Are you for or against a four-day work/school week?

[ttwtt78640]

Only if the school was greedy and pocketed the extra money instead of giving them a raise but that would never happen....

A raise for what? Why would someone working fewer hours/week deserve (20%?) more hourly pay?

 

[Slartibartfast]

I think 4 x 10 would work better for adults than children. It would be worth conducting some studies though.

 

[Crovax]

A raise for what? Why would someone working fewer hours/week deserve (20%?) more hourly pay?

2 things

they already have a budget for it. Why change the budget?

I don't know how it is around there but just a few miles east I see a ton of ads for bus drivers. They can't get anyone with what they are paying now

 

[Callen]

Instead or working 9-5 you work 7-5. That doesn't cut out too much free time

That only works for 9-5 type jobs. Not a lot of those left! Work schedules need to be flexible both in hours and location. A fixed 4 day week is no better than a fixed 5 day work schedule in many cases.

 

[Helix]

Instead or working 9-5 you work 7-5. That doesn't cut out too much free time

My wife and I have to coordinate our schedules due to a kiddo and daycare availability. A solid ten hour block would be extremely difficult. I already have to bring part of the 8 home to make everything fit. No three day weekend is worth that.

 

[noonereal]

Some relevant information:

(Information on the four-day work week)

Four-day workweek - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The realities of the four-day workweek

A shorter workweek is being hailed as the future of employee productivity and work-life balance. Is it that easy to make work better?

www.bbc.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/17/four-day-week-worker-burnout/

(Information on the four-day school week)

4-Day School Weeks: New Research Examines the Benefits and Drawbacks

More than 1,600 districts have 4-day weeks. While students report more time for sleep and hobbies, academics lag, according to a new study.

www.edweek.org

Four-Day School Week Overview

Find out more about the pros and cons and how states implement the four-day school week.

www.ncsl.org

Benefits and Drawbacks of the Four-Day School Week

A four-day school week is becoming more common, especially in states with large rural areas. Champions of the shorter week contend that it saves money, improves student attendance, and helps recruit and retain teachers to rural districts. But what does the evidence say?

www.rand.org

Americans are far to fat and lazy as it is. 35-40 hours a week is soft to begin with.
We should have 50 hour work weeks not 35-40.

 

[ttwtt78640]

2 things

they already have a budget for it. Why change the budget?

I don't know how it is around there but just a few miles east I see a ton of ads for bus drivers. They can't get anyone with what they are paying now

That is because other jobs requiring a CDL pay better, don’t involve hauling rowdy kids and offer better work schedules. Many school bus drivers work split shifts (with a long, and fairly worthless, mid-day break).

 

[btthegreat]

Its actually a big change for workers with physical jobs. I know hospitals and health care settings that tried this 10 hour four day schedule, I don't know what the intention was, but it drove a lot of older more experienced seniority nurses and nurses aids out because they could not physically stand on their feet that long, lifting and turning patients with bad backs etc. Of course they were replaced with lower paid younger staff who preferred that extra day of freedom.

As for the schools, kids need more class time, more days rather than the other way around. 4 days, It may save money and be popular with teachers, administrator, even the kids themselves, but it will not benefit education.

 

[Crovax]

That is because other jobs requiring a CDL pay better, don’t involve hauling rowdy kids and offer better work schedules. Many school bus drivers work split shifts (with a long, and fairly worthless, mid-day break).

So increased pay and less days might actually get some drivers

 

[roguenuke]

I'm for it. And why not make a 5th day at home option for school? Allow for kids to have tutors available, perhaps teachers on rotation to answer questions, doing online work, etc.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Instead or working 9-5 you work 7-5. That doesn't cut out too much free time

Until you add 1 hour of commuting on each end and an unpaid 1/2 hour lunch break. That makes each 10 hour workday last 12.5 hours - all to save 2 hours of commuting time per week.

 

[ttwtt78640]

So increased pay and less days might actually get some drivers

Obviously, more pay for less work would appeal to some government employees - but likely not to the taxpayers.

 

[Crovax]

Obviously, more pay for less work would appeal to some government employees - but likely not to the taxpayers.

The budget would stay the same and the worker shortfall would get fixed. What is the issue?

 

[ttwtt78640]

The budget would stay the same and the worker shortfall would get fixed. What is the issue?

