I Wonder How This Will Go

[newmodarmy]

https://www.thenational.scot/news/24069428.four-day-working-week-pilot-gets-underway-scotland/

I think this is something where the pilot can show whatever those behind this 'improvement' want it to show. Maybe the report has already been written.

[douglas9401]

Various politicians and academics have chuntered on about this all of my working life.

I suppose it beats working for a living.

[jno]

other countries have been trying this for years. Mixed results but nobody seems to be dimissing it out of hand

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/10/10/the-four-day-week-which-countries-have-embraced-it-and-how-s-it-going-so-far

[ToraToraTora]

Well as long as the day off is not the same one for everybody I'd say it should work.

[youngmafbog]

It can work but there are so many caveats it makes it unworkable.

[jno]

I don't know how you get "it can work" and "unworkable" in the same sentence, YMB 😃

I used to work in a seven-day-a-week operation, where of course people couldn't all have Saturday and Sunday off. They worked out an ornate rota so that everyone worked four days but with different "weekends", which in my case fell midweek plus Saturday. Some out-of-towners arranged things so they could have have or six days in a row off, and spend it on their country estates.

Everyone seemed happy with the results, management included.

[newmodarmy]

It's not clear whether the reduction to 32 hours is from 40 hours or maybe 35 or 38. Reducing from 40 to 32 means working 25% more efficiently.  5-10% may be achievable due to higher morale and being less tired but 25% seems a  stretch and begs the question how well the teams were managed and motivated

[newmodarmy]

Generally these trials of 4 day weeks have not led to a drop in hours. From jno's link:

"But this does not mean they will be working less – they will simply condense their working hours into fewer days."

The Scottish one is a reduction in hours

[jno]

some of those trialled work fewer hours

https://www.unilever.com/news/news-search/2022/fourday-work-week-trial-to-start-in-australia/

[newmodarmy]

Yes this one and some others do.

If it works for 4 days maybe they can then try 3 days...

If the 32 hour week has benefits to the employee and helps employers retain key staff then it's a great outcome. But the savings in public sector pay won't really help cut costs and hence taxes will it?