survive.
I have the feeling that we are creating a society divided into two layers of people. The high level with 32 h. weekly work and decent wages, and those of low level with 40 h. labor and low wages.
In my opinion, the "problem" of our Society is not the weekly work of 40 hours, but that more and more people work those 40 hours and sometimes more, to get low wages that only allow them to survive.
We are evolving towards a society where there are more and more poor people, and researchers from Cambridge and Oxford do not even seem to know about it.
EN 
ES_ES 