[Closed] 4 day week

We work a 4-day week (M-Th, 9-6) because we think that information work isn’t like manufacturing. Another hour at the MacBook won’t yield another $1,000 in profit. We believe that smart folks can get five days of work done in four days. Simple as that. - See more at: http://ryancarson.com/post/21708810513/4-day-week#sthash.4kJwdnNi.dpuf

Yep. Would be amazing. Would get so much more done if every weekend was a 3-day one!

Just after Christmas our company announced the threat of redundancies and wanted suggestions of other ways of saving money.
A lot of us suggested moving to a 4-day week (obviously with pro-rata'd pay) and while I'm not sure I'd want to have dropped to 4/5 salary permanently, it would have been nice for a while to have had 4 day weeks.
Probably would have got used to the cut in salary too, so it might have been a win-win all round.

I do a 4 day week and you dont loose 20% of take home as you were paying tax on all of it anyway so it is more like loosing about 10-12 % of net.

Anyway just off for a ride ...enjoy your day at work 😈

Bit of a stupid post tbh. Yes it's great to work 4 days, and you'r emaking a success, that's really cool.

But if your company is well run and you have a great idea, then it'll be successful anyway. There are so many unanswered counter points.

1) You're probably creaming off the best staff, because everyone wants a 4 day week

2) You don't know how much more money you might have if you worked 5 days

3) In many industries this isn't feasible because there'll be other people working on Fridays when you aren't there to answer the phone

4) Yeah you ahve a great business, but if there were an equal business who worked 5 days, would they out-compete you?

etc etc

I often wonder if we , as a country, would be happier if more people were in work but everyone worked less hours.

Sure someone cleverer than me will be along soon to tell me why it's a crap idea.

The problem with that idea is that the distribution of skills is very uneven. So some people with sought-after skills or experience will be always be in high demand and it'll be hard to find someone to effectively job-share with them.

I start a three-day a week contract in mid-October. Off until then! Feel very lucky!

Yes, but only for a small number of really skilled jobs.

For many jobs, skilled or not, there are plenty of people out there looking for work.

We have just put an advert out for 2 band 6 nurses and the shortlist is 19 experienced and qualified people so it is likely that we will have to reject people who would have been good.

And some jobs won't work being 'open' only 4 days a week...

DrP

open' only 4 days a week...

4 on, 4 off?

Anyway, I don't have any proper skillz so I'd be fine.

Actually, I'm already on a four day week. *joins Junkyard

Agreed frontline services would need to be spread over the weekend but everything else is just conditioning and expectation
Retail used to be 9-5.30 with late night Thursday and Friday
Half day closing Monday or weds and no Sunday
We just expect as consumers to be able to buy stuff whenever we need it
Any business with appointments could be managed to a four day week

If businesses were open 4 days a week, then you'd only need one to open 5 days to get ahead of the others...

why make somebody sit there all day Friday if their brain is already fired?

OUTRAGEOUS.
They fired his brain?
Is it in a union?

Henry Ford bucked the trend back in 1940 by doubling hourly wage and going from a 6 day week to a 5 day week in his factories. The unions opposed it at the time, but he increased productivity...

And some jobs won't work being 'open' only 4 days a week.

But some jobs don't work on being open only 5 days a week and we get round that.

If businesses were open 4 days a week, then you'd only need one to open 5 days to get ahead of the others...

Fair enough. So basically trying to make the world a nice place would just result in somebody using it to gain an advantage and make more cash.

So basically trying to make the world a nice place would just result in somebody using it to gain an advantage and make more cash.

I think that's already happened hasn't it? It's the sad consequence of capitalism. People are resources from which to extract money and profitability, that's all 🙁

Yeah you ahve a great business, but if there were an equal business who worked 5 days, would they out-compete you?

