Oregon

Oregon Company Tries 32-Hour Workweek

The owner of an Oregon-based online school for adults decided to try a 32-hour workweek instead of the traditional 40, and so far, he says his method is successful.

As reported by TODAY, Ryan Carson, CEO of Treehouse, an online school for adults based in Portland, had been working in overdrive because he thought that's what it took to be successful.

It wasn't until his wife, with whom he started the company, forced him to think differently about his workload.

"There's no rule that you have to work 40 hours, you have to work more to be successful," Carson said in a video produced for The Atlantic.

Since slicing off eight hours of the typical workweek, Carson says the decrease in time spent in the office has led to an increase in productivity, and that all Treehouse employees are on board.

"I think that when people aren't overworked, the chance for that light bulb or epiphany moment or whatever you want to call it is increased," the company's CFO Michael Watson said.

Carson stresses that the 32-hour workweek contributes to living a more balanced, total life by working less.

"Every moment that I have with my kids I realize is something that I can't — I can never buy back," he said. "No matter how much money I make or how powerful I get, I can't buy time."

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