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Burnout, stress lead more companies to try a four-day work week

entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
60,137
It sounds too good to be true, but companies around the world that have cut their work week have found that it leads to higher productivity, more motivated staff and less burnout.

"It is much healthier and we do a better job if we're not working crazy hours," said Jan Schulz-Hofen, founder of Berlin-based project management software company Planio, who introduced a four-day week to the company's 10-member staff earlier this year.

In New Zealand, trust company Perpetual Guardian reported a fall in stress and a jump in staff engagement after it tested a 32-hour week earlier this year.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-world-work-fourdayweek-idUSKBN1OG0GY

I find it crazy that we still use factory floor machine models for most human work. It makes no sense. Human "productivity" is way more complex. No shit that working less and having more time to recharge and relax will create more productive workers.
 
Foffy

Foffy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,388
I forget the study, but I believe it was done by an Irish medical institution, but they argued that productivity peaks after the 24 hour mark in a work week. If you look at school or work in a Monday-to-Friday framework, it makes sense why Thursdays are considered hurdles and we try and half-ass the Fridays, if possible.
 
Bedlam

Bedlam

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
4,536
Yep, starting with this model right now. This is my second 4-day week.

I also took a bit of a paycut, however.
 
WolfeTone

WolfeTone

Member
Oct 25, 2017
611
I'm all for this. Better for workers (provided no pay cut) and employers. It'll be interesting to see if this gains traction in places with 'live for work' cultures like the US and Japan.
 
Proteus

Proteus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,983
Toronto
I see a lot of people who claim to do 4-day work weeks but add a couple of hours to the four days to make up for the fifth. This sounds much more like something I would want to do.
 
Doc Kelso

Doc Kelso

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,157
NYC
Proteus said:
I see a lot of people who claim to do 4-day work weeks but add a couple of hours to the four days to make up for the fifth. This sounds much more like something I would want to do.
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I did this for a few months at an old gig and it was great. If you don't have kids, you don't really miss out on much if you get off at 7 instead of 5. Maybe you have to schedule a dinner later, but by and large you already aren't doing much on a weeknight. But having an extra day a week to do whatever? My god. It always felt like a cheat day, too, since everyone else was at school or work.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,264
Doc Kelso said:
I did this for a few months at an old gig and it was great. If you don't have kids, you don't really miss out on much if you get off at 7 instead of 5. Maybe you have to schedule a dinner later, but by and large you already aren't doing much on a weeknight. But having an extra day a week to do whatever? My god. It always felt like a cheat day, too, since everyone else was at school or work.
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It's awful for productivity though. Many people can't work 10 hours straight, so you end up with less accomplished in the same amount of hours.

Reducing the work week to 32 hours is much better.
 
OP
OP
entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
60,137
The experiment above is for 8 hour days or 32 hour weeks. 4 tens sucks big time.
 
JadeGiveTwoRides

JadeGiveTwoRides

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
767
Magwik said:
Four 10s still fucking sucks.
Four 8s should be considered full-time.
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Yep. I spent a while working 12 hour shifts, three days on and two off. Add the commute / waiting time and it was more like 15-16 hours. Despite being sat down almost all day I've never been so drained. In comparison, I now work on average 32-35 hours (admittedly still over five days, which I'd like to change) at a job that requires me to walk 60 miles a week and, inevitable tiredness aside, feel so much better in myself.

Still, the five day working week is an absurdity. The increasing evidence that it is detrimental to productivity is a no-brainer and (admittedly a tiny minority of...) employers slowly taking action is long overdue.
 
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Unicorn

Unicorn

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 29, 2017
9,550
Magwik said:
Four 10s still fucking sucks.
Four 8s should be considered full-time.
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Many places consider 32 full-time, right?

I used to work 4 10s in a factory with overtime Fridays. I worked 4 8s last year in my current job and it was fantastic to have Fridays for errands and a full weekend.

Having a full week now and not having time for adult tasks and having less of a weekend is burning me out. Things stack up, obligations get forgotten or pushed away and I have no time for those errands because I work 8-6 most days.

Reform is on the horizon. I can feel it.
 
ConanEd

ConanEd

Alt account
Banned
Dec 27, 2018
1,033
It doesn't work if the rest of the world is working on a long schedule. If UN agree to a 4-day week it would be great.
 
Thatguy

Thatguy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
6,207
Seattle WA
Foffy said:
I forget the study, but I believe it was done by an Irish medical institution, but they argued that productivity peaks after the 24 hour mark in a work week. If you look at school or work in a Monday-to-Friday framework, it makes sense why Thursdays are considered hurdles and we try and half-ass the Fridays, if possible.
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I must have seen that study too because the 24 hour number stuck with me. I wish this could be the norm.
 
DarkChronic

DarkChronic

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,037
Yeah I want this so bad. It would honestly change my life - I'd save money on commute, have more time with hobbies, spend time with people I want to spend with...it would be massive.

