Is it time to start thinking seriously about this?

**mattster** · 18 October 2022, 15:33

I'd do it on my current day rate if I was offered it. Work life balance and all that.

**ladymuck** · 19 October 2022, 08:24

Some of the trials haven't worked out very well and I think the jury is out on whether fewer working hours = increased productivity. The UK is low enough on the productivity scale as it is, judging from what I hear on the news.

It's an initiative that's going to be unfairly distributed as some professions don't lend themselves well to part time working, whereas others do. I'm minded to compare with the drive to work from home during the covid lockdowns which still excluded a significant proportion of the workforce.

I don't think it'll help those at the poorer end of society.

**Unix** · 19 October 2022, 08:28

Originally posted by ladymuck View Post

Some of the trials haven't worked out very well and I think the jury is out on whether fewer working hours = increased productivity. The UK is low enough on the productivity scale as it is, judging from what I hear on the news.

It's an initiative that's going to be unfairly distributed as some professions don't lend themselves well to part time working, whereas others do. I'm minded to compare with the drive to work from home during the covid lockdowns which still excluded a significant proportion of the workforce.

I don't think it'll help those at the poorer end of society.

I guess you're only working 4 days, why should you get an extra days pay? Maybe this could be a permie only policy and contractors can pick up the slack by working 6 days a week

**Protagoras** · 19 October 2022, 08:43

Originally posted by mattster View Post

I'd do it on my current day rate if I was offered it. Work life balance and all that.

I work about 2-3 days a week. Yes, I'm not maximising income, but works out well for work-life balance. It was not so easy to find the role with this flexibility though.

There will be many industries where workers can't access a 4-day week though, so at some level this would be unfair and I agree that it would penalise the lower end worker disproportionally.

Given UK productivity and growth, maybe a 6-day week is what's needed for a few years!

**d000hg** · 19 October 2022, 09:01

Originally posted by Unix View Post

I guess you're only working 4 days, why should you get an extra days pay? Maybe this could be a permie only policy and contractors can pick up the slack by working 6 days a week

If you're salaried it's not "an extra day's pay". It's only convention that a typical job is 9-5 Mon-Fri after all. Do people who work 35 hour weeks do measurably less work than those doing 40 hour weeks? Guess that's what the trials are about.
But for the freelance/shift-based sector it's a bit of a interesting one. If our day rates stay the same we will work 5 days while permies work 4. If our rates adjust based to a 4 day week being the norm, many will want to work 5 days anyway. Although the argument "we could already work 6 days a week" could be raised... with WFH I could work Tue-Sat or Mon-Sat quite easily. Would many of us want a 6-day week to get a 20% income boost?

**vetran** · 19 October 2022, 09:28

its 4 days a week with longer days so 9.25 hours a day not 7.5.

Everyone with less employment power will get screwed as usual. They will be expected to work 9.25 hours 5 days a week for the same money.

I'm open to a 3 day weekend.

**Whorty** · 19 October 2022, 10:40

I'm a permie at the moment, and do this already as do many at the place I'm at.

Option is there for everyone to choose their work pattern; we all have our annual salary, and can work 5 normal days, compressed hours (I work Mon-Thurs 37 hours so get full pay but every Friday off). Some work 4 normal days, so 80% pay. Some work 10 days in 9 so get every other Friday off.

Works really well here for permies.

Contractors are on a day rate, not set hours. If they want to work just 4 days, they can, but then they only get 4 days income. Isn't that what a 'day rate' means? No set hours, but output/outcome based for the day you worked?

**Whorty** · 19 October 2022, 10:42

Originally posted by vetran View Post

its 4 days a week with longer days so 9.25 hours a day not 7.5.

Everyone with less employment power will get screwed as usual. They will be expected to work 9.25 hours 5 days a week for the same money.

I'm open to a 3 day weekend.

Could be wrong, don't don't lower paid jobs get paid by the hour, at a standard hour rate? So if they condense their hours into 4 days, rather than 5, won't they still get the same pay?

It's the salaried workers who could get screwed over, not the real workers as they tend not to be salaried.

**SueEllen** · 19 October 2022, 10:43

Originally posted by Whorty View Post

I'm a permie at the moment, and do this already as do many at the place I'm at.

Option is there for everyone to choose their work pattern; we all have our annual salary, and can work 5 normal days, compressed hours (I work Mon-Thurs 37 hours so get full pay but every Friday off). Some work 4 normal days, so 80% pay. Some work 10 days in 9 so get every other Friday off.

Works really well here for permies.

Contractors are on a day rate, not set hours. If they want to work just 4 days, they can, but then they only get 4 days income. Isn't that what a 'day rate' means? No set hours, but output/outcome based for the day you worked?

How often do you have to go into the office?

Is it time to start thinking seriously about this?