A four-day work week works for some, not others

Hopefully you enjoyed the two-day weekend.

How about making three days, and only work four days, but get paid for five?

For two months, a New Zealand law firm let its 240 employees work four days a week while being paid for five.

The results reported the staff was more creative, with better attendance, on time and didn’t leave early or take longer breaks.

In Sweden there were similar results.

But, when tried in France, it caused an increase in hiring costs.

So, how might that translate for American companies? 

Workplace expert Bobby Albert said American businesses need to remain cost effective and competitive in the marketplace.

“Because we live in this global economy, they would not go for reducing the amount of work days and the hours, so that people would work only 32 hours, rather than 40,” said Albert.

He said people are more productive in the workplace for more reasons than working less hours.

“Just reducing the number of workdays and still getting paid as though they worked five days, that’s more trying to solve the symptom, rather than the root cause of potential problems in the organization,” said Albert.

A shorter work week would create a flexible work schedule, but he doesn't think productivity could sustain for the long term.


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