4 Day Work Week

[Torture]

Was just reading this article "4 day work week gaining momentum in Canada" and frankly, I don't really think that's the case as much as I wish it was so.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/four-day...poll-1.1872369

A four-day work week may be gaining mainstream momentum in corporate Canada as workplaces continue to fine tune post-pandemic schedules and working conditions, new research suggests.

A survey by recruitment firm Robert Half found 91 per cent of senior managers polled said they would support a four-day work week for their team.

Most managers also anticipate their company will transition to a shorter working week within the next five years.

They claim that 91%(!) of senior managers polled support a 4 day work week and the majority think their company will transition to it in the next 5 years.
Maybe it's cause I work for an American corp but this is not my experience and it's not on the radar for us, but maybe I just work with out of touch managers and business is more progressive. Would be interested to see how Robert Half framed the question and who they polled..

Hell, how many companies are forcing people back to the office just to have buts in seats, but now we're going to cut a work-day?
Anyways, discuss. Is your workplace considering a 4 day work week?

[wireframe]

I work remotely for a big American company and there is no talk about a 4-day work week at all.

[Fuzz]

Instead of the 4x10, a 4x9 would work better. Given school aged children, and I'd imagine not a huge loss in productivity in that 10th hour, it would be a good balance. We all work too much anyway.

[FlamesAddiction]

I'm already part way there and get every 2nd Friday off as a flex day.

Just based on anecdotal things I read, I think it can be a good thing to have a 4-day work week. I think it was in France where it was implemented and they found that adding another day to the weekend promoted spending, so it boosted the economy. There was also evidence that more people would take up side entrepreneurial ventures and take part-time courses to further their education.

I think the Ontario Liberals are pushing it on the election platform.

[Ashasx]

nm

[Matata]

The 4x 10 hour day model is nothing new or special. I've tried it and those extra 2 hours are torture for me. My work requires intense concentration and I cap out at ~6 hours of good focus time in a day. The extra day off is nice, but there's not much to do and I feel a bit out of sync with the world.

[TheIronMaiden]

A four day work week, as in 32 hours? I don't think I could afford a %20 decrease in wages.

[Northendzone]

i too would be interested in the definition of a 4 day work week.

are we talking 4 10hr days of 4 8hr days. if the latter, then presumably our pay would have to change which would be difficult to swallow

[WhiteTiger]

I already do 4x12's. Don't see it coming around in popularity.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Instead of the 4x10, a 4x9 would work better. Given school aged children, and I'd imagine not a huge loss in productivity in that 10th hour, it would be a good balance. We all work too much anyway.

This would be about perfect IMO, if I was running a company I'd look at it. You'd probably get a much more productive 36 hours out of people. Going from a 8 hour day to 9 hour day wouldn't be much of an adjustment either. Heck I probably do 9 hours most days already anyways. I would absolutely crush a 4x9 and then have an amazing weekend to look forward to.

Having gone through my own work stresses I hope the idea catches on. Society is miserable and sitting at computers under florescent lighting for most of your waking life isn't a path to a good quality of life, everyone knows it. Yeah we need to work, and I'm all for productivity and competitiveness, but a workforce full of stressed out or depressed people isn't great for productivity anyways. I don't even think the government would need to mandate a 4 day week, I think companies will just start doing it and the market will set it as a standard and see its benefits.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

A four day work week, as in 32 hours? I don't think I could afford a %20 decrease in wages.

The article talks about 4x10, so still 40 hours. But further down:

A non-profit group called the 4 Day Week Global advocates for what it calls the 100-80-100 model – 100 per cent of the pay, 80 per cent of the time, and 100 per cent of the productivity.

That'd be the dream.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Instead of the 4x10, a 4x9 would work better. Given school aged children, and I'd imagine not a huge loss in productivity in that 10th hour, it would be a good balance. We all work too much anyway.

4 x 9 seems like a good compromise. That said, I'd be shocked if this, or any other kind of permanent 4 day week, became common in my working career. I can see places offering compressed work weeks with 2 Friday off a month, or similar ideas being promoted as perks as companies scramble to recruit. I'm very skeptical we will see it go beyond that anytime soon.

There is zero talk at my employer about a 4 day work week, to my knowledge.

Originally Posted by Igottago

Society is miserable and sitting at computers under florescent lighting for most of your waking life isn't a path to a good quality of life, everyone knows it. Yeah we need to work, and I'm all for productivity and competitiveness, but a workforce full of stressed out or depressed people isn't great for productivity anyways

[mrkajz44]

Well, a survey is quite different from an actual scientific poll, so I don't really trust those numbers. Also easy for managers to say they support it, but putting it into action is something completely different. I would be shocked if the 4 day work week existed in any substantial form in the next decade.

Personally, I think the right way to do things is shorten the workday, but keep it at 5 days. I know I'm not fully productive for the full 8 hours anyway, so why not just shorten the day so I don't have to give myself so many breaks to get through 8 hours. Say the workday is 5-6 hours and I'd probably get the same amount of total work done over the long run. It would make putting in OT way easier too as I'm not eating into my evening hours immediately.

[KTrain]

With the amount of posting going here during work hours, most of you are probably doing 4 days worth of work in 5 days anyway.

[justkidding]

I’ve been working 4 days a week, 7.5 hours per day. I do not make a salary of a full time worker and I’m ok with that.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

4 x 9 seems like a good compromise. That said, I'd be shocked if this, or any other kind of permanent 4 day week, became common in my working career. I can see places offering compressed work weeks with 2 Friday off a month, or similar ideas being promoted as perks as companies scramble to recruit. I'm very skeptical we will see it go beyond that anytime soon.

There is zero talk at my employer about a 4 day work week, to my knowledge.

[calgarygeologist]

I wonder how a 4 day work week would roll into this:

productivity from 2000 to 2019 grew at an average of 0.9 per cent annually, half the annual rate it had grown over the years from 1961 to 2000. Had we maintained the same productivity growth from 2000 on, the average annual income for Canadian workers in 2019 would have been about $13,550 higher. That’s pocketbook proof that greater productivity benefits everyone.

Improving productivity is not about maximizing our labour force participation, as important as that may be. Increasing the labour force helps promote growth, but it doesn’t necessarily improve productivity. Nor should our goal be about working harder or working with fewer people to do the same amount of work. It’s about working smarter, which is not the same thing at all. The best way to elevate labour productivity in the 21st century is through the application of technological advances and ensuring the ability of the labour force to adapt to them.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...sinesses-book/

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I wonder how a 4 day work week would roll into this:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...sinesses-book/

It would be absolutely stunning if even half of that average annual income would actually go to workers as opposed to companies' bottom lines. That's an entriely different discussion, however.

[btimbit]

I've done a lot of different schedules over the years, my favourite 'normal' ones were 4 x 9.5, and 3 x 12

[Patek23]

I think the bigger issue would be losing a day of operations. I think having an extra day off definitely is better for the worker but it would have a big impact on a lot of services. unless you staggered employees or something? like one week you start Mon-Thurs and next your Tues-Friday?