We are basically a carbon copy of Europe, a Euro style social democratic economy at this point.
When it comes to the left, the Europeans have copied many of our ideas (feminism for example), and we have copied many of their ideas (family leave after a birth).
The shorter work week has been a reality in Europe since the mid 80s.
It all started, in earnest in 1984, Germany, with a major trade union IGM: https://www.igmetall.de/ueber-uns/geschichte/der-kampf-um-die-35-stunden-woche (I actually remember this)
Back then, with high unemployment, the BS argument was used that by reducing the hours of the work week you could employ more people.
Not how it really works economically but the communist simply sees an economy as static, finite in volume, and where you create “social justice, equity” and have “solidarity” (commie terms) by having the government swoop in and slice the pie ever finer between people.
Of course the real way to do it is to think about how we can bake more pies, a supply side, free market, capitalist way of thinking.
(((If you want wealth, you focus on productivity per hour and total.))) That does not mean wealth distribution will be fair but any attempt by government to create fairness builds into the system inefficiencies and usually does little to actually address the issue. Highly socialist nations like France, Germany etc. still have poor, still have homeless... Wealth is directly correlated to productivity and playing games with the money supply simply causes inflation without a corresponding increase in wealth.
Productivity: https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/040615/why-productivity-important-concept-economics.asp
***When was the last time you have heard a Western socialist politician mention any policy that would increase productivity?
***When was the last time you even hear a Western politician mention the term “productivity?”
Europe has had shorter hours way before the 80’s. They get three hour lunch breaks. Lunch is the biggest meal in Europe.