A 4-day Workweek?

[David G]

A 4-Day Workweek Gains Lawmaker Support in Some States

A good idea?

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/researc...e00001hGXSxEAO

[Garret]

Can't do it for all jobs, but where you can, it's great. When I worked at a sawmill, I worked 4 10 hour days. Loved that extra day off. Friends run an auto repair shop & have switched to Mon-Thur 7:30-6. They too love it.

[stromborg]

“It works for us — I don’t know if it will work for other people. It’s business to business,” Grippo said. “But obviously, I would say give it a try. I know we’re never going back.”

That last line of the article pretty much sums it up. It seems odd that we collectively think there is some magic number that constitutes a "work week" across all the disparate types of "work". My "work week" is nominally 48 hours long, but I work in a 24 hour shift so I'm an outlier. When I was running a scene shop our regular schedule was four nine hour days Monday through Thursday with a four hour Friday. It was nice, you still had to get to work on Friday but having the afternoon "off" made it feel like you had a long weekend.

There's a big difference between manual/production type labor and desk work.

[Paul Pless]

Can't do it for all jobs

why not?

[Garret]

why not?

Yaknow - after I submitted my post I asked myself the same question. I guess you can - though it could mean added cost for some businesses. I'm also guessing there are some regulations that limit the # of hours worked - aren't truck drivers limited to 8/day?

[WszystekPoTrochu]

why not?

Many jobs that have to be manned 24/7 have 12 hour, or even 24 hour shifts.

But, many do need the convenience of 24 being neatly divisible by 3.
Also, I would very much avoid extending hours for jobs like truck drivers.

[Jimmy W]

I did that for a while and liked it. Monday - Thursday 10 hours a day.

[Jimmy W]

Some nurses in hospitals work 3 twelve hour days a week.

[epoxyboy]

I did that for a while and liked it. Monday - Thursday 10 hours a day.

My work lets us do this sort of thing. I do, nine hour days, I have every other Friday off. It's great.

Pete

[Andrew2]

Anybody driving a commercial truck over here has a recording device that lists their hours. So that is controlled.

In France, the 35 hr week is normal, so lots of places with few employees shut for lunch and some on Mondays. Bigger places, just have more workers, so can do it on shifts.

[George Jung]

A bit of a tie-in; Macron rammed through an increase in the french retirement age, with lots of protest and blow-back. And of course, the Repubs in the USA have increased our retirement age, and wish to, even more - unless they're finally successful in just eliminating SS and Medicare. Wouldn't that be sweet, eh?

A nice write up/opinion in the SD Standard. Basically, the folks with desk jobs/soft jobs make the rules for those actually doing the heavy lifting.

https://www.sdstandardnow.com/home/s...-bodies-say-no

[SaltyD from BC]

These days I go with a zero day work week. I'm a natural I should have done this years ago

[john welsford]

Daughter and son in law both work 4 day weeks, 9 1/2 hour days. Both have better lives, and daughter who's health is a bit fragile is much better for it.

We're seeing a lot more flexibility around work hours, I wish that had happened while I was in the workforce.

John Welsford

[George Jung]

Quite honestly - work is over-rated. Europeans have a much healthier outlook on work/life balance. Too bad we're such slow learners.

[dutchpp]

A 4 day work week is very popular in my country.
Lots of people do it and because of our tax laws the effect of that 4 day work week on your actual income is limited.
Only problem, the total national workforce must be large enough to fill all jobs, that's a problem the last few years, it's usually demographics that limit the possibilities.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Many jobs that have to be manned 24/7 have 12 hour, or even 24 hour shifts.

But, many do need the convenience of 24 being neatly divisible by 3.
Also, I would very much avoid extending hours for jobs like truck drivers.

The rules for truck drivers hours in the EU (and at the moment in GBR) are really quite complex
For single man operation that's a maximum of ten hours driving in a single day maximum length of a working day is fifteen hours and a maximum of 90 hours driving in a fortnight...

Maximum working hours in any one week is 65 and the maximum allowable average over any seventeen week period (!) Is 48.

There are mandatory minimum rest periods - daily and weekly with pay back and borrow exceptions and it gets hieously complicated for busses on ferries.

[Breakaway]

How does one quantify a days work? For those who do not produce widgets or punch a clock, it is not easy quantify units of work

Kevin

[dutchpp]

Why should you quantify hours if you could also quantify results like produced goods or services etc., in combination with a work contract for a certain average number of hours a week gives you all the guidelines you need

[sandtown]

These days I go with a zero day work week. I'm a natural I should have done this years ago

Me too - been retired for going on two decades now.

Best advice we got - Don't wait to travel.

