Comments on: 4 Day Workweek 3 Day Weekend

By: Don

Don — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 21:02:01 +0000

Interesting Sandra.

A workplace I worked in years ago had a similar sort of deal. The workers would be given a certain amount of work to complete each day and would be paid the full 8 hours worth if they did it in 4 hours or 12 hours.

The employees always finished before time and went home early with full pay.

We did have to cease it after a period of time though as long term strain injuries started to emerge, some of them quite costly.

By: Mark Shead

Mark Shead — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:12:45 +0000

Interesting. I’m going to have to try to find that study.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:19:30 +0000

I read some article online that Kelloggs years ago reduced their workers hours to 6 per day for only 4 days a week and found that people worked harder for fewer hours. They were able to pay the same for the 6/4 as the 8/5 because the productivity was the same. The workers were also a lot more relaxed because they had plenty of free time to spend with their spouse and children.

By: Don

Don — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:34:19 +0000

There are a number of people in manufacturing industries that do use a 4 day on 4 day off schedule, primarily for the support people within the business. It’s based on an 8 week cycle and you require a team of 8 people if you want to have 2 people on per shift to cover any issues and complete maintenance.

From my understanding it works very well too, with most employees liking the option of working 4 x 10 hour days for 4 days off.

If the people within the organization are support and maintenance people and components of the business do not run 24/7 they can use the downtime of the machinery to complete servicing rather than interrupting productive time.

By: Twain ALi

Twain ALi — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:05:07 +0000

It sounds great if you’re not doing manual labor! Check this out though….i work for a major car company who’s trying to switch over to 4 10′s. But instead of Mon-Thur with Fri off, its a rotating schedule based on what team you’re on. Example: everyone is off Sat & Sun but if you’re on team 1 you have Mondays off, team 2 Tues off, Team 3 Wed off and so on, with your teams days rotating each week! Now it sounds great because 8 times out of the year we will receive a four day weekend! Not bad right? But! the main reason people want this is for that 3rd day off….an extra day where you get your 8 hours of labor back. Helloooo! 4×2 = 8 Correct? 2 extra hours each night gives your employer those 8 hours you praise right back! Especially in a warehouse fatigue and stress will wear you down at a faster rate. Now our employer tells us “this is all for you guys, its no benefit to us”. LMAO yea right! Its all a scam to get more production out of each employee in 1 work day! This world is slowly turning us into robots & batteries!

By: Colin

Colin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:23:51 +0000

Hey! I have been a fireman for 2 years and i work 4 days on 4 days off, i really like this job i get paid for 5 days and i only work 4 days, i get 75,000 pound a year,

By: Lara QT

Lara QT — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:59:46 +0000

At Regency we operate a 9/80 system – where the staff work 80 hours in 9 days instead of 10. So in effect everyone gets every other Friday off. Because we are a small team we split the roster – one half are off this Friday and the other half next week.

It works wonderfully as people are encouraged to schedule doctor appointments and any other personal engagements they would usually need time off for on their 9/80 Friday. And because half their team is in, the customer is not negatively impacted – there is always someone here to talk to.

In Trinidad we are one of the few firms that does this as it is very unusual outside the energy sector.

By: James

James — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:10:21 +0000

I’m doing this right now at my job. I work 3, 12 hour days one week, and 4, 12 hour days the next, and every two weeks I have a three day weekend. I love these kinds of shifts, because if I’m working 8 hours, I may as well work 12.

The only downside is that it doesn’t leave me much time to do anything on the days I work, and I’m not able to schedule something at the same time every week (because I work opposite days each week).

However, I also get to work from home on the weekends :)

By: Lucy

Lucy — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:59:18 +0000

A four day work-week does sound fantastic! Unfortunately, where I’m from (Australia) it seems a 50+ hour work-week is pretty standard in corporate workplaces. (Ten hours * five days).

I couldn’t cope! I used up all my days off doing mundane things like going to the dentist, the doctor, getting my hair cut, and sometimes just to recover. When I asked my boss if I could please please please work part-time, he said no way… so I had to quit to preserve my sanity. Now I work in academia and don’t think I’ll ever be brave enough to return to full-time work in a corporate setting. I’d rather stock shelves at a supermarket!

By: LA

LA — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:35:01 +0000

why not solve the unemployment problem that some of us know will only get worse in our post industrial economy, reduce the work week to 24 hours/ three days standard. there is no fundamental truth or law that says everyone has to work “full time” 40 hours a week. there will still be plenty of work left over for anyone who wants/ needs to do 30+ hours and people will be able to spend time doing what they want. get a hobby, an allotment, more time with your family, help out with charity and other creative projects that make our communities a better place for everyone. people would also be generally fitter with more physical activity. really the only things that need to be 24-7 are water, energy, food production, emergency services and one or two others. stop people making a lifestyle choice to live on benefits (im looking at it from a uk perspective), put them to work doing something constructive.

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:08:13 +0000

Our company has a slight variation. We can’t close the office for a whole day so iinstead we work an extra 1/2 hour Monday to Thursday and then get off 2 hours early on Friday. It’s amazing what a psychological difference it makes to get home early on Fridays. More time to take care of personal things that are best done during ‘business hours’. Or just get a jump on the weekend. The extra 1/2 hour each day is barely noticeble.

By: Rolando

Rolando — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:06:59 +0000

I’ve worked a 4 day workweek for 10 years, and love it. Our employer has always had a 10 hour workday. The extra 2 hours isn’t really that much more difficult once you get used to it. Our dept was on a crazy 2 week average for a while, where we’d work 12 hour days, 4 one week and 3 the next, for an average of 44 hours/week (we were all on salary). The 4 day week was looooong, but a 4 day weekend was awesome.

By: Randy

Randy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:17:24 +0000

Many companies or departments within companies are allowing 4 day work weeks. It benefits the employees and employers by providing extended and flexible staffing.

At my company if the employee does not provide a customer service function a 4 day work week is permitted. Added flexibility is gained by supplementing this with telecommuting.

Our HR studies have shown gains in productivity. During periods where raises and other compensation will be flat or minimal this can be used to compensate for lost pay increases.

By: Anca

Anca — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:20:42 +0000

Recently I have started to "negotiate"my scheduler and I do not have Fridays off but I have shorter Fridays. During the week (Mondays to Thursdays) i came to work early and leave a little bit later and this allows me to end up the work week earlier Fridays. Lucky me that I have a good boss :) But, as you have perfectly said, this cannot be applied by everyone and in every company, here is an article describing when 9-5 isn't working for a business

By: habben

habben — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:48:52 +0000

I liked the schedule but not the job.