‘Four-day week saves me £350 a month on childcare’

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gq0z5257ro

Posted by Alert-One-Two

14 Comments

  1. funkyphonicsmonkey on

    No! No! No!

    You have to work 5 days a week to be the most productive, and I base this on absolutely no evidence other than this is the way it’s always been done damnit.

    Stoping being so woke and get back to the office!

    (Am I doing this right Telegraph readers?)

    Edit: not 100% sure that everyone took this as sarcasm.

  2. ActAccomplished586 on

    It’s not always possible in all sectors / professions.
    My wife would have to increase prices by 20% or let 20% of her staff go.

  3. Majestic_Fly88 on

    If the 5th day’s hours didn’t have to be made up on the other 4 days it would be ideal. I don’t fancy a 0900-1700 job being extended to 0900-1900 with a commute on top of that, it would mean kids giving up their hobbies and sports and having to arrange childcare.

  4. PersistentWorld on

    My company has been 4 days a week for over a year now. No catch. 8 less hours a week, same pay. No condensed hours.

    Clients haven’t cared, more work gets done because people are energised and we’re all well rested thanks to long weekends. It’s amazing.

  5. The problem with this working pattern is finding a childminder who will take your kids 10 hours a day – *there are none*.

  6. Other countries seem to be able to have affordable domestic help (e.g. from India, Myanmar, Philippines).

    Can we figure out a system for that, maybe with an exemption to the minimum wage? Sounds to me like it would be a win-win for all concerned.

    E.g. in Singapore they earn around £500 a month and you give them lodging and they can use your facilities to cook etc.

  7. For some people compressed hours are still a better option than 5day week, but there is a growing trend globally for true 4 day week jobs. An interesting fact, the UK leads Europe with the highest number of companies adopting the 4 day (4×8 hours) model. For anyone interested here are two directories ([1](https://www.4dayweek.co.uk/employers) & [2](https://okjob.io/companies/)) listing short workweek companies.

  8. Deadliftdeadlife on

    If a 4 day work week actually works, it’ll happen, that’s how free markets work.

    If you can be more productive on 4 days, get more done, the company will be more successful and out compete the other companies.

  9. strawbebbymilkshake on

    I’m so tired of people/the media lumping a 4 day work week and compressed hours into the same category.

  10. Disastrous_Fruit1525 on

    The thing I found with a four day week in the past was my boss always wanted me to come in on Friday for OT. He even once said “it’s not like you will be doing anything, it’s not the weekend”

  11. I would **happily** work 4 days of 10 hours instead of 5 days of 8.

    Alas I work in consulting, so it’s not going to happen, but I could certainly get just as much work done, and a 3 days, permanent, weekend would actually leave me with enough time to decompress every week.