I guess it's an energy saving measure but at my age I'm not sure I can handle a 10 hour day.

Linda

The 4(and 3) day work week has been around in many industries for decades. I did a paper in college on this subject and how it was being implemented, etc.....and that was over 30 years ago.

It wouldn't matter to me, unless they every swithed school days to 4 days/week. Which I would not favor. After so many hours in school the kids' brains are just done, nothing more goes in anyway.

DH often works 10 hour days even within his 5-day work week. And if he had an official 4-day work week, he would still work the 5th day, just from home. He would still be needed for support calls from clients. I have encouraged him to get permission from his employer to work from home one day/week. I think he would get more done uninterrupted and he can actually do 99% of his job from home. And it would save us in gas, which would add up by the end of the month to one less fill-up. Times 12 months, that's a lot. It would only work out during the school year when he would have the house to himself on that day. Right now he would be far from uninterrupted! LOL!

I'd be up for it. I work for our local school system, working five 7-hour days/35 hours a week. When school lets out for the summer we have the option of working 7 1/2 hour days, Monday through Thursday (30 hours), and an early day on Friday (5 hours), getting out at either 12 or 1. I love it and would be willing to work four 10 hour days. A three day weekend is really appealing, whether it be Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday.

I would much rather work four 10-hour days and have an extra day off.

I already work 3 one week, 4 the next.

I'm retired now so it's zero hour days. But when I worked, I often wished I could do the 4 day work weeks. I have a nephew that works 3 days a week, some combo of hours on those days to equal approx 40 hours. I'm not sure I could deal with that. But he's in his late 20's so he can take it, and loves having 4 days off in a row.

Shirley

It's a good idea in some ways. Saves on electricity for companies (no lights, air, computers, printers, etc. on). And "x" number of employees not driving to work would save gas.

But if you're in a service-type business with plenty of competition available, you'd lose business by being closed that 5th day. When customers need things, they don't want or can't wait. Wouldn't work for many businesses like supermarkets, shopping centers or schools.

I'd rather have 4 regular 8-hour days and work the 5th from home in my jammies ;-)

Certainly, driving only 4 days, would help save gasoline, IF people actually stayed home on the 5th day. Does that seem likely? Not to me. In the long run, many will probably do MORE driving on their off day than they would if they had to spend the day at work.

Not all jobs are adaptable to 10 hour days--my husband is a bill collector. They can only visit customers during certain hours, and they cannot cut electric service after a certain time, because there has to be time for the customer to make it to the office, pay their overdue bill, and for the line crews to get out to reconnect the disabled service. There's no way they could work longer days legally.

It's a little frightening, too, that nurses are already working 10-12 hour shifts in most hospitals. I'm not entirely certain that I want someone that tired and stressed making decisions about my life.

Personally? I think this is more smoke and mirrors. A distraction for the masses rather than actually correcting the problem.

Do you know that gasoline in Russia is roughly 1.50/gallon? why do you think that is? Because the government has ENCOURAGED drilling. We have plenty of resources in and around our country--but our government won't let the oil companies develope them. Also--anyone else heard that China has gotten together with Cuba and will be drilling oil off the coast of Florida? We need our politicians to actually make decisions that will remedy, rather than distract from the problems.

When I was younger,I could work ten hour days, but not now.

My DH LOVES his 4 10 hour days with 3 days off, and yes he does stay home on that day.

I work part time, 4 days a week, wish I could have done the 4 10 hr days when I was full time.

My poor hubby already works at least 10 hours a day. And he is in a service industry job (automotive estimator), so the boss would never go for it. But it would save as far as gas goes.
My sister does something similar, but get every other Monday off.

Sounds like a great idea to me, but it will never fly in my job. Ten hour days, FIVE days a week were normal.

Companies should be encouraged (probably financially if you want to actually see it done) to allow employees to work shorter weeks or even telecommute. Many jobs can be done from home (mine could be except for 1 day a week), but the boss wanted to "see my face". I commuted 64 miles each way - what a waste.

It doesn't work for all jobs, but it does for many.

If I wasn't retired I would love it. I already worked 7 days a week except for one weekend a month off and most of those days were 12 hour shifts. Ten hour shifts, 4 days a week would have been like a vacation. Luckily I'm retired now and have a permanent vacation. :)
Linda

I'm a supervisor for a large corporation and we support flex weeks. Some employees work 9 hour days and take every other Friday off, some take half days on Friday. Some work 10 hour days and take one day off a week. Everyone is given the option, but most still work 5 days a week. Everyone is reminded that this is a privilege and not a right, and that we are salary, not hourly, so it's the job getting done that matters most, not the hours you log. If you have to work some on the fifth day to get work done, then you have to work.

