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Webbo

Should we have a 4 day week?

By Webbo, in General Chat

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Webbo

Webbo

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57% support introducing a four day working week in the UK – and 71% say it would make Britain happier

For four of the next seven weeks, Britain will be at work for only four days. In this rare time of year, the nation gets a taste of what is, for some people, not only a vision for human advancement but a serious economic proposal. Supporters of the idea argue that, if everyone worked a four day week, we would work harder in the days we did work and spend more money in the days off.Support%20four%20day%20week.png

A new YouGov survey finds that most people (57%) would support introducing a four day working week in the UK. 28% would oppose and 15% don’t know.

In 2010 David Cameron said it was “high time†to recognise that GDP was an “incomplete way†of measuring a country’s progress, and told the Office for National Statistics to launch a well-being report.

71% say that as a nation we would be happier if we worked a four day week. Only 7% say we would be less happy

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Webbo

Webbo

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It wouldn't work.

 

Efficiency and production would go down.

 

People wouldn't spend any more than they are already.

What do you think of France's 35 hour week rules?

 

PS I agree.

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Matt

Matt

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I think the phrase's live to work or work to live spring to mind.

 

I work to live, despite doing alot of hours, generally I do between 50 - 60 hours a week (Over a 4.5 day week - occasionally doing weekends aswell). I'd love to do less but it's the nature of the work, deadlines have to be met, I knew that when going into the career and I comment on it in threads such as this but never moan (It's one of the things I don't moan about infact). If I did ever start moaning about it i'd move on, I knew what I was going into and it was my career choice - Thats what I don't get about people who moan about their job/career.

 

I'd love 4 days weeks, but it simply wouldn't happen and wouldn't be practical.

 

Seems generally two types of people in this country people who work hour upon hour or people who don't work and have no intention of working (Then due to the finacial climate I do understand some people out of work are unfortunate and would love a job but can't find one - But I believe this is getting better)

 

I do think as a nation we all need to become more laid back and relaxed though, some already are like this, perhaps abit too much but again generally I think people do get too stressed with work and need to calm down a little more, myself included - having said that and i'm going off topic here and bring something up that a few people had arguements with me last summer about but weather makes a big difference for me, it's not coincidence I become alot more chilled out, relaxed and happy when the sun is out and it is nice and hot - That has a big factore to play. Like I said i'm going off topic, but if we're talking happiness that's the key for me and makes my life alot easier.

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DennisNedry

DennisNedry

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A 4 day week would be fantastic for the happiness and stress levels of most of the working population. 

 

It can't just be my workplace this week that was considerably happier knowing the long weekend was coming.

 

I can't see it being economically viable though, and I can never see it happening anyway.

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AdamN

AdamN

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I can certainly see the argument for it. How many people can honestly say they work at or near to 100% of their capability for the entirety of a standard 40 hour week? A happy, well-rested worker is a more productive worker, so it may make sense to have everyone running at 90% for 4 days than at 60% for 5. 

And if a drop in productivity is a concern, then perhaps a shift to a more standardised incentive based system could work? GIve a person x amount of hours worth of work to complete, and if they manage to complete it within x-y hours, they get y hours worth of extra free time. There's no bigger motivation to get stuff done than knowing you can fuck off home as soon as you've done it. Obviously this wouldn't work with certain jobs (customer service, retail, etc), but there are plenty that it could be applied to. 

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Matt

Matt

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Supporters of the idea argue that, if everyone worked a four day week, we would work harder in the days we did work and spend more money in the days off.

 

Also i'd argue people wouldn't work harder - it'd become the 'norm', people would still lack interest in their job, people would still 'hate' their job and not want to go to work, it would just make people happier that they don't have to do that extra day. The only way it would make people work harder is like AdamN has suggest in the fact you give people a job to do and once they do it they go otherwise they don't get that day off - which in reality you couldn't do.

 

As for spending more money on our days off? I doubt it, could people afford too, I guess the suggestion would be do the hours of your 5th day as added hours onto the 4 day (Do an hour or 2 extra over the 4 days) but whilst I 'work to live' I rely on overtime really, to live the life I want to anyway, I could easily live of a 40 hour week but to live how I do, to enjoy what I do I have to do the OT and extra hours and think this may be the case for many others?

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Guest ttfn

Guest ttfn

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I just think employers need to be more flexible. If you've done your work for the day, go home. If you fall behind, make it up or face the consequences.

A rigid 9-5 working day (with inevitable extra hours) is not conducive to a motivated workforce.

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FoxyPV

FoxyPV

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It means that more people would be working as you would have to accommodate the shift pattern. It would increase flexibility in the work force in spite of having to work longer days.

I think 4 on 4 off is ideal with 10 hour days.

There are few things better than being off mid week looking at everyone else going to work

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pSinatra

pSinatra

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I used to work 3 days on 3 days off.  It was continuous & included weekends.  I worked 12 hour shifts & every so often it would mean working 36 hours over the Friday , Saturday & Sunday......which was pretty shit.

 

It had it's good points, but there were plenty of bad.  Working 12 hours & sleeping for 8 hours left me with 4 hours a day to do what I wanted.  Once I had travelled to & from work, eaten, spoken to the missus it was time for bed.  For the 3 days I was working, that's all I did......work.

 

The possibility of a 4 day week will only apply to some & not everyone.  Some poor bastard has got to work so that all those on their 4 day week can enjoy their time off.

 

As much as I enjoy the convenience of doing my shopping at any time of the day & any day of the week, I feel sorry for those people who have to work to facilitate this.  I can remember when we had half-day-closing on a Wednesday.  I wouldn't want to go back to that, but it did seem a fairer system.  The 'weekend' is not what it used to be.

 

I would expect companies to have people working 7 days a week on a rota, so that the business wouldn't sit idle for 3 days a week.

 

I couldn't possibly work a 4 day week.  There's already not enough hours in the day.  I had 1 day off in March (including weekends) & that was only because it pissed it down all day.  I propose making the weeks longer......not shorter!!

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DB11

DB11

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It means that more people would be working as you would have to accommodate the shift pattern. It would increase flexibility in the work force in spite of having to work longer days.

I think 4 on 4 off is ideal with 10 hour days.

There are few things better than being off mid week looking at everyone else going to work

 

Unless everyone else is off midweek too.

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Guest

Guest

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What do you think of France's 35 hour week rules?

 

PS I agree.

 

Miserable failure.

 

Many private employees just ended up doing the extra hours unpaid. The millions of Public employees simply became less productive (if that's possible) demanding money instead of time off as the work still needed doing. It didn't help unemployment over the long term there were some low paid jobs initially.It caused problems for smaller companies. Maybe a few of the mid managers benefitted. It certainly didn't cause a boom in spending. 

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Guest

Guest

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I have a shift pattern that is fixed over a 16 week period and repeats. Some weeks it throws up 4 days, some 3, some 5. I'd be more than happy with a 4 day week and some more regularity and within my job it's perfectly feasible and was indeed suggested as a working method when we moved up north. Sadly my bosses couldn't see the value in it at the time.

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