I haven't worked a simple 40 hour week since 1976. In thinking about it, I have worked an average 52 hour week since the end of the 1980s, and most of my employers questioned why I wasn't working more.

Being salaried, the more I work, the less I make.

I like the 4/10 week but since so many companies do business with each other, and departments form so many task forces, there needs to be a standard 4/10 work week where everyone has the same three days off. If company A is closed Mondays and company B is closed Wednesdays then they will only have three days a week to work together. I can't see a business wanting to operate that way. I hardly see the 4/10 as regular standard since even now with the five day work week, we're required to answer emails and phone calls during the weekend.

I think most companies could adapt a 4/10 schedule to cover the week. This makes sense, saves money, and does allow for 3 days off.

I'm thinking most companies would prefer you keep the same salary and work 6/8.....which I would hate.

I use to work for a Company where 4/10 was the put in place. The Company showed a great improvement in productivity and overhead savings. The Company showed a marked improvement in less work time missed. Dr. appointments or other issues were ususally scheduled on the extra day off whenever possible. The mood of the employees in the Company was great due to the 3 day weekend every week and vacation time was voluntarily reduced even though the vacation days earned were the same as a 5 day a week Company. Most employees gave some vacation days back at the end othe year because the extra time off was not something hoarded or needed. I look back in fondness of those days and was actually sad to leave. Retired.

I enjoy my 4 day work week, but I also recognize that many employees are not self-starters. Some employees need more structure than others. So being physically present for 10 hours a day, with some flexibility, seems to work best for our business. From a company perspective, telecommuting is not a good option for most of our employees.

In switching to a 4-day week working 10hrs a day (4d/10h), many companies are assuming that at least 80-90% of their staff will be OK with such a change in their weekly schedules. There are a lot of people who just can't be at the office for 10hrs a day --- child care schedules, k-12 daily schedules, commuting with somebody that doesn't have a regular parking space, travel times --- 1-2 hour 1-way commute periods would vastly extend their work day. If you have an active family, they're gonna miss you.

Would a company be able to "save" much if maybe only 10% of the staff needed to be in the office on the 5th day? Probably not. There are multiple factors that would prevent many of these plan from being fully successful. The office facility would still need to be open & operating on the 5th day for those who can't work the 4d/10h schedule --- and they're all gonna work in different parts of the office.

A possible solution those who can't work the 4d/10h schedule is to plan to maybe telecommute on the 5th day --- work from home. Set up a telecommute supervisor so staff can check-in & sign-out for that day not in the office.

I think that as the younger generation evolves into more roles of leadership, this archaic idea of the 40hr work week, will be replaced by flexible scheduling and telecomuting.

In reality, I could do 80% of my job from home...and would only have to come into the office occasionally to do 99% of my job from home. So much of my job now is electronic...and I would GLADLY pay for a home telephone to set up fax capabilities...and get an unlimited plan that would allow me to communicate with my suppliers by phone if needed. (most have toll free numbers anyway, so no biggie).

The biggest hiccup to this is the sales reps that I work for - they are completely old school guys who still call us secretaries (which we never were)...and can do the minimum on computers. I still have to help them "attach something from one email to the other".

Our corp office has no issues with people working from home if need be - their only concern is this: did the work get done?

The 3 of us have been talking about the 4 day work week now that gas has gotten up and over $4/gallon...cutting 1 day of transit from work saves so much, but since our sales reps make $250K a year + they cant understand how us lowly $40K and under employees are hurt by the rise in gas costs...and lack serious empathy for our struggle.

It's sad that we have to explain to people how tight things get when gas gets so expensive, to the point where getting to work eats up so much of ones paycheck...it sucks to think about how much your paying JUST TO WORK.

The biggest hiccup to this is the sales reps that I work for - they are completely old school guys who still call us secretaries (which we never were)...and can do the minimum on computers. I still have to help them "attach something from one email to the other".

