Advantages and disadvantages of four-day week

Summary of an article entitled 'Four-Day Workweek' by Gilbert Fuchsberg in The Wall Street Journal (Aug 3rd '94) monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.

About one quarter of American large companies now offer or require a four-day schedule for at least some of their workers (ten-hour shifts four days a week for the same pay). According to a Gallup survey, two-thirds of working adults would prefer this shorter work week. Some of the advantages and disadvantages, from the perspective of both the employees and employers, are as follows:

Advantages

- 52 extra days off a year to do whatever the worker wants;
- Less absenteeism as employees have less need to miss work for doctor's visits and other obligations;
- Employers can save on energy, custodial and security costs;
- A reduction in exhaust emissions from commuter cars.

Disadvantages

- Stress of juggling ten-hour days and childcare; to get to work on time employees may need to leave before their children are awake;
- Repetitive strain injuries are a fear;
- Some managers feel deprived of quiet time and so are forced to come in on Fridays anyway;
- Customers may complain if staff are absent.

Some companies, particularly in Europe, are minimising redundancies by simply slicing a day from everyone's workweek, cutting total hours but also cutting wages by 20%.

The World Bank - alternate Fridays off

Adapted extract from an item by Sue Shellenbarger in The Wall Street Journal (Aug 27th '94) monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.

The World Bank's offer to employees of a compressed work week - for nine days extending the work day and then taking off the tenth, a Friday - drew 1,500 takers, or one-sixth of the bank's Washington DC employees. 'We could have over half the bank on it if a ceiling hadn't been placed on participation,' said Brian Donnolley, the bank's manager of programme support. It is part of a larger work-family effort to lure more skilled women as employees, reduce stress and ease single parents' conflicts.

People on compressed work schedules liked them better than the workers left to cover. 'We're learning how important back-up training is, including arranging coverage and voice-mail messages for days off,' Mr Donnolley says.

Nevertheless, after an evaluation noted that morale had improved, absenteeism was down a little and productivity hadn't suffered, the bank is continuing the pilot programme.

Previous / Next / Table of Contents