What do you think about four days workweek?

Question

What do you think about four days workweek?

Loner

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Points: 21279
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August 28, 2008 at 7:58 am

#192967

Here in NY the county office is thinking about 4 days workweek to save money.
Would you like to have 4 days work week - working 10 hours a day? Do you think the productivity level will go down?

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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Greg Charles SSC-Forever Points: 45403 More actions · Answer 1

I work in Washington state where the governor recently said that a 4 day work week is being investigated as a way for state government to save money. I'm not exactly sure where the savings would come from or how practical it would be for some agencies, but that's another subject.

We have flex schedules now - 4/10 s being one choice. I prefer my schedule of 4/9 s + 4 hours on Friday. I get up early anyway so I don't mind coming to work on Friday morning and getting off work at 11:00 AM makes every weekend a longer one.

As for productivity, it's hard to say. Some people's productivity drops off at midday no matter how long their shift is.

Greg

David Benoit SSC-Dedicated Points: 34562 More actions · Answer 2

I have worked a 5/4/9 rotation before which is basically first week Mon - Thur 9 hours a day, Friday 8; second week Mon - Thur 9 hours a day, Friday off. It worked great when everyone was off on the same Friday. It did not work well when they were altering with half off on one Friday and the other half on the other Friday.

So, to answer the question, yes, I think it works. There are adjustments that need to be made and people need to be diligent to actually work the extra time rather than just filling the seat but I guess that carries into the other hours of the day as well.

Enjoy.

David

@SQLTentmaker

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” - Jim Elliot

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736188 More actions · Answer 3

I've worked David's schedule, which is nice, every other Friday off, half staff each week.

I've worked 4 10s and those 10 hour days can be long, however it depends on what you do. Often you still need people in the office every day, so different people get different days off. We had some staff with Fri off, some Mon, some Wed (my preference) and then everyone in there Tue/Thur.

Depending on the job, those extra two hours might not be bad, often things are slow, and you get an extra day off every week.

Loner SSC-Insane Points: 21279 More actions · Answer 4

As a SQL Server DBA and Developer, how can you have a clear mind 10 hours a day? That's why I wonder about the productivity level.

I did it once 20 years ago, the whole group took turn to have day off but each one worked 10 hours a day. The productivity level dropped to the bottom. Basically your mind just did not function for such a long day. Again the intern doctors work over 16 hours a day and they are in charge of people's life. It is a crazy world.;)

Greg Charles SSC-Forever Points: 45403 More actions · Answer 5

I tried David's schedule also, but it just seemed like it took too long to get to that longer weekend.:P

Greg

Loner SSC-Insane Points: 21279 More actions · Answer 6

Does it make a difference that you work from home? I think both David and Steve working from home.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736188 More actions · Answer 7

Ah, I haven't done 4 days a week at home. I work 7 days a week, probably 50-51 weeks a year now. Probably too much if you ask my wife.

I used to be in an office that tried the 59s/49s schedule and that was nice. Half days on Friday get annoying to come in for a short period of time, so a full day off helps.

4 10s was good when I had a long commute, and I always took Weds off. That way I only worked 2 days in a row.

At home I think it's harder to have a schedule like that.

Loner SSC-Insane Points: 21279 More actions · Answer 8

I used to work from home. It is easier to work 10 hours because you can stretch the work hour into the evening. You are not sitting at your desk 10 hours and no noisy co-workers annoy you. That makes a difference.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736188 More actions · Answer 9

I guess I meant it's harder to say I worked 10 hours at home and took Friday off instead of 8 hours. It's more that you just have to get xx work done when you work at home rather than specific hours. I probably get 10 hours worth of work done in 7 or 8 hours at home.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004339 More actions · Answer 10

Heh... if you're already working 10 or 12 hour days, a 4 day work week would be very welcome! 😉

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Fraggle-805517 SSCrazy Eights Points: 8907 More actions · Answer 11

I personally believe in a 4 day work week. It will save both the individual consumer and the government a lot of money.

While this isn't the only website, it does a nice job of listing the major points.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2996

I think some of the numbers are far fetched, but if even a fraction of the numbers could be made possible, it is a huge savings.

As for 4x10 work days, I personally believe more in the #10 line item and the quote by Kellog. Even if you don't agree with this, from prior research, the average american spends approximately 20% of their time at work on non-productive, non-job related task. You are essentially paying them for 40 hours and only getting 32 hours of actually work out of them anyway.

Fraggle.