While I think that a shorter work week is an good idea, I don't see it happening. Right now I'm working for a university research lab and worked a 20-hour week over the summer. I hated it. I couldn't get anything done in 4 hours a day, and over the course of a week I didn't feel like I had really worked as much as I should have. And then, after getting off I'd just dick around for the rest of the day. That doesn't mean that I don't find 40-hours a week to be oppressive, I'd love to take a longer break from work every once in a while, but I don't think a shorter work week is the answer. Rather, I'd like to see at least a month's worth of vacation days, and a flexible work schedule. Some days I really want to get in to the office and work for 10 hours, but other days (like Fridays) I really only want to work until 3 or 4, after that I'd be totally unproductive. Its still 40 hours a week, but its the 40 hours that I really feel like working, NOT the 40 hours that the work week mandates.