There is a similar article in the Orion Magazine:
https://orionmagazine.org/article/the-gospel-of-consumption/
that goes a little more in depth into the history of the 40 hour work week.
If anyone is hiring for a position that requires <40 hours/week, this would probably be a good place to advertise. :-)
There's also a system of 9 hour days Monday-Thursday and then every other Friday off. It averages out to 40-hour weeks but you get two 3-day weekends a month.
My company works a four-day week, and it's excellent. Note that the transition from five to four days has the most pleasure impact (+50% weekend) for the least work cost (-20% work). The next two transitions – 4->3 and 3->2 – would be a lot harder. But I'd love to make it to three days a week, when you work fewer days than you relax.
I think apart from what really required by your boss and your productivity rating, it's really your choice if you want to spend your days working in the office or taking advantage of your vacation leaves.
I feel as if even a three day weekend would make me feel so much less stifled by work.
I love my job. I love what I do. And yet the grind of going day after day, five days a week, every week except for maybe three or four times a year when I take vacation (and I try to take more than I'm allotted believe me...). It's just stifling. It's tiring. It makes me not want to get up for work in the morning. But after a three day weekend and with only four days to work in the week, I always feel better.
If it doesn't happen at my work here I'll figure a way to make it work somewhere else I hope. But it's not an option for most people, and maybe it should be.