I totally feel your pain. I will never understand why they don't force these guys into training to learn these basic skills. And you are exactly right....that is the group that will never agree to 4-10's regardless of how it effects them, the company or you.....it is different therefore it must be evil. They fear change like the plague.

Would love a 4 day work week. The savings in gas, the time with family, and a chance to sleep in 1 day a week would be amazing. In my job, I could work 4 days a week and get just as much done anyway. Wish it were an option.

As a manager, I learned that everyone's work style is different. Some are more productive in the morning, some in the afternoon, etc. So, I gave my employees deadlines/goals and let them manage their own time. Not only did I treat them like adults instead of children but I gave them control over their own lives. The work got done on time and there were fewer costly mistakes, better morale and better results. They also got more creative and took more initiative.

I think the industrial work model we live by is outdated and actually makes people more unhappy and less productive!!

I work 4/10's most of the time. Somteims more when it is approved. But havnign Friday's is awesoem, i get all my errands done, so then i have time with my daughter on the sat and sun. somteims I would like the 8's, just to have a little mroe down time in the evenings, but so hard to give up that friday. Also, ours is flex time, so if i have a dr appt during the week, i can make up the time on friday if I want. nice when you have a sick kid.

PErsonally, I think 4-8's should be the way we should go as a country. more people employed and more time off to spend $$ wouild be awesome. so win win.

I would love to work 4 10-hour days. Actually, I already do that ... and then come in for the 5th 10-hour day!

4/10? BRING IT ON!!!!

As a baby-boomer, I am much closer to retirement than the age one enters the workforce and I would LOVE a 4/10 work week. Don't think the baby-boomers would not support this. We would love to have three day weekends! After doing all the obligatory tasks and homeowner chores we can only do on the weekends, there are times when going back to work seems more like time off! LOL! I also think it would be great to eliminate one day's worth of commuter mileage with the price of gas such as it is. It would also potentially benefit the evironment. If I had my way, any business that did not require a brick & mortar presence would have most if not all their employees telecommute!

Semiconductor industry- in the fab- 4-12 hour days one week 3- 12 hour days the next. Loved it and worked it for many years. Now, work for myself, flexibility is even greater. Sometimes I work 20 hour days, sometimes I work 0. It depends on the work flow and deadlines. I liked compressed work weeks, I love working for myself.

Once people work compressed, they seldom want to switch back to a regular five day, 40 hour week.

They didnt have busineses in the stone age.

I've done "flexible" times before, but it typically means the business wants me to be flexible, and ends up where I'm in a situation where I'm only on for the busiest and most crucial time periods, an overall reduction in hours work, which leads to less pay.

And then scheduling my personal things around a constantly changing schedule is nigh impossible and burns me out.

I just don't trust business enough to treat me fairly regarding my schedule and time off. Not to mention other people's schedules often result in SOMEONE (usually me) being screwed because I haven't any kids, am reliable and efficient, and typically don't have much need for time off. I don't need to be thrown everyone else's crap because the company is touchy-feely about everyone else's "needs".

And finally, I get burnt out in the last hour of an 8 hour work day. I have so much piled on my plate, I just can't go much longer. I'd love the extra free time, but, then again, I'd rather simply just work less and get paid more.

Besides, the only reason businesses are looking into this is to better their bottom line. It means they can extend business hours (getting ever closer to being operational 24-7), and wring out even higher levels of efficiency from their employees. I'm tired of the world being driven by the dollar, thankyouverymuch, and this is just more of it.

When I first started my company I worked 14 hrs/day M-F, 10-12 hrs on Sat and 6-8 hrs on Sun. So what is this 40 hour work week.

Before I went into business for myself I worked doing fund management. You have to be there 5 days per week to do it. The Accounting Dept. got the numbers and then the Finance Dept did the investments. So you have to be there.

Next employees will want 4 day 8 hour work weeks and expect full pay. Someone above mentioned 30 hrs as a work week. So do you do it for 30 hrs pay?

This is the problem with this Countrypeople don't want to work anymore. Take the 40 hours and get as much overtime as you can. I know welders that make $100,000+ a year with their overtime. You can't expect tobe paid for sitting home. And I don't mean working from home.