The issue is giving folks a 20% pay raise simply because a monopoly exists. This is part of the problem with having public sector unions.

 

[armycowboy]

I've worked 4 10s several times, I like it much better.

When I was at White Sands Missile Range, we worked 9 hour days and had a 4 day every other week. I liked that.

 

[KingLeo]

Depends.
It would depend on the industry you are talking about.
For some businesses it would work just fine, for others not so much.
For schools, again it would depend on other factors.
Some students would be fine, others would struggle. And then if the parents did not also have that 4 day work week you have to consider the added costs to them of child care for younger kinds.

 

[ttwtt78640]

When I was at White Sands Missile Range, we worked 9 hour days and had a 4 day every other week. I liked that.

Hmm… isn’t that working 72 hours in two weeks instead of 80?

 

[AGENT J]

Some relevant information:

(Information on the four-day work week)

Four-day workweek - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The realities of the four-day workweek

A shorter workweek is being hailed as the future of employee productivity and work-life balance. Is it that easy to make work better?

www.bbc.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/17/four-day-week-worker-burnout/

(Information on the four-day school week)

4-Day School Weeks: New Research Examines the Benefits and Drawbacks

More than 1,600 districts have 4-day weeks. While students report more time for sleep and hobbies, academics lag, according to a new study.

www.edweek.org

Four-Day School Week Overview

Find out more about the pros and cons and how states implement the four-day school week.

www.ncsl.org

Benefits and Drawbacks of the Four-Day School Week

A four-day school week is becoming more common, especially in states with large rural areas. Champions of the shorter week contend that it saves money, improves student attendance, and helps recruit and retain teachers to rural districts. But what does the evidence say?

www.rand.org

well im ignorant on the impacts of a 4 day school week
I thought, but i cant remember that it didn't work out well for school as kids get bored and lose interest much more but like i said id have to look into that

as for work, im all for a 4 day work week, i have worked them and like them way better and plenty of studies show overall they are better
BUT, this isnt a blanket thing for all industries obviously . .. some industries could do this some couldnt

I also worked for a company that worked nine 9hrs days mon-thurs, one 8hr friday and the other friday off.. that was very nice too

 

[Fishking]

I allowed a trial of a four day work week for my department (large department in a large company) and it was a disaster! If everyone in the entire company and all your customers and partners aren't doing the same thing it doesn't work! Throw in different time zones!!!!!

True, but I think it may be because you were one outlier among the many norms. I don't think it would work for medical fields, unless they plussed up the number of staff quite a bit. Not sure it would work for construction, either, as you usually want to get the job done as fast as you can, once you start.

 

[Lloyd Christmas]

My job allows for banking extra hours (earlier, later, 1/2 hr lunch) and can take half day Fridays. It's great. Can bank a total of. 6 hours a week, but can only take off half the day on Friday. Can't imaging not having that anymore

 

[ttwtt78640]

True, but I think it may be because you were one outlier among the many norms. I don't think it would work for medical fields, unless they plussed up the number of staff quite a bit. Not sure it would work for construction, either, as you usually want to get the job done as fast as you can, o hounce you start.

What? It is still a 40 hour work week.

 

[Crovax]

My wife and I have to coordinate our schedules due to a kiddo and daycare availability. A solid ten hour block would be extremely difficult. I already have to bring part of the 8 home to make everything fit. No three day weekend is worth that.

How long is day care an issue? once they hit school age they would be going to school the same hours you're working

 

[RF667799]

What? It is still a 40 hour work week.

But it isn’t a 52 week year, in some parts of the country.

 

[mrjurrs]

IMHO,10 hours of classroom time, plus a lunch break is too long for the attention span of school children. Add to that any homework and/or commuting time and it would easily exceed 12 hours/day.

The idea of having 4 day workweeks (my poll choice) may present problems for some - with working household members being away from home longer than their children in school, but that can also happen now.

They aren't in school 40 hours a week now. Most likely it would become 4 eight hour days at school, with about 6 hour of instruction per day.

 

[Gaius46]

My daughter works alternating 3 and 4 day work weeks - 12 hour days. She loves it.

My old employer had the operations staff working 3x12 days every week. Very few people disliked it.

I never worked a 4 day week but worked from home full time for almost 7 years. 5 day work weeks are fine if you cut out 3 hours worth of commuting each day.