Following the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, the 40-hour work week, traditionally divided into five eight-hour days, became the standard. In the 70 years since the passage of this law, the work week has not changed.
However, during the oil embargo of the 1970s, many firms tried a four-day work-week. Now it is once again getting a great deal of attention.
Now is a good time for each business to consider whether a weekly schedule of four, 10-hour days will work for them. The savings to your staff can be high. For example, if 30 of your workers use a gallon of gas each way they commute, the yearly savings will be $12,000 in total or $400 per employee (assuming $4 per gallon). If an employee lives farther out, the savings will be much higher.
Switching to a four-day work-week carries significant benefits, and in my experience, employees seem to embrace the change once they become acclimated to it. Staff will have 52 additional days off that they can use to do whatever they want. With additional time off during the week to see doctors and take care of personal appointments, absenteeism will decrease.
Perhaps the most obvious benefit, the four-day work-week will bring about much needed fuel savings along with a reduction of vehicles on the road during peak traffic times. Firms that have a distribution system also will save a great deal as their vehicles will only have to return to home base four times a week rather than five.
There are some definite challenges, however. One of the biggest is the ability of your staff to get their kids to school or day care before they have to be to work at 7 a.m. This is a difficult transition for many young parents. In addition, parents may incur additional expense as many centers charge extra if the child is picked up after 6 p.m.
For many businesses, only being open four days a week just is not feasible. Shifting to a four-day work-week may not work at all if your customers demand that you are open five days a week or if you have products that must be made or delivered five days a week.
Staggered work-weeks are a possible solution, but only in cases where employees all do the same job. Employees still work four, 10-hour days, but not all on the same days.
Switching to a four-day work-week is a gigantic change in the way a business operates, and this decision has got to be made carefully and slowly. Trying it out in a department or two rather than the whole company seems the prudent way to go. Investing in Business: Read our report Monday on local businesses mulling a shortened work week.
SMALL BUSINESS
Jerry Osteryoung x jerry.osteryoung@gmail.com
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