4-day workweek trial: Shorter hours, happier employees [UK]

Associated Press ^ | February 21, 2023 | Courtney Bonnell

[WKUHilltopper]

Wages getting cut too? Wonder if that’ll make ‘em happy?

[billorites]

[hardspunned]

I don’t think I could have gotten accomplished in four days what always took five. Who picks up the 20% slack in productivity? Not gubmint jobs but real ones.

[Maine Mariner]

The article suggests that hours were cut and pay stayed the same. I am sure most workers would be delighted with that outcome. A very nice pay raise indeed!

I am also sure there will now be calls for legislation to mandate a four-day week.

[WKUHilltopper]

Well, that’s not at all inflationary or stupid economically.

[Roadrunner383]

Boss and I worked four 10 hour days for a year or so. He worked Tues-Fri, I worked Mon-Thurs. Kind of a pain sometimes, we had to get things planned out in 3 days, Tues-Thurs which were the only days we were there together.

I wasn’t sad to see our 4 day weeks end. We had flexible hours to some extent anyway. We always put in a several hours unpaid overtime every week (this was IT), so taking off a couple of hours early Fri. or coming in late on Mon. wasn’t a problem as long as one of us had things covered. Anyway, I didn’t think 4 day weeks were all they were cracked up to be.

[V_TWIN]

George Jetson approves 👍

[Codeflier]

and pissed off customers.

[dfwgator]

[Opinionated Blowhard]

companies reported revenue largely stayed the same

Those companies should fire about 20% of their workforce. Costs go down and revenues stay the same!

[pepsi_junkie]

My company does M-Th schedule, but 10 hours a day instead of 8. So same hours, if you believe people are actually working all 10 hours.

I used to love those Fridays off, it was a relaxing day that we just peace and quiet. For a while. Then my wife decided she now had three days a week to come up with stuff for me to do. Now I wonder if I'd rather go back to the traditional work schedule where people are at work more or less mail it in after noon on Friday.

[Puppage]

And higher taxes.

[hardspunned]

I guess I can only speak for myself. When I was at work (mostly commission based) I worked my tail off every hour there. I could have cut my hours by 20% but could not have afforded the 20% cut in pay. I guess I just had the wrong job. Should have gotten a gubmint job.

[pepsi_junkie]

Most of my career I worked six days a work, routinely about 60 hours. I did it as part of my ruthless climb up the corporate ladder, taking ever crappy job that was on fire in my bid to gain crucial experiences. And I climbed quickly at first but I guess I became considered too important saving the company from crappy jobs and I maxed out 15 years ago, one wrung below the coveted executive pay level. Stupidly I still take on the worst jobs and work terrible hours while getting my teeth by kicked in by executives who I trained, all the while dreaming of retiring in the next 10 years and praying the democrats done destroy the economy or drain my 401K while I wait.

I feel like Patton, the guy the army wanted and needed on the front lines but not in the Pentagon. So you'll have to bear with me if I relax on the occasional Friday now.

[EVO X]

I wasn’t sad to see our 4 day weeks end. We had flexible hours to some extent anyway. We always put in a several hours unpaid overtime every week (this was IT),

I retired from IT some years ago. You are either a salaried employee or a hourly employee. If you are classified as a hourly employee, you are suppose to get overtime for working over 40 hours per week.

[Myrddin]

My wife usually does 4 days of 10 hours, then 3 days off. Currently, 3 of 7 dispatchers are out on maternity leave that started Jan 1 and runs to March 31. That leaves 4 dispatches to cover police/fire/EMS dispatch 24x7. Now she works 3 days X 12 hours and 1 day X 6 hours. I can assure you she is not "happier" with that arrangement. It is especially bad because all 12 hours are non-stop, working alone with nobody available for even a bathroom break. It takes a fully qualified dispatcher to cover the "break".

[Vaduz]

“Everyone is focused, everyone knows what they’re doing, everyone is refreshed,”

[Pollard]

My job, all 12 hour days, 6am to 6pm (one hour drive one way)

Week 1: Sun, Mon, Thurs Fri
Week 2: Tues, Wed, Sat

Repeat - end up as Sat, Sun, Mon work one week and Sat, Sun, Mon off the next.

Weekly pay of 4 days one week and 3 the next but Uncle Sam takes most of that 4 day week pay which has overtime on it.

I hate it

[aimhigh]

Liberals want this, to allow more people to join in their weekend riots.