Four-Day Working Week

[Stan]

Are you For or Against?

There's been research into this, determining that some who took part in trials felt and were more productive from being well-rested and having the extra day off. 

If it got introduced at your work place, and your pay didn't change, would you embrace it? Or would you want to continue with current routine/tradition of a 5-day week (if this applies)?

 

[Claret and Blue]

I work 4 on 4 off. 12 hour shifts. Too many weekends. 

 

Give me Monday to Friday again all day long.. 

 

If I could get same pay on 4 in 3 off I'd be down for that. Our place don't give 2 fuks about the workers though. They'll never change 

[nudge+]

Doesn't apply to me as I don't have any work schedule, just project delivery deadlines. 

But in general, if I again was working 5 days on a regular 9-5 schedule and had an opportunity to switch to a 4 day working week and keep the same pay, then I'd surely welcome it; who wouldn't... 

I think overall you'll have some people who'll deliver more and be more motivated, some who'll see no change in their performance, and some who'll actually be less productive... Very individual, I think.

[CaaC (John)+]

Depending on the wages, with today's prices in gas & electric charges you would need a good-paying job that could cover all that and then have the 3 days off.

I know when I worked security work we would do 5 days on 2 off system with shift changes from days, nights and afternoons, but they were 10-hour shifts and could be tiresome depending on where you worked, I was a bit of a workaholic and grabbed any shift I could for the dosh.

In all that I would say it's a good idea but, depending on what the wage structure would be.

[Bluebird Hewitt]

If it was introduced in my area, as @nudge mentioned, who wouldn't want the same pay and work a day less?

Being in the NHS however, though I'm in the IT area, I'll be very surprised if we'd be offered 4 day working weeks at any point in my career.

[Whiskey]

I'd take it, but it won't happen.

[Spike]

Depends if the hours are put into the other four days of the week.

[Reluctant Striker]

It would need be resolved economically in some way.

If pay does not change, for some that could just mean same salary. For others it could be less hours & so less pay. Unless their hourly rate is increased.

Businesses too, some high end employers could adapt more easily than labouring type employers. In some instances less hours means less work.

It could perhaps work best as an official step to retirement. Many do so. But a state supported mid life point where 4 days becomes the most that can be required of any individual? With no pressure to opt out, or chance of employers actively recruiting youth.

It is a complicated concept, with problems to consider, but 1 not without potential benefits. We could get a more relaxed society.

[Toinho]

2 hours ago, Spike said:

Depends if the hours are put into the other four days of the week.

Yeah not sure on what the details are with the UK trial, but I’d spend an extra hour or so in the class for 4 days if it meant 3 day weekends. 

[Spike]

8 minutes ago, Toinho said:

Yeah not sure on what the details are with the UK trial, but I’d spend an extra hour or so in the class for 4 days if it meant 3 day weekends. 

Be quiet, you get like four months off a year.

[Toinho]

2 minutes ago, Spike said:

Be quiet, you get like four months off a year.

You’re an intelligent man I’m sure you don’t believe that. 

[Spike]

1 minute ago, Toinho said:

You’re an intelligent man I’m sure you don’t believe that. 

I was being modest, it is closer to six months.

[Devil-Dick Willie]

2 hours ago, Reluctant Striker said:

It would need be resolved economically in some way.

If pay does not change, for some that could just mean same salary. For others it could be less hours & so less pay. Unless their hourly rate is increased.

Businesses too, some high end employers could adapt more easily than labouring type employers. In some instances less hours means less work.

It could perhaps work best as an official step to retirement. Many do so. But a state supported mid life point where 4 days becomes the most that can be required of any individual? With no pressure to opt out, or chance of employers actively recruiting youth.

It is a complicated concept, with problems to consider, but 1 not without potential benefits. We could get a more relaxed society.

The easiest solution is 3 10 hour days and an 8 hour day to make up the standard 38 hours. (or 4 10 hour days) 

I think it'll be an industry by industry thing, with many office jobs being pushed to a 4 day on 3 day off system, with Friday or Monday becoming essentially a 3rd weekend day. 

But for labor jobs, retail and so on the hours wont change, as these jobs often have part time or unsecure work anyways. 

[Bluewolf]

7 hours ago, Claret and Blue said:

I work 4 on 4 off. 12 hour shifts. Too many weekends. 

 

Give me Monday to Friday again all day long.. 