Jorge you act like people are asking for a favor to work 4-10's that is 40 hours a week just like 5-8's. Also, I do not believe for one sec you worked the hours that you listed maybe the first week.

I contract in IT and I'm on 'flex' time, which is to say the company I contract to wants me here during their 'core' hours 9-3, while working the remainder of the time anywhere I want during the week.

My previous contract was even more lenient with the only requirement was that someone in our group had to be there at any time from 9-3. So if you worked it out with a coworker, you could work 5-1 and he/she could work noon-8. Or even work 4 10-hour work days as long as you had someone in on your 'off day'. Those off core hours are pretty quiet and can be quite productive.

That works out to 30 hours a week. I'm sorry....I can't survive on that. I don't have kids but I enjoy my home time too and I'd much rather be on the 4-10 schedule. 10 hours isn't that hard to do if you get up before 6AM. I did the 4-10 thing from 6AM-4PM (I ate lunch at my desk) and loved having my Fridays off. I had more time at home and got more done around the house on Fridays so I could actually enjoy the rest of the weekend.

10 hour days are not only exhausting, but then you don't have time at end of day for anything, especially if there is at least an hour commute one way. That makes it at least a 12 hr day or more. If anyone has responsibilities at home, it's just not conducive to a more productive life.

I would definitely prefer having a shorter work schedule, how about 35 hrs rather than 40. Give me more vacation and personal time. Look at some the European countries. It seems to work there.

Maybe you could go in at 7 instead of 9 then you would get home with time left to do your chores and have dinner with the kids. I have had jobs that were 12 hours a day 6 days a week I still got everything done but did not see the kids as often as I wanted, but that's why they call it work.

I work in Palnt Maintenance - The plant is open 24/7 yet we work 4d10h. It has worked quite well. Since Maintenance did not work the weekends as it was (We'd share "on call" duties) adding a third weekend day was no big deal. With 10hours we get more done since the additional time gives you time to do teh job right and still warp up in time. The hours were hard (not that hard) at first and yea someday are a bit tiring but having Fri/Sat/Sun off -- Well rested!!

In nice weather I spread my vacation (they like us to take days off rather than weeks when we can) to take Mondays off so I am off 4 days -- working three for much of teh summer months.... It can be done and progressive Management sees the light!

Th 4/10 work week could work but everybody cant get Fri off. If you stagger the employees where half get Monday and half get Friday that would cover any business concerns. It certainly would help with the gas situation and perhaps some parents could donate some time to their child's school say twice a month. You would be surprised at the difference of test scores and whatnot including the bully issue when there is a lot of parent participation. As far as the workers go the lowering of stress levels would also be an added bonus.

While 4/10 might not work for everyone, I think the take home message from the article is that breaking away from 9-5 isn't a bad idea: so long as employees are able to be productive flexibility is to everyone's advantage.

Really? You can't work a 10 hour day without being exhausted? Have you had a physical recently, because that's just not normal. I have a stressful, physical job and I often work a 15 hour day in order to have another day off during the week. I'm tired at the end of the day, but I'm not to the point where it affects my daily life. If I can do that at 53, surely a younger worker can manage it.

I'm also self employed, so it's not like I'm laying around for three or four days recovering from a 15 hour day.

Time for you moms to take one for the team. You could stay with your 5 days a week schedule. Many times we have to let the parents leave early or miss days due to the kids. Those without young children always have to cover. Your turn!

Before we updated out schedule, we (just the 2 of us in the office) stayed til the work was done, some nights 530, some nights 7.
Now: I get 8 to 5 (lunch at desk), she get 10 till done

My mom worked 630 to 4 most days, and got off work at 1130 on fridays
If she needed to come to an awards assembly, or take us to the doc or dentist, she just rearranged things so she could. She got us up, made lunch, and so forth before she left. She was a great mom who also remembered she was still a woman who needed some time for herself.