[Ted Hoppe]

I have noticed that my days have gotten to 10 hours a day since many work 4 days a week. My clientele expects me to work as long as the office or location is open. I work five days a week leaving me with 50 plus hour week plus commuting.

[John Smith]

In my book I suggested we have an 8 day week. Everyone works 5 days, rotating. Every day is part of someone's 3 day weekend.

[Breakaway]

Why should you quantify hours if you could also quantify results like produced goods or services etc., in combination with a work contract for a certain average number of hours a week gives you all the guidelines you need

Well, I wrote, " unless you are making widgets or punching a clock. " It does not work for all livelihoods.

How do you quantify an accountant's " full day." Some clients will take very little time; others may take all day. How about a lawyers full day? A plumbing firm doing renovations might install a new tub in an hour--or three days--depending upon what they find once they rip the old one out.

My company--magazine publishing, video production and events--went to " zero " workweek some years ago. Everyone has a monthly or weekly deadline, but no requirement to be working any specific days. Just get it done.

We do get it done. And there is benefit to getting things done on our own time. But no one works less as a result. The job still takes the time it takes. All that was accomplished was moving some of the productivity out of mon-fri and into flex time.

Kevin

[skuthorp]

Did 4 day 10 hour work weeks for some years. Fitted my job where deadlines were Thursday.

[David W Pratt]

Meanwhile, some remote workers have found their "workday" has, like a gas, expended to fill the space.

[George Jung]

30 hr/week is enough, truth. I've seen a study* showing the shorter work week did not translate into less work accomplished, relative to 40 hrs. But at least in this country, some employers demand their 'pound of flesh', and are disinclined to accomodate their employees, or work towards a happier environment.

*don't recall where.

[stromborg]

I just can't see how a crew building something like a house is going to accomplish in a 32 hour week what they would have in a 40 hour week. We've been talking about the middle class (where most hourly type wager earners live) falling behind in terms of income, slicing 8 hours off the top of their earnings isn't going to help that. Does everybody get a raise? Where does that money come from? There are an awful lot of details that need fleshing out.

[George Jung]

not sure that translates across all types of work. Homebuilding, for instance. Those i've watched seem like pattons army. For some office types? Maybe not so much. But a rested, happy employee is likely more productive.

[Garret]

I just can't see how a crew building something like a house is going to accomplish in a 32 hour week what they would have in a 40 hour week. We've been talking about the middle class (where most hourly type wager earners live) falling behind in terms of income, slicing 8 hours off the top of their earnings isn't going to help that. Does everybody get a raise? Where does that money come from? There are an awful lot of details that need fleshing out.

I know a couple of construction companies that work 4 10 hour days - so they still get their 40 hours plus the savings on setting up & closing up on the 5th day. IOW - they get a little more done.

[Tom Hunter]

All the reasons to oppose a 4 day work week are the same reasons that opposed a five day work week. If it is the law management will figure it out. If it is not the law they will spend their time on something else. Like stock buybacks, colluding to suppress wages, or opening offshore bank accounts.

Pick your poison guys

[David G]

I know a couple of construction companies that work 4 10 hour days - so they still get their 40 hours plus the savings on setting up & closing up on the 5th day. IOW - they get a little more done.

For construction, there is some research which suggests that productivity begins to drop off after 7-8 hours. But I've never seen anything conclusive. I'm sure age would play into it. But would productivity bounce back if a crew got used to the 4 tens...

[leikec]

Let me state right now—there is no way I’m going up to a 4 day work week. Zero days seems like the perfect match for my skill level and work ethic…

Jeff C

[Tom Montgomery]

.
I did it for years. Monday-Thursday 10 hours a day (6:00 AM to 4:30 PM). Ford KTP operates 7 days a week with three shifts each working 4 days/week, 10 hours/day.

[hawkeye54]

In a way similar to Tom M. in post # 32 above, my 'major, multinational computer company' implemented a 52- shift schedule for the workweek, to ensure 24/7 technical support was available (seamlessly) at any time. As a result, I worked Thursday thru Sunday, from 2 PM to midnight. Walking into stores on my 'weekends' happened while the rest of the world was at work, so no crowds at stores or the mall. I did a similar shift for the last 15 or so years of my career.



Rick

[MushCreek]

In my work as a tool maker, 10-15 hours a week of over time was normal. I worked at one place that advertised a 4 day work week (yay!), and then imposed mandatory overtime on Friday.

Now that I'm retired, I work six days a week, about 7 hours a day. In some ways, I work harder now than when I had a real job. It's stuff I enjoy, though, and I can go on 'vacation' any time I want.

[Todd D]

I am quit pleased with my current 0 day workweek. It replaced a 7 day workweek with virtually every waking hour spent working.