doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
I would absolutely love a four day work week/three day weekend as a regular schedule.
Would you prefer a 4 day week?
- Thread starter Miss Chicken
- Start date
I proposed a 4x12 schedule to my peers in a meeting to discuss work life balance (we are in management at a 24/7 production facility). Essentially, two managers would cover a department four days of the week, and the fifth day (and weekends) are covered by managers from other departments. Every 4 weeks, you would rotate to a different work week (but keep the same hours). Eventually, you would work weekends once every three months, but you would always have a 4 day on, 3 day off schedule. Work weeks would be M-Th, T-F, and F-M.
I think this would have been fantastic, but believe it or not the other managers in my group turned it down because "they are friends outside of work and they wouldn't get to hang out anymore because they'd always be on different work weeks".
Stupidest reason ever to not improve your work life balance. I live in California, and all my friends and family live in the midwest, so it is simply impossible for me to travel on the weekends to visit them. With flights, you almost have to fly back as soon as you land. Meanwhile, a lot of my coworkers are from California, and its not impossible for even a day trip to go see parents or friends.
I think this would have been fantastic, but believe it or not the other managers in my group turned it down because "they are friends outside of work and they wouldn't get to hang out anymore because they'd always be on different work weeks".
Stupidest reason ever to not improve your work life balance. I live in California, and all my friends and family live in the midwest, so it is simply impossible for me to travel on the weekends to visit them. With flights, you almost have to fly back as soon as you land. Meanwhile, a lot of my coworkers are from California, and its not impossible for even a day trip to go see parents or friends.
I noticed that managers tend not to have a huge personal life, sometimes they are even afraid of it, which is why they work 24/7, sometimes even at Sundays.
I had a boss once who would call me on Christmas for a meeting, just because he didn't want to hang out with his family.
I had a boss once who would call me on Christmas for a meeting, just because he didn't want to hang out with his family.
So your proposal was voted down because it would have had a negative impact on the other managers work/life balance. Sounds a valid reason to vote it down. You were in favour because it would improve your work life balance. This is always the problem for some the status quo is better for others something else might be better.
Just look at 24hr opening, many of us love the idea of being ablt to go pick up a pint of milk or what ever else we want at 02:00, but when asked would we like to work it. It becomes less attractive.
4 day weeks might work in certain job sectors, but I'm not sure if they would work in all job sectors.
It's almost ironic; the reason that they don't have any friends outside of work is because they spend all of their time at work. As it is, when they cover weekends (currently, one in 4) they end up working 12 days straight without a day off. It became natural to want to hang out with the people you already spend 70% of your life with. Most of them even hook up with/date each other, which has negative consequences when those relationships end.
I prefer the five day week. I don't live for the weekends. The idea of working long and hard for 4 days straight with little time to myself between shifts just for an extra day on the weekend isn't appealing at all. I like a balance to my life rather than all or nothing.
However, Spot's Meow's idea would be great. I mean, think about it, if this 32 hour week was made mandatory our unemployment problem would be gone instantly. If anything we would have a shortage of workers, so us 99% would have more bargaining power.
However, Spot's Meow's idea would be great. I mean, think about it, if this 32 hour week was made mandatory our unemployment problem would be gone instantly. If anything we would have a shortage of workers, so us 99% would have more bargaining power.
Ugh. Our vacations are short enough as it is.
On a recent trip to India, we met several other tourists and talked to them about their vacations. Most were from Europe or Australia. We visited several cities for 2-3 days at a time (barely enough time to see everything a city has to offer) on our two week vacation. Some of the folks we met were in each city for 2-3 weeks at a time.
The call centre I worked had a few shifts available as 4x10 hours for 40 hours (or sometimes a bit less depending on what the phone company we did the work for wanted). Most who got them didn't want to let them go thought they were a drag.
The good ones would get there 10 - 15 mins before shift start to get logged in, you'd have 10 hours on the phones, 15min break, 45 min lunch, 15min break so it was pretty much 11 hours in the place.
And not sure why doing 4 x 10 would mean less vacation time than 5 x 8. You've clocked up the same number of hours.
Guess you'd also have be working in an environment were you it could be done but I guess as 9 - 5 opening hours are dying out it's less of an issue.
The good ones would get there 10 - 15 mins before shift start to get logged in, you'd have 10 hours on the phones, 15min break, 45 min lunch, 15min break so it was pretty much 11 hours in the place.