I suspect not, there's a lot of evidence that you only have so much creativity / effort in you and once it's done, you don't get any more by working longer. A few references in this article: http://www.salon.com/2012/03/14/bring_back_the_40_hour_work_week/

I'm going to enforce the 8 day week in my staff....

DrP

Fair enough. So basically trying to make the world a nice place would just result in somebody using it to gain an advantage and make more cash.

Rhetorical question?

This is the reason I went freelance.

I despise the idea of face time in an office and a former employer was too blinkered to see past time at a desk vs. output.

It's quite possible to have your business open 7 days a week with your staff working a 4 day week.

It's crazy concept I know, but there is this thing called 'shifts'.

However 4 doesn't divide into 7 nicely, so you end up with people not having the same weekends as everyone else. This can cause problems, I knew a bloke who worked 4 on and 4 off and didn't like it for that reason.

Pah, who works Sundays?

4-day week here-
Week 1 Wed Thurs Fri Sat
Week 2 Mon Tue Fri Sat
Week 3 Mon Tue Wed Thurs
Repeat ad infinitum.

I often wonder if we , as a country, would be happier if more people were in work but everyone worked less hours.

You're not the only one who thinks this might be a good idea...

[url= http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/entry/three-steps-to-a-shorter-working-week ]http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/entry/three-steps-to-a-shorter-working-week[/url]

We do 9 day fortnights so get every other Friday off and it works really well. You don't need to use leave for appointments or other menial stuff so makes a big difference.

Infact today is my flexi Friday and I'm lovin it!

However 4 doesn't divide into 7 nicely

Neither does 5

EDIT: and if most people did it then no-one would feel left out. I am sure, as a species, we could adapt over time to it.

But 9 doesn't divide into 14!!!

So why do you think we ended up with 5/2 anyway?

1) You're probably creaming off the best staff, because everyone wants a 4 day week

Which is exactly the point. It's a perk that people actually want, much more so than fußball tables, or an onsite masseuse. Startups want good people - great pay helps, but often isn't enough in itself.

People in their 30s are quite likely to have kids. They also have much more experience than the early 20s, and while they make like the kind of work that startups tend to offer, they can often be tempted away by steadier jobs just so they get to go home at 5pm and see their families. Even for those who don't have kids - good employers encourage a life and interests outside of work, and this gives an extra day for it.

2) You don't know how much more money you might have if you worked 5 days

Conversely, if you went to a job interview and they said "we actually do a 6 day week here, it makes us more money" what would your reaction be? I'd just laugh and walk out.

When I worked in public sector, I ended up with so many days of leave (and not enough money to go anywhere) that I'd just take Mondays off for months at a time, which was great. I actually asked a previous employer, who'd said they couldn't afford any payrises for the third year in a row, for a drop to a 4 day week with a slight reduction in salary (so it was a bit more than 4/5 pay, in effect a payrise). They didn't go for it, sadly.

It's all down to what is considered "normal". 12+ hour days, 6 days a week (potentially from the age of 9) used to be "normal". Working hours have generally declined since the industrial revolution, so no real reason why it couldn't keep going further.

3x12 hour shifts here. Four weeks wed, thurs, frid days (7.30-7.30)
Four weeks sun, mon, tues days week off then same on nights. Done it for 25 years. nights get harder as you get older but 4 days off a week is good. Plus 3 days holiday leave taken at the right time gets you a fortnight off.

Seems like a lot of point missing going on....

Yeah you ahve a great business, but if there were an equal business who worked 5 days, would they out-compete you?

Breaking a link between putting your arse at your desk and productivity is a necessity. I remember being criticised as a contractor for leaving early when my work was done. Tried to explain that I'd rather have my time than sit making work last longer - boss didn't get it he would thank those who stayed longer every week though (paid by the hour)

Their not having this conversation in Asia, if working 7 days a week gets them ahead that's what they'll do. By all mearns work less if you can afford it or are lucky enough to have a job that allows it but it's not a recipe for success if everyone follows that path