How Practical Would It Be To Work Just

[emmie]

four days a week, as suggested by the Labour party, I know some like myself are retired, but how would it work in practice.

[pixie374]

No, it doesn't, naomi.... hc, you are still describing job shares, I think, where people take over from each other.

[hc4361]

Pixie, I'm talking about people who work full time on shift patterns because their businesses are operating long hours, often 24/7

[emmie]

i think NJ has got it. Labour want as many people as possible to work 32 hours a week essentially that's 4 days.

[emmie]

for the same money, that is how it comes across at least to me.

[Old_Geezer]

Some jobs can't reasonably be split as they need one individual to work on it and solve/deliver by the deadline. But I suspect in most cases it merely means more staff to manage. And the staff would need to be able to live off the pay for reduced hours.

When I worked there was the odd member of staff who had arranged 4 day working anyway. Seemed to work. But it needs the political will to implement and the agreement of those affected.

[pixie374]

So was I, hc. That already happens... I was wondering about the "changes"

[puzzled54]

And schools? Will they be on a 4 day week?

[emmie]

let us hope that they don't get into power, as i said before the party is split over this issue at any rate..

[emmie]

puzzled54
good point,

[naomi24]

This could be like one of Baldric’s very cunning plans. Cut the working week to 32 hours, justification for more immigration. Well, someone has to take up the slack.

[emmie]

going on a relative who works in education she needs at least part of her weekend to do marking and catch up with out of school activities, making her ineligible for a 4 day week. Admit i hadn't thought about schools........

[Gromit]

When Microsoft, one of the most successful companies ever, introduced a 4 day working week in Japan, productivity improved, and got efficiency benefits for the company.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/5/20949366/microsoft-japan-four-day-working-week-trial-pilot-program-productivity-improvement-cost-decrease

[youngmafbog]

They didnt just introduce thatthough did they Gromit?

[dannyk13]

Gromit, the report doesn't say how many hours were worked.I f they worked the same hours then that is not what Labour is proposing. See post by NJ.

[ummmm]

None of us in my household are on set hours. They are restricted in the sense that you can't just rock up when you feel like it but you have a choice.

My son works for a government department and he has to work the contracted hours and can't leave the office before 4pm so he can start work between 8am and 10am. My daughter is usually in her office about 7.30am...she likes finishing early.

If it works it works.

I used to worked zero contracted hours which was perfect for me (a hospital, plenty of work) so I could get a full time daytime wage for working 2 night shifts at the weekend.

[exarmy448]

Gromit. They only introduced it for one week which is not a fair assessment on whether it would be viable on a permanent basis.

[THECORBYLOON]

The trial lasted a month, not a week and employees in the UK were given five Fridays off with no loss of earnings.

"The trial, which also included limiting meetings to just 30 minutes, led to cost savings for Microsoft. Electricity use declined by 23 percent and paper printing decreased by 59 percent. Employees were encouraged to use tools like Microsoft Teams to communicate rather than holding meetings and 92 percent of employees reported that they were pleased with the reduced hours."

[youngmafbog]

Which is what I said, quite a bit more than simply reducing the hours.

Where thye really gained is by using Teams. This really does work and with the people invovled I suspect the majority of their time was taken by meetings, so if you reduce the meeting time (by using Teams/planner etc) then the work will be the same.

However this is only for a very small subset of the workplace. Not going to work for butchers or Bankers is it?

[fender62]

some sectors it may work, but for the majority it will not, unless of course you live in a workers state, like the ex ussr perhaps, but you would lose any holidays as it would be detrimantal to the workers state ie christian holidays, bank holidays, you xould complain to the party committees..but that would mean you are complaining against the party..the workers party, you would need re-adjustment.

[EdmundD]

So presumably JC would, if elected, set the example and lead the country 4 days a week? What would he do the other 3 days?