Could a four-day working week be viable?

[Thin White Duke]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55485010

Article from today on BBC News.

Personally I would love to be able to work a four-day week. I currently work a 40 hour week, Monday - Friday with a nine hour day, minus one hour for lunch. I would love to be able to condense 40 hours into four days but it wouldn't work with my job.

What could work is the whole country going onto a four-day week. That would mean regular office hours would be Monday - Thursday with Friday becoming a new Saturday.

I know someone who went onto a four day week rota from five days. It worked something like Monday - Thursday for 3 weeks followed by one week of Tuesday - Friday and back again. So 3, three day weekends followed by a four day weekend, then a two day weekend, then back again. He came to resent the two day weekends, but said it was great. The four day weekends allowed him to go on mini breaks without eating into holiday time.

Do the frequenters of PH's NP&E think it could work?

[Welshbeef]

Reality is you deliver the output in 4 days (arguably higher productivity/longer hours on those days).

[pquinn]

Did this with some of our manufacturing team moving from a 4.5 day week to doing the same hours over 4 days. Originally the same hours was 5 days.

Guess we'll see how it goes.

[johnboy1975]

Fixed rate work per hour would have to receive a 25 pay rise else its a 20% pay cut.

It was one of the Labour manifesto pledges I wasn't massively against IF they could effectively fund it

Creates more jobs too

Maybe in conjunction with UBI? (Not popular in this Manor I believe?)

[Willy Nilly]

We are going to have to work an 8 day week to pay for this lot

[Thin White Duke]

johnboy1975 said:

Fixed rate work per hour would have to receive a 25 pay rise else its a 20% pay cut.

It was one of the Labour manifesto pledges I wasn't massively against IF they could effectively fund it

Creates more jobs too

Maybe in conjunction with UBI? (Not popular in this Manor I believe?)

If someone could condense 40 hours work into 4 days rather than 5, they'd come out with the same pay. Ok, they might have to work harder/longer on those days, but the bonus is a 3 day weekend at the end of it.

Or companies would have pay more per hour/take on more staff/part timers etc. I think it could work and benefit the economy.

[m_cozzy]

Personally i would love to do a 2 day week. I don't need to earn much money for my lifestyle.
But I think it's best to earn the big bucks whilst they are still available as I think next year will be carnage and it's likely I will be in a 0 day week!
Ubi what £1000/month? yes please. Would no longer need to work.

Edited by m_cozzy on Wednesday 30th December 21:06

[johnboy1975]

Thin White Duke said:

johnboy1975 said:

Fixed rate work per hour would have to receive a 25 pay rise else its a 20% pay cut.

It was one of the Labour manifesto pledges I wasn't massively against IF they could effectively fund it

Creates more jobs too

Maybe in conjunction with UBI? (Not popular in this Manor I believe?)

If someone could condense 40 hours work into 4 days rather than 5, they'd come out with the same pay. Ok, they might have to work harder/longer on those days, but the bonus is a 3 day weekend at the end of it.

Or companies would have pay more per hour/take on more staff/part timers etc. I think it could work and benefit the economy.

If you have to answer 20 emails a day over 5 days, it's not impossible to answer 25 emails over 4 (maybe)

If you have to make 1 car a day, chances are you are not going to be able to make 1.25 cars. Same with picking, packing, driving etc

It could work, but it would definately cost someone. Maybe the government could pay, partly out of the UB they wouldn't be paying, if it got 1m off the dole.....

[standards]

What weekday do we think schools should shut for?

Asking for a friend

[V88Dicky]

Some of us already do...

2 days, 2 nights, 4 off.

You need to do 12 hours at a time though

[miniman]

It’s an interesting and tricky one. If any of my team requested it I would certainly give it serious consideration because I am interested in outcomes not hours worked or working patterns.

However there are practical challenges, not least ensuring there is the right client-facing coverage (whether internal or external “clients”) when the client needs it. Then the “fairness” thing - what about people who can’t work the extra hours during 4 days but are then “disadvantaged” because they have to work 5 days.

I think generally speaking there needs to be a root and branch rethink of what “work” means.

[fiatpower]

I work a 4 day week doing 10 hour shifts (06:30 to 16:30). I find it that it benefits me in almost every aspect. The Friday is used for DIY, gardening, general housework which all would have been done on Saturday or Sunday which leaves those days for leisure activities. I can arrange deliveries for that day knowing that I will be in. My work output in my opinion has improved in terms of productivity. I'm not great early in the morning so tend to "warm" up as the day goes by so the work I do in the 14:30-16:30 would be better/quicker than if I was to do the same work on a Friday. Recently I have been looking at other jobs however the 4 day week is a massive benefit that i'm not looking to lose right now which is keeping me where I am.

The only real downside for me is that the days are long however I very quickly got used to them especially with the additional time I have at the weekend for leisure/rest time.

[BurtonLazars]

Obviously it depends on the industry, but there are definitely some work areas where it could work, and in those cases there may be some people happy to swap 20% less pay for 50% extra free time.

Right now, I’d prefer to work 4x10 than 5x8 or 4x8 (-20% pay)

[miniman]

standards said:

What weekday do we think schools should shut for?

Asking for a friend

This is where my “fairness” point comes in. The reality is that some jobs could never realistically have this level of flexibility. But does that mean that no one should be allowed to have it?

[miniman]

fesuvious said:

miniman said:

standards said:

What weekday do we think schools should shut for?

Asking for a friend

This is where my “fairness” point comes in. The reality is that some jobs could never realistically have this level of flexibility. But does that mean that no one should be allowed to have it?

It potentially screws over many working parents.

Or we increase each school day by 2 hours?

What I’m saying is, it’s not feasible to run schools 4 days a week so unless teachers can job share they can’t do it. Does that mean no one should be able to?

Or do you mean some parents couldn’t work longer hours because schools aren’t open? Same thing- they wouldn’t be able to partake.

[DaveCWK]

Lots of people (me included) working 'flexible' office jobs already have the opportunity to do this & it's definitely viable where the work suits it. Personally, I prefer doing a few hours on a Friday morning otherwise the Mon-Thurs burden is a bit high.
The term '4 day week' should be dropped; I find it & its socialist undertones very outdated.

[PeteinSQ]

Well like a lot of people I do at least an hour of unpaid overtime almost every day for my employers. Hardly ever manage to get a lunch break and often have to work in the evenings. I'd love to condense my hours but I just can't see how it would work given where I'm at now.

[BMW A6]

Would be beneficial in reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality.

Combining 4 day week with increased working from home, would be ideal.

[ATG]

I'm not suggesting is s good idea, but obviously you could run schools 5 days a week while members of staff only work 4 days ... I.e. on any one day only 4/5ths of the staff are at work.

[21TonyK]

standards said:

What weekday do we think schools should shut for?

Asking for a friend

Friday or Monday seems to be the favoured day off in my school. Lot of senior staff, support staff and teachers going to a four day week with anticipated consequences.