4 Day Work Week

[Katydyd]

Hi All! I'm really interested in hearing if anyone works for a company where a four day work week is an option. I'm trying to put together a proposal for my company and would love some feed back on what you have found. How has it helped, what did you find the downsides to be, and what kind of ideas are you using to work around them? I really think, especially with the environment and gas prices the way they are, a four day work week is the way to go. I of course, would like to work 32 hours and get paid for 40, but I won't be pushy, I'll work my 10 hour day . Thanks!

[ScoutMom]

We have a few options at my place (federal government). The rules are very strict though. We can work a regular 8-hour day (option 1 and the most common). We can work what we call a 5-4-9 option. That's where in an 80-hour workweek, you work 8 9-hour days, 1 8-hour day, and then get one day off. The day off is supposed to be the same day every two weeks (Mondays and Fridays being the most popular). The last option is 4 10-hour days. There are only a few people that do this, because 10 hours is a VERY long day. It's all subject to supervisory approval - it's a privilege, not a right.

[Harmony2000]

I work at a Japanese plant and they don't want to raise the price of their product and see a foreign company in a place that its cheaper to run their operations (Mexico) undercut them and steal their customers. So, even though some of us have offered to either telecommute (I could totally do my job from home) or do some sort of flex hours (stay longer but work 4 day weeks) they have refused. They would honestly rather we all quit and they higher cheaper and less skilled people than do anything to help out with the price of gas. Nobody lives near the plant and almost everybody drives at least 25 miles to get here some even drive 50 miles one way and I think they will all quit if this keeps up.

I'd love to work 4 / 10 hour days or from home but not an option here.

[buglover]

We have the option of proposing a 4 day work week but for me it won't work. I have work 5 days a week and it has to be done everyday. I work from home many days so it balances out for me.

[ScoutMom]

I'd love to be able to work from home - even one day a week. A lot of people where I work can do that, but the position I have, I can't. One of these days I'll really push the issue, but I don't feel like opening that can of worms at this point. But if gas gets much higher, I will!

[MRD]

Yahoo news had a very good article on that very subject today Katydid. I bet you could search Yahoo news and find it.

[Brodie]

We have an option for an 81/2 schedule for the summer. Mon through Thu you work 81/2 hour days. With that I have a 1/2 day every other Friday. The full friday you just work a regular 8 hours. It works out pretty well... Friday afternoons are quiet, so 1/2 staff is usually not a problem... They ask us to try to schedule vacations for 1/2 friday weeks so that we're not down too many people... You can also swap with people within your department if you need a certain Friday... (every department is divided down the middle to make sure there's coverage everywhere Friday Afternoons) Another nice thing is if you DO take a vacation day on a 1/2 Friday it only counts as 4 hours but you get the whole day...


ETA: But really that doesn't save any gas... This is just good for people that want a little more personal time... But you could modify this to 9 hour days and have 1/2 staff all day on Fridays. Our company is very careful to make sure they've got coverage in every department. We have a LOT of phone traffic in customer services, so this is very important. Or maybe you can give people different days off during the week. You work 4 9's an 8 and have one extra day off every other week.

[Harmony2000]

Yahoo news had a very good article on that very subject today Katydid. I bet you could search Yahoo news and find it.

I knew this topic looked familiar. I get all my news from them.

Anyways.... the LINK I read it yesterday during one my self-mandatory mental health breaks (post here or read online to take my mind off work for a couple of minutes).

Some 44 percent of respondents said they have changed the way they commute -- doing things such as sharing a ride or driving a more fuel-efficient car -- or are working from home or looking for a closer job in order to reduce gasoline costs, according to staffing services company Robert Half International. That's up from 34 percent two years ago.

I know a few people at work who have changed their hours so they can carpool with each other or a neighbor. Its a really good article and maybe can be used in an argument stating why going to something like this is a good thing?

[Katydyd]

Thanks for the help guys! I actually work for a pretty good company, and we get a $250 quarterly bonus if we carpool three days a week, or ride a bike, or take public transportation to work. I just think with the gas prices, and the environmental situation, anything we can do to help is so important. I did see the Yahoo article, and made a copy to start my info pile . I see alot of companies, and some cities are trying to make the switch. I even read about a couple of school districts that are considering switching to a four day week. It makes sense when you think about how much gas it takes to fuel a school bus. With the gas prices going up so fast, and our school's budgets already so tight, where is the extra money going to come from ?

[Harmony2000]

Taxes? Lottery? Charging the parents a school bus fee every school year? I posted an article in the gas prices thread about how much it costs to run school buses in one day. Its mind boggling.

What a great company you work for, you are so lucky because so many do not care about their employees and definitely could care less about helping the environment.