The people who do it, really like it. With little kids, I couldn't be away from them that long during the day.

I don't think I could handle the 10 hour days. At the end of 8 I am exhausted. I think I would rather stay at my five 8 hour days.

I'm definitely all for it......only if I can work 6:00 am to 4:00 pm....

This is an idea that will work in some places, not in all.
For instance, in a Super WalMart, employees could choose to work 4 ten-hour days; all shifts would be covered, store hours would be covered.

In a small office with 2-3 employees, it probably would not work.

There are some jobs that could be done at home, many could not.

I think this has been suggested now as a gas saving plan more than any thing else.

My DD has been working 4 ten-hour days for a year or so. It was her idea and her employer agreed. DD is an early riser and doesn't like "wasting" an hour or so waiting for the time to go to work. She also likes having the early, and late, hour alone where she can get work done without interruption.

She works Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Has Wednesdays off.

It is not a plan that everyone would like, but some would and it would be nice if it were an option for more people.

Sue

We have a charter school here that has had 4 days a week since it started about 5 years ago. They attend Monday thru Thursday and their days are longer than regular school to make up for it. However, the teachers are still required to attend on Fridays for meetings and such.

I'm a preschool teacher and have always worked 4 days a week, not 5. Works great!

I'd love it. I already work 10 hrs. many days, and still go in on Fri.

It beats 12 hour days! The last couple of hours in nursing are killers!

I worked retail for 25 years managing a shoe store. I worked a five day week which included two 12 hour 9a.m.-9p.m. shifts a week. I HATED those long days. Now I work 8a.m. - 4 p.m. and sometimes that seems too long! I don't think I could do the long shifts again. What I'd really like to do is just work Mon-Thurs 8 hour shifts with a long 3 day weekend.

My Dh works from 6-4 Monday thru Thursday. If he is needed on Fridays it is OT. Same for Sat. If there is a holiday in the week, they revert back to the 8 hr day because of holiday pay. We found that the 4 day week is a gas saver for us. He commutes about 42 miles one way. This way also we can always get him a Dr. appt on Fridays when the Dr. is in. It works out well for us.

As said it'd work in some but not all cases. Seems to me when it would work it only makes sense to do it. But making sense seldom seems to be a justification for something.

I worked 10 hr days for a short while at the school district years ago when I worked there. They put the school onto a 4 day week during the energy crisis in the late 70s. I liked it and actually the employer benefitted since we had the same 30 min lunch period and same 15 & 10 min breaks so they got by with nearly 1 less hour per week of break time. I still didn't mind because of the benefits. But of course parents went crazy because they didn't have the free babysitter on Fridays so they soon went back to a 5 day week.

And of course I've had the jobs where I worked 6 & 7 days a week. Sometimes over 100 hrs a week. I was stupid to do it then and couldn't do that today. But I guess when you want to pay your bills you do things that you sometimes shouldn't.

I'm fortunate right now that I can set my schedule so I usually try to go for 4 days a week.

Another old fart that's enjoying good health in retirement, so puts in 0 days, 0 hours per week - at required employment.

But ... as for shopping malls, supermarkets, etc. ...

... how many of their staffs put in 40 hour weeks?

Or even 35 hours?

Most in this province (and others) are asked to work 20 hours ... 25 hours ... but not enough to be considered full-time ...

... for full-time employment requires extra costs, including benefits, etc. that the employer isn't required (and doesn't) provide for part-time staff persons.

So most operate their system with largely part-time staff.

Anyone tried living on 20 hours/week (25 hour/week) pay?? Especially when the hours of work change from week to week ...

... precluding one from taking on a second job, unless one can do it at times of one's choosing, e.g. cutting neighbours lawns.

And ... the pay rate at most such jobs can be described as, "peanuts".

And I agree that making nurses work 12-hour shifts is disgraceful (plus dangerous).

Have a great week, everyone ... regardless of how long you're stuck with working.

ole joyful

P.S. Invest $100.00 at age 20, rate of gain 5%, value at age 65 ... $898.50 ... to help fund retirement.

Invest same $100.00 at age 15, rate of gain 5%, value at age 65 ... $1,146.74 ... to help fund retirement.

Invest $100.00 at grandkid's birth, rate of gain 5%, value at age 65 ... $2,383.99 ... to help fund his/her retirement.

o j