A startup company based in Portland, Ore. recently adopted a 32-hour work week, stepping away from the traditional 40-hour work week that most companies have.
Treehouse, a technology education company that offers affordable courses on web development, web design, iOS development, Android development and others, now operates on this new work week. Its employees' pay and benefits were retained even when their work hours were cut, USA Today reported.
The result? Increased productivity.
"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," Treehouse CFO Michael Watson said. Watson remarked that the goal of Treehouse is allowing its employees to live a more balanced life.
Treehouse CEO Ryan Carson says there's no rule stating employees need 40 hours to be successful with their work. He came up with the 32-hour work week idea when his wife asked him why they had to work more than they used to. With a company of their own, they should be able to have more control of their lives, WIAT reported.
Carson also gives value to family time, saying parents only have an 18-year window to spend time with their children before they live on their own.
"So every moment I have with my kids I realize it's something I can never buy back. No matter how much money I make or how powerful I get, I can't buy time," Carson said, The Inquisitr reported.
Treehouse has 85 employees, with 135,000 students enrolled in its various online programs, according to USA Today. It received honor from the White House as one of the 20 best companies that have helped train regular people into successful tech workers.
