Would you prefer a 4 day week?

[rhubarbodendron]

Is this typical for the whole branch or would your company's competitors offer better working conditions? If they did, I'd consider changing to them. They might be happy to get you (with your insider knowledge about their "opponents").

What kind of programming do you do? OS, applications, games, boards, robot/automat programming, tailored software for customers?

 

[Spot's Meow]

Is this typical for the whole branch or would your company's competitors offer better working conditions?

I think it's pretty typical of a lot of industries and offices these days. I am paid hourly, so anything over 40 hours a week would be overtime payments, so my shifts are pretty strictly 40 hours. But since our staffing has been cut so heavily (as in many places all over the country), the salaried folks in our office are expected to pick up the slack (since the same work has to get done regardless of how many employees we have), so they end up having to come in on weekends or stay late in the evenings, or interrupt vacations to get their expected job done. But, they get paid a lot more than I do, so it's a blessing and a curse.

In fact, even for some hourly workers, they just have too much on their plate and stay late to finish up their tasks even though they don't record that time and won't be paid for it, because their supervisors expect it to be done. I have an awesome boss that wouldn't expect such craziness from me.

 

[Davros]

I have been on 4 day weeks for years. It's great. All the same hours and one less trip across town.

 

[JarodRussell]

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.

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.

Go find something else. Life is too short to waste it on jobs like that.

 

[Vendikarr]

Is this typical for the whole branch or would your company's competitors offer better working conditions? If they did, I'd consider changing to them. They might be happy to get you (with your insider knowledge about their "opponents").

What kind of programming do you do? OS, applications, games, boards, robot/automat programming, tailored software for customers?

I've checked with headhunters. It's become the standard. Projects have to be completed on time, no matter how many of us there are. To fail to do so reflects poorly on annual evaluations. Which are used to determine raises and who is first in line when more cuts become necessary. If you're not a 'team player' they don't need you on the team.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Having a four day week is called working for the government around here

In all seriousness, I don't think a national four day weekend is ideal (someone mentioned avoiding traffic, which can't happen if everyone still left out at the same time). However, everyone is different. If you're the kind of person who burns out as far as productivity goes, an eight hour day is better. If you're someone who can work long hours, a three-day weekend is better. I'm partial to "as long as I get it done." If I work longer hours or more productive hours, I should be able to duck out early. But every job is different and every person is different.

 

[B.J.]

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.

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.

Is this typical for the whole branch or would your company's competitors offer better working conditions? If they did, I'd consider changing to them. They might be happy to get you (with your insider knowledge about their "opponents").

What kind of programming do you do? OS, applications, games, boards, robot/automat programming, tailored software for customers?

I've checked with headhunters. It's become the standard. Projects have to be completed on time, no matter how many of us there are. To fail to do so reflects poorly on annual evaluations. Which are used to determine raises and who is first in line when more cuts become necessary. If you're not a 'team player' they don't need you on the team.

Team player my butt. Some people have families to take care of. As I mentioned upthread, between dropping off the kids and picking them up, I can't really get in any more than 8 hours in a normal day. I'm just glad my industry (aerospace engineering) doesn't view that as the standard. I actually get paid for my overtime, and I'm salaried like you are.

 

[tighr]

Team player my butt. Some people have families to take care of. As I mentioned upthread, between dropping off the kids and picking them up, I can't really get in any more than 8 hours in a normal day. I'm just glad my industry (aerospace engineering) doesn't view that as the standard. I actually get paid for my overtime, and I'm salaried like you are.

I am also salaried with no overtime.

Team player absolutely comes into account; if you can't do it, someone else can. And someone else will. Where I work, weekends are mostly covered by folks like me: mid-twenties to mid-thirties, no kids, probably not married. Until we break through to the next level, we're here or we can quit.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Well, that's exactly and pretty much literally what labor unions are for...

 

[rhubarbodendron]

indeed. This "team player" thing is just an excuse for a modernized form of slavery

 

[tighr]

Well, that's exactly and pretty much literally what labor unions are for...

I'm in management. Our hourly employees are treated exceptionally well (in effort to stave off the union threat). They are under no such obligation to offer overtime to management.

indeed. This "team player" thing is just an excuse for a modernized form of slavery

"Slavery" is Greek for salary.

 

[thestrangequark]

I feel lucky. I am salaried with no overtime, but on the few occasions I've had to put in significantly more time (like, more than an extra half hour, which is rare) my boss has always been awesome about it: When I had to come in an extra day he bought me coffee and lunch, and gave me a $30 gift card for a local restaurant for dinner, and when I had to put in about 8 hours over a weekend for a major deadline he gave me a $100 Visa gift card.

 

[Avon]

a 4 day week would mean 91 weeks a year. how does this help anything?

 

[tighr]

a 4 day week would mean 91 weeks a year. how does this help anything?

This thread is about 4 day workweeks (3 day weekends). Unless you were being sarcastic, which is difficult to tell on the internet.

 

[MacLeod]

Lug me into the salaried club. All but the lowest tier of managment is salaried, as I'm not in the club I get salaried. Same pay if I do 39 or 47 hours.

 

[Captain Picard.]

Well if we had a 4 day week then we would have less holidays because there would be more work to catch up on... but I suppose it would give us a 3-day weekend

 

[Avon]

and each month would have 7 or 8 weeks!

 

[rhubarbodendron]

no. You forgot to count the weekends.
Btw, have you noticed that weekend days are always considerably shorter than working days? I have a suspicion that the planet rotates at double speed from Friday noon to Monday morning.

 

[Vendikarr]

no. You forgot to count the weekends.
Btw, have you noticed that weekend days are always considerably shorter than working days? I have a suspicion that the planet rotates at double speed from Friday noon to Monday morning.

I think weekends feel shorter because people have a tendency to sleep late on weekends, effectively giving you less 'day'.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Couldn't resist to translate a calendar/agenda we use at my office. My appologies for it being a pdf-file but I was too lazy to create a html-page for it.

Enjoy (but hide it from your bosses - it might give them ideas...)
http://sdg3.com/z/mystuff/docs/Calendar.pdf