Really??? I work 4 on 4 off and I love it... we work 12 hour shifts but having all that extra time off every 4 days gives me loads of time to get things done that I want.. wouldn't change it for anything. Work have offered me another role if I want it to cover the 4 shifts in Despatch because they are all doing different things and they want some cohesion but a sticking point for me is returning to 5 on and weekends off.. 

I have done so many hours in different jobs over the years including one where I worked 12 hour shifts for 5 days a week and then half a day on the Saturday and when I think back to all that family time I missed I see the 4 day shifts a blessing.. Life can't be all about working and anything that gives people a bit more time off I am all for.. 

[Toinho]

2 hours ago, Spike said:

I was being modest, it is closer to six months.

Haha, you get the same right?

[Spike]

25 minutes ago, Toinho said:

Haha, you get the same right?

I get nothing because I am replaceable scum

[Toinho]

1 hour ago, Spike said:

I get nothing because I am replaceable scum

We are all replaceable. 

[Bluewolf]

6 hours ago, Toinho said:

We are all replaceable. 

Not to all the family and friends your not... There will always be another job but you only get one family

 

[Toinho]

2 minutes ago, Bluewolf said:

Not to all the family and friends your not... There will always be another job but you only get one family

 

Oh absolutely I meant in work! 
 

[Bluewolf]

4 minutes ago, Toinho said:

Oh absolutely I meant in work! 
 

This is true... Some firms don't appreciate the loyalty or hard work of an employee if they think they can get by with something less for cheaper normally and it's another reason I am a little bit cautious about this new role they are offering... I have seen it happen a number of times before where a 'special role' is created and then a year or two down the line when they are making redundancies or cutting back on expenditure that 'special role' is no longer needed and suddenly you find yourself on the wrong side of the gate...

The only way around that is to make your 'special role' so complicated and unfathomable to the untrained eye that you become a risk to the business if they are thinking of getting shot... And even if they did decide to still go ahead with redundancy you would leave them in a world of pain and confusion while they try and work out how the hell you kept things in line.. 

 

[Claret and Blue]

19 hours ago, Bluewolf said:

Really??? I work 4 on 4 off and I love it... we work 12 hour shifts but having all that extra time off every 4 days gives me loads of time to get things done that I want.. wouldn't change it for anything. Work have offered me another role if I want it to cover the 4 shifts in Despatch because they are all doing different things and they want some cohesion but a sticking point for me is returning to 5 on and weekends off.. 

I have done so many hours in different jobs over the years including one where I worked 12 hour shifts for 5 days a week and then half a day on the Saturday and when I think back to all that family time I missed I see the 4 day shifts a blessing.. Life can't be all about working and anything that gives people a bit more time off I am all for.. 

Yeah it's shit. I use to do a lot of shit on weekends events etc now I either miss them or gotta book them off unless they landed when I'm off. 

 

It's whatever suits and it isn't for me but unless I do 1 to another workplace I gotta keep on with it. 

[Devil]

Never going to work in construction, 70% of the company I work for are self employed and would work right through Christmas if we didn't have a two week shut down.

 

[Mel81x+]

We currently do a 2-day in the office 3 day hybrid choice to come into work so I guess a 4 day work week wouldn't really hurt me too much in terms of getting work done but the question is how do you transition to this from the current model? Surely there would be some backlog that needs to be cleared to get to this state? I suppose its industry specific. 

[RandoEFC+]

Don't see how it would work in teaching personally. You'd have to commit to serious educational and qualification reform to think about reducing from five school days to four because there already isn't enough hours to achieve everything the powers that be want us to achieve, and that's before you get into childcare complications by shutting schools an extra day each week.

On a general level, I'm in favour of considering both this and the work from home approaches that have begun to be discussed in light of the pandemic. There are many more reasons for being more flexible with people's working hours now that you've got the technology to do so many things without going to the office and a lot of people could have their quality of life improved by reducing or eliminating the commute from their lives.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I'd take it, but there's no way my employer would go for it. I think it'd also depend on if you're expected to work a set number of hours a week, or if how many hours you work a week is varied, or (if you're in my position) you're expected to work a set number of hours a week but the numbers of hours you work a week is varied and pretty much always exceeds the number of hours you're expected to work a week.

I don't think it's something that could be uniformly applied to all industries. And even within some of the same industries - it'd work at some companies but not others.