Was it a loss of overtime?

no the work load didn't change so it was the equivalent of working four 8 hour days.

Well. Thank you for that enlightening explanation. In my opinion, one less daily commute's worth of gas is almost like getting a raise.

If you were wokring 10 hrs, why would you get paid less..you are still working 40 hrs/ week...something is fishy there.

From Auto101's other posts, he has made it clear he is an automotive mechanic. I have never been one, but my understanding is that mechanics only make money for the hours that they actually work on a car.

This is a contrived example and not realistic, but if you work 5/8 and each of the 5 days you get 8 cars for 1 hour of work each, you get 40 hours of work per week. If you try to do 4/10 but you still get 8 cars for 1 hour of work each day, and you are closed on the 5th day, you only get 32 hours of work.

I suspect for mechanics a variation of 4/10 could work, but they would have to work the weekends. In other words, the 3 days that everyone else is off. I think that's the heart of it, this only really works for everyone if everyone follows this standard. So for example the mechanic could assume that fewer people would come in on MTWR for repair jobs and more would come on FSU.

I think the point of the 4 day work week would be that not everyone works the same 4 days. This would cover the business need and the personal need. I personally like to work Mon and Tues and then be off Wed and then work Thurs and Fri. It breaks up the week so nicely. Wednesday is chore day while the weekend is play time.

Sierra- That is exactly my thought!

I have a screwy schedule, but it works out great: Never work more than 4 days in a row. My office has to be open weekends, but those are only half days. The two of us rotate the 2 weeks. m-t-t-f-s and then s-t-w-t-f A day off durning the week and always enough time to my self on the weekends

Working from home is great....I wish I can do that everyday.

Walmart's home office does the flex-schedule, but like you mention, it only in certain divisions. The primary: Accounting and Finance
The checks and paperwork are always coming in, so they can work at pace

Sounds like your employer had a management problem. Unless you volunteered for this kind of schedule.

or he sounds like my brother "do whatever you can, work as hard as you can, work as many hours as you can, make as much money as you can - keep moving up the corporate world, dont settle for "good"...keep goign for the greatest"....

and I said "yeah, but i enjoy life way more than money and the pats on the back for being the "best"...sometimes..there's more value to be found in this world than money, or "doing a job well done"...

I do a good job and work hard, but i'll never make it my life...its not worth it to me. There's not a single job, aside from Altruistic ones (that dont pay much, but isnt the point) in which id devout nearly all my life...and miss out on everything else. I dont need money that bad.

Great as long as you are satisfied with that and not expecting some one else to hand you something.

Where did that come from?

I think leftynator was trying to politicize the discussion. Clearly, if you care more about enjoying life and less about money, you must be a slovenly liberal and should be "natored".

Everyone here works those kinds of hours. Some have to stay longer. That's just part of the job. I guess I've never disliked it enough to look for another one. It is a good job.

This is true. The only downfall to that is, some people think just because you're home, you're available. When my sister works from home, a neighbor will sometimes ask her to watch her child while she runs errands. She can't seem to understand she has to work as if she's in the office. A few times neighbors will see my car in the driveway and want to visit or call to see if I want to go to the mall, movie, lunch etc. Yes, I may be in my pj's slippers but I still have my computer open, phone calls to make, reports to write and virtual meetings to attend.

I work 36 hours one week (getting Friday off) and 44 hours the next (work Friday). My coworkers have the opposite Friday off from me. I love having the Friday off and I know what you mean about making people stay their full time. There are some days when 3:00 comes and I have nothing left to do but I have to sit there for another hour and a half. I could be a "go-getter" and make work for myself, but as it is I already do the work for coworkers who have too much on their plate. I see no need to stick around when you are done, it just makes me pissy and bored. And lets face it, many jobs can be done in a shorter amount of time, there is just no motivation to do so.