Hope to see it in my lifetime.
 

Deleted member 49482

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 8, 2018
3,302
Even if employers measured an increase in overall productivity with a 32-hour work week, I suspect many would still want a 40-hour work week in spite of the evidence to exert some level of control over labor or due to some misplaced tying of morality to the protestant work ethic. Alternatively, I'm sure many would argue for a decrease in pay, as if the worth of labor is their physical presence rather than their output.

Three-day weekends are the dream, though. I can feel my quality of life increase every time we have a Monday holiday. Only two days off seems too low nowadays to balance work and typical life demand with personal interests and mental/physical health, considering how "busy" the modern world has become.
 

Deleted member 9241

Oct 26, 2017
10,416
I can work 4 x10's if I wanted to. Honestly, I just work the normal 5 x8 90% of the time. If I work an hour or 2 over mon-thurs, I just quit early on Friday, which is always a plus, but I don't really work over with that as my intention. Sometimes, I just have to get shit done! It usually depends on my workload. But I'm always busy at work so I have become secure in the knowledge I will never "be caught up". Seriously, I think it happens once or twice a year if I'm lucky.

I work from home, so my schedule looks something like this:

5am - start working
6:30am -I take my first break and eat breakfast with my wife and kids
11:30am - I take a half hour lunch for food and a shower.
12pm-1pm - Work, take my last 15 minute break
1:15pm-1:30pm - Wrap things up, plan for the next day
1:30pm-4pm -I play video games/paint/*insert hobby* (If I want to work over, this is the time I eat)
4pm - Kids get home from school and they do homework/study/chores until 4:30-5ish. I free flow here and help as needed.
5pm - The wife is home and we all make dinner, clean up, hang out.
8:30pm - Kids go to bed, so the wife and I have 1.5-2hrs where it's just the two of us or we split up and do our own thing. I'm usually asleep by 10, often before TBH. It's the perfect time for us to unwind and enjoy each other every night.

Of course, kid activities tend to monkey wrench the fuck out of the above, but it a good rule of thumb for my week to week. Since I am so flexible, I am the one to take kids to appointments and such. At any time, I can just not work a day and make it up however I want. For instance, I'm taking tomorrow off basically to fuck around and will just work on Saturday instead. By the time my family drags ass out of bed on the weekends, my day is more than half way over anyway!

My work/life balance is amazing. Me time, kid time, family time, wife time Mon-Fri.
 
bmdubya

bmdubya

Member
Nov 1, 2017
6,502
Colorado
entremet said:
The experiment above is for 8 hour days or 32 hour weeks. 4 tens sucks big time.
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Eh, I got used to 4 tens pretty quickly. It was worth it to me to have a three day weekend every week. It sucked during winter when you would go to work while it was still dark out, and leave work after it was already dark, so then I switched to 4 nines and a 4 hour day on Friday.
 
Droidian

Droidian

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Dec 28, 2017
2,391
Where I work a petition was made to move to a 4/10 schedule. It didn't work but it earned us a flex schedule so that's fine.
 

MeaningOfKarma

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
707
I always find the total lack of knowledge about this among middle-managers and upper-management to be astounding

We've known this for years and yet companies still do it because they're staffed by morons, essentially
 
Relix

Relix

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,223
Doing 4 day work weeks and love it. Having three day weekends is pure bliss.
 
Z-Beat

Z-Beat

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Oct 25, 2017
31,849
giphy.gif

This is for the 5 of you who get this joke
 
Lkr

Lkr

Member
Oct 28, 2017
9,524
I only have to go into the office 4 times a week, sometimes 3 and work from home the other days. Definitely reduces burnout for me
 
SweetBellic

SweetBellic

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,414
I'd kill for a 4-10, let alone a 32 hour work week. Anything to reduce my daily commute to DTLA each month would be a godsend.
 
kittens

kittens

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,237
Personally I like to work 30 hours a week. More than that and it really starts to be a big drain on my wellbeing, and I just refuse to live like that. It's cool cause it frees up time for me to work on art projects, volunteer with Food Not Bombs and a local clothing closet, and just keep a robust community and social life. Working 40 hours a week isn't healthy, not for me at least.
 
Dalek

Dalek

Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,961
Sadly I don't think this would ever apply to my particular role (and many like me). who's going to respond to my tickets when I'm off having a day off? The work still needs to be done.
 
Chopchop

Chopchop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,171
My work laid off half its staff, then told the other half "we expect you to work more hours because we're not a 9-5 company" lol
 
Tiny Hawk

Tiny Hawk

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
952
Canada
I'd like this a lot, even if it means putting in some extra hours throughout the week to make up for the missing one day.

Though I feel like as we have weekly deliveries to make, it wouldn't be feasible for my work.
 
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