Four day work week

A lot of employers expect staff to work longer than their contracted hours (and through lunch if possible), despite overtime pay not existing. In fact, people who arrive and leave on time are frowned upon. A reduced week with extended hours would never work because those people would be less likely to work extra hours if their standard day is longer. If someone does do 1-2 hours extra five days a week (for free) will they increase it accordingly if they could do a four day week? Of course not.

Sadly companies do not operate for the benefit of their staff. Most want the minimum number of staff working the maximum number of hours. I once interviewed for a company where the MD proudly told me he operated the company a minimum 30% understaffed at all times! Needless to say I withdrew as a candidate.


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My company has core hours of 10-3 mon-thurs and 10-1 Friday. As long as you do 37 hours a week and you are in work in those core hours you can come in at 10 everyday or come in at 7 and leave at 3. Most people work longer mon-thurs and go home at 1 on Friday. I think it's a pretty good system.
 
It's an idea with a fair amount of support from various studies.

Productivity remains not that much lower, the nation enjoys much higher employment (lower welfare, lower crime, better public heath & increased demand). The government could in theory them be able to reducing spending on welfare & put some of that benefit towards reducing corporation tax to businesses which get on board.

Personally it's a good thing, part of the main purpose of technology is to reduce the burdens on our life - so unless you really love what you do - automation should be seen a social positive & society should change to reflect that. No point holding back progress to appease some theoretical notion of what modern capitalism should be.
 
Yeah I can't see this happening in a climate of Austerity and our working rights diminishing. I've noticed my company has started to implement 49 hour working weeks for new staff coming in and people have to work 2 years before they can't be sacked without warning. Thanks Dave!

Other companies in my industry are forcing people on 6 month only contracts which is an impossible situation.
 
I offered to do 4 x 10 hour days to do my contract and get 3 off but with my role they want me available 5 days.

The irony being everyone ***** off a half day on Friday so I probably work less hours doing 5 days than if I did 4, they don't seem to want to comprehend this. Oh well :p
 
Greebo said:
In reality i suspect those people would get as much done in 10 hrs as they did in 12 as a lot of the day was spent just filling to try and get your 12 hrs in.
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That would be me.

It depends on the type of person, my employer would probably get more work out of me if they changed my hours from 9-5 Mon-Fri to 9-3:30 all week because I have a relatively short attention/interest/enthusiasm span.

I find that by about half 3-4ish I really struggle to get much work done, I just want to go home and start clock-watching around then. Even if I have a shed-load to do I can easily convince myself to not worry too much (it'll still be there tomorrow).

However, before that time I'm like a machine and will get more done in that time than most of my colleagues do.

There's a guy i work with who is the opposite, he'll come in at 7am and still be there at 6pm when I finish. I don't know how he does it to be honest.
 
estebanrey said:
That would be me.

It depends on the type of person, my employer would probably get more work out of me if they changed my hours from 9-5 Mon-Fri to 9-3:30 all week because I have a relatively short attention/interest/enthusiasm span.

I find that by about half 3-4ish I really struggle to get much work done, I just want to go home and start clock-watching around then. Even if I have a shed-load to do I can easily convince myself to not worry too much (it'll still be there tomorrow).

However, before that time I'm like a machine and will get more done in that time than most of my colleagues do.

There's a guy i work with who is the opposite, he'll come in at 7am and still be there at 6pm when I finish. I don't know how he does it to be honest.
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I would actually need to start doing speed to do that.
 
Lightnix said:
Politically, recently we're being shown that there is a hunger on the left for better rights for workers as shown by the left leaning Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn winning the party leadership contest by a huge majority.
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Not really, that was 200,000 labour supporters who voted in that, not the general public. Except for a number of people who voted for him who don't support labour, myself included, I'd sooner **** in my hand and clap than vote anyone from labour into power.
 
Glaucus said:
4 day week would be great, but who's going to pay for it. Us with reduced wages, already do overtime as it is.

Great concept but I don't see how it's workable, how many people would be willing to take a 20% drop in pay.
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According to the right, big hikes in the minimum wage cause inflation that cancels out any benefit to the recipients.

By that logic, everyone getting a 20% pay cut would lead to deflation that cancels out the money lost. :p
 
My place does Mon-Thu 0730-1630 and 0730-1330 on, Friday. It's a system I really like because it leaves time for appointments and such. I do my shopping on, Fridays and it's easier and quicker early afternoon then after 1630.

I'm a frequent overtime worker too, so a lot of the time I do 0730-1800. I would happily do 10hrs over 4 days and have a 3 day weekend and it would be easy to adjust too. My company is in a position to make this change but it has to be all in or not at all. In my department a lot of people only focus on certain tasks, for example I do all the welding so I can't not be there during official hours.
 
Definitely something I would love but the problem comes down to overheads per an exmployee. It costs a certain amount to have a singlw person employed, educing hours and salaries and increasing personell simpply costs more more for the company and everyone gets less pay, so it is a bit of a loose loose situation.


Lower working hours does increase productivity, but it still doesn't make up for loosing hours. There is also a large number of jobs that simply require people to be present for the time hired, they can't be more productive in less hours, e.g. a shop assistant can't serer more customers in a 4 day week than a 5 day week.


Sadly a more realistic proposition would be a dramatic increase in remote working so people don't waste hours commuting. Offices could then be downsized and avings passed on to employees.

Better than reducing work days would be reducing work hours, from a productivity PoV. Instead of 5x8 have 6x6.5. People would get far more done despite an hour less. It is really hard to use your brain for 8 hours straight.
 
Glaucus said:
I wish I could do my hours in a 3 day week.
2x12hrs and an 11hr, would be great, knackering but 4 days off.
Trouble is it's not how a lot of business work, no point you being there, if you can't do anything.
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Our place is messed up regarding days working etc, some do 3 12hour shifts be it days or nights, some do 2-12 mon - thurs every week, others do 6-4 mon-thurs but they work along side people who do 7.30am - 4.30pm and they wonder why there is too much work and not enough staff.

Businesses should introduce a standard shift pattern for all shop floor people.
 
Glaucus said:
I wish I could do my hours in a 3 day week.
2x12hrs and an 11hr, would be great, knackering but 4 days off.
Trouble is it's not how a lot of business work, no point you being there, if you can't do anything.
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I've highlighted the important part. Someone working 12 hours in 1 go is no where near as productive as working 6hours over 2 days.

TBH, 6hours a day of mental activity is about as much as most people can manage so even the 8 hour day is too much and far from efficient. I certainly can't work 8 hours a day 5 days a week at optimal productivity.

I would do anything for a 4x10 shift, but there is no way I can approach my boss and say honestly that it wouldn't reduce my productivity. I would basically be about as productive as a 4x8 hour week, so where is the 20% difference going to come from? I wouldn't mind going to 4x8hours and loosing 20% salary but the company still looses out here because to make up the 20% shortfall is very expensive due to the overheads per person. So maybe I should think of a 30% pay cut for working 4 days a week, but I have lost a significant chunk of salary that I just couldn't afford.

As much as I hate it the current 8-5 M-F is just about optimal.
 
Currently working 46 hours per week on average at 5 days a week and one weekend every month. To be honest I'm finding it quite nice. Had previously been doing over 50 with oncalls and evenings. Would love to go to a four day week at some point but sadly in the NHS I find that quite unlikely at the minute.
 
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