I agree about being more productive from home. I would never have thought that was true given the amount of potential distractions at home, but once I learned to discipline myself at home it's been great. I recently had to work in the office for a week and found that I was much more distracted there because people want to chat. My hours are billable so I have to write down how long each task takes so it can be billed to the appropriate client. When I work in the office even if I was there for longer hours I wasn't billing out as much because of the distractions. Even though everyone in the office is really nice I had to realize I couldn't participate in the chatter because I don't get paid when I'm not productive whereas for the hourly employees it doesn't make a difference. I think a lot of companies would see a huge benefit from making employees account for their time. I became much more productive once I had to detail how I was spending my time whereas hourly employees don't necessarily have an incentive to work faster if either way they have to stay in an office for eight hours a day. I have also seen huge abuse of overtime hours because employees used their regular hours to socialize, and then had to stay late to get done what they needed to do. I think people who work efficiently should be rewarded whether through pay, time off or the ability to work from home.

4-12's, and an 8 for gravy. for me and my social obligation.

Your situation sounds so familiar. I went through the co-workers socializing during normal times, then expected their overtime. Would not have been so bad though, but they expected you to work overtime as well even though you could get your work done in 8 hours because you chose not to socialize. I did not want overtime but was more or less suckered into it; otherwise, I was seen as not being a "good team player". Never could get the higher ups to see this overtime abuse, so I said to hell with it and went somewhere else to work. Much happier to say the least!!!

I saw that kind of abuse a LOT when I worked for "the telephone company" (a union job).

On installations, I saw people intentionally slack off so they could get more overtime in a day and get double-time pay!!

B C your contract work installers installing underground infrastructure didn;t slack off!

That's why he's the boss.

Where are you seeing they held a vote to end the 4-day work week?

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/51772043-90/state-workweek-friday-governor.html.csp

I once worked 4 ten hour days with a rotating schedule. Management wanted to be "fair" so every Friday they'd have a random drawing to see what day you got off the following week.

Made it impossible to schedule anything the your extra day off.

My compnay has a great setup. We have to be open weekends (deliver product to resturaunts and hospitals) There are only 2 of us in our office, so we worked it out so we never work more than 4 days in a row. Workdays are 9 hrs, and Weekends and 4 hrs.
Week 1: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat (which is a half day).... Week 2: Sun (1/2 day), Tues, Wed, Thrus, Fri. She gets to be home the weekend she has her kid, and we always have a day off during the week to do get things done: car tags, errands, doctors, ect...PERFECT SETUP

Having worked at the Walmart Home Office, I know several departments, mostly finance, have flex-schedules: Put your 40 hours in when you can, including Saturdays. Most have half days on Fridays, or come in late on Mondays
Some department have the 4 day work week, but no two people can have the say 3rd day off: Some work Mon-thur-Th, others have Tues-thru-Fri

How long have you worked at the company where I work?

Productivity can be hard to measure depending on the job but I think being accountable for your time would definitely be eye opening. I have worked in office jobs where people just hop from one cubicle to the next chit chatting (admittedly I have been guilty of being too social at work in the past as well). Once I had to tally my time at the end of every day that behavior quickly changed once I realized I had large chunks of time unaccounted for. While each case I handle requires different amounts of time my work can be judged from a view of the difficulty and the amount of product produced. I think a lot of jobs have at least some kind of barometer of what a reasonable level of productivity should be particularly if you have more than one person doing the same job.

JobSeeker:

Like 94% of the people, I voted for the flexible four 10-hour work week. But if I am an employer, I would want to stay with the five 8-hour week.

What if you had enough employees to stagger the 4 /10 work week among the staff so you could have coverge Monday through Friday? Use a combination of Monday thru Thursday with Tuesday through Friday. Open 5 days a week but everyone still gets a three day weekend.

I couldn't agree more. I have been in an environment where 45 hours a week is the minimum for twenty years now. Salaried people dont remember what 40 hour weeks even look like.

In the whole of a work career? All gains are temporary.

Aside from that society is changing and the demands on productivity are shifting. You can't ignore that fact because you think people have forgotten that at one point in time people needed to work 6 days to meet with cultures consumption rate. Our style of productivity has changed, our consumption has changed and our wants have changed.