Photo: TikTok
Some people don't want a longer weekend, despite the benefits.
By Ethan Cotler — Written on Feb 18, 2023
Going to school or working a job five days a week can be tiring. A 6-year-old from Georgia is fed up and has taken to TikTok to express his desire for a four-day workweek.
In a viral video on his mom Jessica’s TikTok account, Brodie Kenyon has pointed his demands at the government.
The 6-year-old is begging for a 3-day weekend.
“Hey, I’m Brodie. And this is for the government,” Brodie said at the beginning of the video. “And I’m protesting.”
Jessica wrote, “He asked to borrow my phone to make a very important video.”
“I want three days off of school because I’ve been tired of school lately,” Brodie continued. “Two days is not enough from school. I need three days off. I need time to just play and go with ‘Nay Nay’ and stay home and do whatever I want outside.”
However, not everyone agrees with his sentiment.
“Kid is going to be another snowflake,” one user commented. “I suppose if you graduate you will not want to work and the government should give you housing and basics so you won’t have to work. Right,” another user wrote.
Despite the pushback from some people, many in the comments showered Brodie with praise for his opinion. Some even called for Brodie to get a presidential bid.
“Finally someone talking about what everybody needs… Brodie for president 2024! He’s adorable!” one user commented.
“I feel you Brodie. Ask the government if the grownups can have 3 days too,” another user wrote.
Unfortunately for his supporters, Brodie is a few decades shy of being allowed to run for president of the United States. But the opinion he posits is not new by any means.
People have heavily debated a four-day workweek for years.
Firstly, what are the positives of implementing this change?
One benefit of longer weekends is the impact it has on the environment. During the pandemic, New York City’s carbon monoxide emissions fell by almost 50 percent due to a decrease in daily commuting. Shortening the work week would reduce emissions as well due to cutting out a day of commuting.
Productivity saw an increase too. A survey of UK businesses that implemented the four-day workweek found that 62% of employees took fewer sick days, and 64% had a boost in productivity.
In addition to Brodie’s desire for less time at school to do things he enjoys, such as spending time with his ‘Nay Nay’ and playing outdoors, a work-life balance is also crucial for adults.
Companies that have implemented the four-day workweek found that their employees’ sense of empowerment improved by 20%. Their leadership levels had a 22% boost, and their commitment had another 20% improvement.
These studies show that fewer working hours make for better employees.
The benefits don’t just end with the environment and employee satisfaction. A global study found that 33 companies with a four-day workweek had an 8% revenue improvement over six months.
But do the negative commenters have a point? Are there drawbacks to implementing this modified workweek?
In 2007, Utah governor Jon Huntsman cut Fridays off state employees’ work week. Two and a half years later, the decision was reverted, citing complaints from citizens not being able to access services on Fridays. Despite this, the state saved nearly $2 million in energy costs in the first 10 months and shaved 12,000 tonnes of carbon off the state’s yearly emissions.
Despite the benefits exhibited by numerous studies, the United States is slow to acknowledge and adopt this change.
In the meantime, Brodie and his mom have set up a petition calling for a nationwide three-day weekend.
Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. He writes on entertainment and news.