- Millionaire Shark Tank judge Kevin O’Leary does not support the move to a four-day workweek, dismissing the concept during a Fox News interview. He argued that in the contemporary workplace, work is project-driven, with tasks requiring completion by set deadlines: “There’s no such thing as a workweek anymore.”
(SeaPRwire) – Anyone hoping to permanently skip Fridays should temper their hopes—particularly if employed by Mr. Wonderful.
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Shark Tank personality Kevin O’Leary, recognized for his direct manner, addressed the increasing worker interest in a four-day workweek. France is notably examining this concept, in addition to its existing 35-hour work limit.
“That’s the most foolish idea I have ever heard,” O’Leary stated to Fox News.
“I think we should let the French adopt a two-day workweek and then defeat them in global competition.”
Simultaneously, the 71-year-old conceded that the conventional Monday-to-Friday, 9-to-5 schedule is outdated. With 40% of his team working remotely worldwide, he noted that he is unconcerned with when his employees work—provided they meet their deadlines.
“There’s no such thing as a workweek anymore in a digital, post-pandemic economy,” he continued.
The shifting perspective on a 4-day workweek
For employees, a four-day workweek offers more than an extended weekend; it aims to grant greater flexibility, improve work-life balance, and reduce burnout. A 2023 Gallup survey found that 77% of workers believe a four-day week, even at 40 hours, would positively affect their well-being.
Exos, a performance coaching firm with over 3,500 staff, trialed a four-day workweek with highly encouraging outcomes. Teams could designate one day as a “You Do You” day, leading to a productivity rise of approximately 24%. Burnout rates were halved.
Other executives are also taking note. A 2024 KPMG survey of 100 CEOs at U.S. firms with revenues exceeding $500 million revealed that roughly 30% are evaluating company-wide schedule changes, such as a four or four-and-a-half-day week.
To address its demographic challenges and help parents manage childcare, the Tokyo Metropolitan government has started permitting its staff to work just four days weekly.
Tokyo Governor H.E. Yuriko Koike stated at the 2025 Most Powerful Women International summit in Riyadh that a four-day workweek is crucial for creating a modern work environment.
“We must create a society where all can balance career and family, and advancing the four-day workweek is a step toward that,” she remarked. “Such flexible frameworks enable both women and men to select a working pattern suited to their situations.”
Sharks’ tips for navigating the contemporary workplace
O’Leary is not the only Shark offering views on pressing workplace issues. Daymond John took to TikTok to comment on the rising phenomenon of “loud quitting.”
“If you see a group of people loud quitting, you need to examine what is happening with your personnel, because you have stirred such strong feelings that they have begun collectively declaring, ‘I don’t care what happens to me, [and] publicly, this place is terrible,’” John explained, noting he finds “that absolutely remarkable.”
For employees seeking a salary increase, self-made millionaire Barbara Corcoran offered advice in an Instagram post: “Prepare for the discussion by compiling a list of your original job duties versus your current responsibilities and present it to your manager.”
“Do not simply ask for a raise,” she continued. “State that you desire a 10% raise, putting you in a stronger bargaining position to potentially secure 8%. Specify the figure.”
An earlier iteration of this article was first published on .com on June 6, 2025.
More on the future of work:
- ‘I hate working 5 days’: Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
- Forget 40 hours: The Dutch get their work done in just 32 hours a week—and women made it possible
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says this career path will thrive in the AI era—and drive a new industrial revolution
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