The Four Day Work Week

Everyone looks forward to Mondays, right? Sitting there staring at the clock with anticipation on Sunday night as the clock ticks towards another work week is what all Americans do. Well, what if you didn't have to work on Monday? How would you feel? What if, instead of thinking about the next day's work as you left on Thursday, you could go home knowing that you had a three day weekend? These are some relevant questions that have been brought up recently in the United States.

Business Benefits of Compressed Schedules

Many state agencies, school systems, and businesses moved to incorporate a four day work week in the recent months as gas prices rose to all-time highs. In order to save the fuel costs for their employees, many companies allowed their workers to move to a compressed work schedule. While the new four day work week may have saved the employees some trouble, it was supposed to help the businesses even more.

Researchers have long known the benefits of a four day work week, and this is the perfect time to implement this type of compressed work schedule. Some of the benefits of a four day work week include less time spent commuting, lower commuting costs, lower energy costs for time company is shut down, free day can be used for personal business, greater productivity, higher job satisfaction, lower turnover costs, and increased morale, to name a few.

What Some Are Saying

According to one small town survey, about 33% of workers affected by the compressed work week surveyed liked the new change, 33% didn't have an opinion, and 33% said that they would rather work on Fridays. This difference in opinion has prompted many employers to offer a flexible schedule as a benefit. For example, an employee can work four ten-hour days instead of five eight-hour days. That would allow workers on the four day work week to have a Friday (or Monday) off of work.

How You Can Get Involved

In a time where many Americans are already running ragged through the rat race of life, compressed work weeks and flexible schedules are important benefits for companies to consider offering. If your company does not offer a flexible schedule, find out if there are other employees that would like to use this benefit besides yourself. If so, then build a business case and take it to your human resources people. At the very least, you could get a "no," and that is at least worth a try.

When I was in college during the big gas price increase post-Katrina, our local college condensed some three day classes into two day classes. That allowed those of us that were attending those courses to save a third of our commuting costs. When many of us were already barely getting by as college students, having that benefit come along was like a dream come true. That would not have happened if some of the students and faculty had not petitioned the administration for relief.

How to Save Millions of Dollars

According to PC World Magazine, a one year trial of the four day work week in Utah is predicted to save at least $3 million. Just about every state in the U.S. is facing some sort of budget problem. How would it affect your state if they could save an additional $3 million this year? Another success story comes from Brevard Community College in Florida. The college has saved almost $268,000 this summer alone. Other benefits attributed to the new four day work week include a 50% reduction in employee sick time and a 44% reduction in annual staff turnover. The compressed work schedule is obviously working well in some parts of the country.

Possible Adverse Effects

A possible safety issue may arise from a four day work week, according to Forbes magazine. Heavy equipment operators and other workers that require intense concentration for safety reasons may be adversely affected by working an extra hour or two each day.

What It Boils Down To

The shorter work week is just one experiment they are testing over at 37signals, an internet-based business. They found out that people can do the same amount of work in a four day work week that they could do with a five day work week, so instead of trying to squeeze more out of people, they think that allowing them to have the extra day will be worth it in the long run. I, for one, tend to agree with them. Whichever side of the fence you happen to be on, we should at least take a look at the possible benefits and costs and see if a change is necessary.