And not sure why doing 4 x 10 would mean less vacation time than 5 x 8. You've clocked up the same number of hours.
Guess you'd also have be working in an environment were you it could be done but I guess as 9 - 5 opening hours are dying out it's less of an issue.
We have a two week cycle (working for Dept. of Navy) where you work Mon-Thu 9 hours and you will get every other friday off. The other friday is an 8 hour day. I like it.
Where I work, we have the option of taking short 3-hours leaves twice a month. I've found that to be very convenient. I can use this option to either sleep-in once in a while or, alternatively, get up early (which I don't usually do when I feel I have the day off) and still leave from work around 13:00, which gives me plenty of time to do stuff.
Generally, I like the idea of 4 days weeks, as long as one has a kind of job that this can be arranged without over-stressing said person during those 4 days.
Generally, I like the idea of 4 days weeks, as long as one has a kind of job that this can be arranged without over-stressing said person during those 4 days.
I work flexi time (40.1 hours a week). I winter I'm a bit lazy but in summer I often do 12-14 hour days and then can take Friday off 
I love the flexi time because on days like today (blizzard) I can start at 09:00 if I like and in summer when it gets hot I can start at 05:00 and go home at 13:00 before the worst heat comes.
Btw, have you noticed that 24 weekend hours are much shorter than 24 working day hours? Time is more relative than Einstein thougt.
I love the flexi time because on days like today (blizzard) I can start at 09:00 if I like and in summer when it gets hot I can start at 05:00 and go home at 13:00 before the worst heat comes.
Btw, have you noticed that 24 weekend hours are much shorter than 24 working day hours? Time is more relative than Einstein thougt.
I work a 35 hr week, 8.75 hrs a day, 4 days a week. My wife also works a 35, but 7 hrs a day 5 days a week. I have to get up a little earlier than her, but it's totally worth it. I try get all the "weekend" chores done on Friday while she's at work, leaving the actual weekend for recreational pursuits.
A four day week sounds heavenly. But I'd settle for a five day week at this point. I currently work nine to ten hours a day, five days a week, and usually another six to eight hours over a weekend.
Been that way since '08 when there were staff reductions. They have no plans to replace the staff, because we poor salaried grunts get no overtime, so they get 50 to 60 hours a week now without extra pay.
Been that way since '08 when there were staff reductions. They have no plans to replace the staff, because we poor salaried grunts get no overtime, so they get 50 to 60 hours a week now without extra pay.
My current schedule with tafe allows for one day off per week, which is Thursday. Never worked a 4 day week, it's always been 5 days.
Many people who do shift work can empathise with that. It can be hard to find the right work/life balance.
Poor Vendikarr 
Working overtime that much and not even getting payed for it sucks royally! I don't get payed for my surplus hours either but I can at least take some time off in exchange, when there is little to do.
Working overtime that much and not even getting payed for it sucks royally! I don't get payed for my surplus hours either but I can at least take some time off in exchange, when there is little to do.
When I first saw that article on the BBC my first though (just readi the title of it) was Great, four day week, 32 or so hours fantastic.
But no, it was just five days work compressed into 4...which is ok I guess, I can't see many people actually being up for only working 32 hours given the commensuratedrop in salary that'd probably go along with it, but I'd love to do that. Then again I guess eventually you'd get used to it and dream of a three day week. I guess you get used to whatever you work. Not so long ago that the six day week was the norm.
I have a friend who does the 4 on 4 off thing, and she loves it because she gets such a long run of days off together. From my perspeective though she's one of the friends I don't see enough because she never seems to be off when we're doing anything, and given her shft is 9-9 she doesn't especially feel like going out immediately after work.
But no, it was just five days work compressed into 4...which is ok I guess, I can't see many people actually being up for only working 32 hours given the commensuratedrop in salary that'd probably go along with it, but I'd love to do that. Then again I guess eventually you'd get used to it and dream of a three day week. I guess you get used to whatever you work. Not so long ago that the six day week was the norm.
I have a friend who does the 4 on 4 off thing, and she loves it because she gets such a long run of days off together. From my perspeective though she's one of the friends I don't see enough because she never seems to be off when we're doing anything, and given her shft is 9-9 she doesn't especially feel like going out immediately after work.
How the fuck is that legal? Do you work in a Cambodian shoe factory?
Nope, computer programmer. Salaried employee, so I am expected to work as much as necessary and be paid for 40 hours a week. Trust me it sucks.
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