4 ms·

Might be nice to just have extra PTO, which is a bit more flexible than a 4 day workweek. You could go from the current 5ish weeks of vacation in Europe to aro

Might be nice to just have extra PTO, which is a bit more flexible than a 4 day workweek. You could go from the current 5ish weeks of vacation in Europe to around 15 weeks per year. I wouldn't mind working 5 days a week during fall/winter/spring if it meant taking all summer off. I'm sure society would find a way to adjust to it. Less work would get done in the summer and more in the winter.

purple_ferret 5y ago
the point of the 4 day week is that the 5 day week is too long to be efficient/time productive
- jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago
  I'd say the 47-50 week work-year is too long to be efficient/time productive.
- onlyrealcuzzo 5y ago
  Yeah, but also perhaps the 2-day weekend is too short. It seems way more of a stretch to have a non-regular work "week" of 8 days. But I'm more skeptical that 5 days is too long vs 2 days is too short. There is a gigantic difference between 2 day weekends and 3 day weekends. Literally, it's 50% longer. From a work-week perspective, 4 days vs 5 days is only 20% shorter. And the difference is not that noticeable. Another possible solution to achieve similar goals is to give workers ~47 Mondays and Fridays to use as vacation at their disposal. Some people might want to have 4-day weekends for half the year. Some people might want 3-day weekends the whole year. This is not really a logistics nightmare to plan around for non-service jobs.
- Causality1 5y ago
  Depends on the job. Desk workers, sure, you could get more done in four days than you used to in five. It's not like that for everyone else though. If your job does not involve creativity chances are you do more work in five days than could be physically done in four, unless you go from working eight hour days to ten hour days.
  - xyzzyz 5y ago
    Yeah, I don’t quite see how reducing hours of, say, construction workers, or grocery store clerks can have little or no negative impact on productivity.
gremloni 5y ago
I disagree. The consistent shorter week totally helps to even out the cadence of the week. Also most businesses can’t survive if they have to give everyone an additional month and a half of PTO.
nonameiguess 5y ago
That highly depends. My company was acquired by a German parent and we now get unlimited PTO, yet I have not taken a vacation at all since last summer. When or whether you're able to, even if it's your legal right, is largely dictated by team rhythm and scheduling. I'll freely admit nobody is forcing me to never take a break, but it's hard when I know we'd fall behind (not exactly helped by the pandemic right now making it impractical to travel anywhere). If everyone was working a 4-day week, then me also working a 4-day week would be no problem.
- rufus_foreman 5y ago
  >> we now get unlimited PTO Tell them you're taking the next 15 years as PTO. If they stop paying you, sue them for securities fraud.* *Does not constitute actual advice, legal or otherwise.
- jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago
  Take as much time off as you like, yet make sure you don't fall behind on the 52 weeks per year of work we planned out for you.

purple_ferret 5y ago

the point of the 4 day week is that the 5 day week is too long to be efficient/time productive

jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago
I'd say the 47-50 week work-year is too long to be efficient/time productive.
onlyrealcuzzo 5y ago
Yeah, but also perhaps the 2-day weekend is too short. It seems way more of a stretch to have a non-regular work "week" of 8 days. But I'm more skeptical that 5 days is too long vs 2 days is too short. There is a gigantic difference between 2 day weekends and 3 day weekends. Literally, it's 50% longer. From a work-week perspective, 4 days vs 5 days is only 20% shorter. And the difference is not that noticeable. Another possible solution to achieve similar goals is to give workers ~47 Mondays and Fridays to use as vacation at their disposal. Some people might want to have 4-day weekends for half the year. Some people might want 3-day weekends the whole year. This is not really a logistics nightmare to plan around for non-service jobs.
Causality1 5y ago
Depends on the job. Desk workers, sure, you could get more done in four days than you used to in five. It's not like that for everyone else though. If your job does not involve creativity chances are you do more work in five days than could be physically done in four, unless you go from working eight hour days to ten hour days.
- xyzzyz 5y ago
  Yeah, I don’t quite see how reducing hours of, say, construction workers, or grocery store clerks can have little or no negative impact on productivity.

gremloni 5y ago

I disagree. The consistent shorter week totally helps to even out the cadence of the week. Also most businesses can’t survive if they have to give everyone an additional month and a half of PTO.

nonameiguess 5y ago

That highly depends. My company was acquired by a German parent and we now get unlimited PTO, yet I have not taken a vacation at all since last summer. When or whether you're able to, even if it's your legal right, is largely dictated by team rhythm and scheduling. I'll freely admit nobody is forcing me to never take a break, but it's hard when I know we'd fall behind (not exactly helped by the pandemic right now making it impractical to travel anywhere). If everyone was working a 4-day week, then me also working a 4-day week would be no problem.

rufus_foreman 5y ago
>> we now get unlimited PTO Tell them you're taking the next 15 years as PTO. If they stop paying you, sue them for securities fraud.* *Does not constitute actual advice, legal or otherwise.
jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago
Take as much time off as you like, yet make sure you don't fall behind on the 52 weeks per year of work we planned out for you.