Four day week good – science

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, October 30th, 2009 - 14 comments
Categories: science - Tags:

Yes Mr and Ms Work-Life-Balance, science is on your side.

Last month the New Scientist summarised research from Utah that showed workers were happier, took fewer sick days, and were more energy efficient when working four day weeks instead of five.

"Great Scott. According to the computer, we shouldn't be here today Billy"

"According to the computer, we shouldn't be here today Billy"

The full results of this experiment won’t be published until October, but an ongoing survey of 100 buildings suggests energy consumption has fallen by around 13 per cent. The survey also found that 70 per cent of employees prefer the 4/10 arrangement, and that people took fewer days off sick.

Now if only we could convince John Key of the value of science. But I guess we shouldn’t expect too much from a man who called climate change a hoax.

14 comments on “Four day week good – science ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. vto 1
    30 October 2009 at 10:30 am

    Three days is even better. Some number of years ago last century I said to my boss “I reckon I can do this job in 3 x 10 hour days per week, and I will be available by cellphone the other two for urgencies. Oh, and a pay rise. What do you think?”

    The answer was yes and it was bwilliant. All those things the research above shows up are correct. Everything was better. Four day weekends all year long is hard to beat. Takes the some time dreary trudgery out of the 5/6 day week thats for sure. Productivity surges, etc too. Highly recommended. The French have this sussed I think.

  2. Bill 2
    30 October 2009 at 10:38 am

    Or then again, if we dump the concept of wages or salary and adopt income sharing schemes instead it is possible to provide for a family on as little as seven hours average per week depending on business type.

    Regardless, no net profits disappearing off to shareholders or owners. No blind ideology driving expansions and sucking time/energy and dollars from viable businesses that already provide for their workforces.

  3. lprent 3
    30 October 2009 at 10:58 am

    “According to the computer, we shouldn’t be here today Billy”

    My desktop was definitely saying that today with its blank face.

    I’ve done 4 day weeks x 10 hours before. It allowed me to get into doing some serious study of how to program things like the windoze API. I enjoyed them and so did work.

    I was even more productive when I started to work from home with all of the programming team connected via the internet. More discussion, less time wasting.

  4. graham 4
    30 October 2009 at 2:22 pm

    so i will tell the cows that i will only milk them 4 days a week instead of 7
    another great socalist idea

  5. graham 5
    30 October 2009 at 2:42 pm

    also during winter i will only feed them 4 days a week not 7

    • Bill 5.1
      30 October 2009 at 3:09 pm

      First, you are going to talk to the cows?! Okay. Tell me, do you envisage an all up meeting on the four day milking option or are you going to talk to the cows one by one? And what do you expect the response to be?

      And then I’m just curious, what is it you intend having done to them that they are unable to eat for three days? Concrete feeding lots?

      You really are just genuinely stupid aren’t you.

  6. roger nome 6
    30 October 2009 at 3:02 pm

    Or you could just admit that dairy farming is cruel to animals, bad for the global environment and local ecology, and just give it away?

  7. graham 7
    30 October 2009 at 3:30 pm

    i am going to tell them that my family want to spend more time with me and they can starve for 3 days a week.All farming is cruel to animals
    The question you have to ask what do you think would happen to this country if we stoped pastrol farming in new zealand.Wipe out 65 percent of our exports how many people will starve.their will be no hospitals,schools,civl servents
    On the positve side the welfare system will be destroyed.
    So to stupid people who spout such crap get a life

    • Bill 7.1
      30 October 2009 at 3:41 pm

      Graham. Do you really think they will understand? You expect them to moo approval?

      And why are you now starving your family for three days a week? I thought you originally wanted to starve the cows!

      What would happen to this country if ‘we’ stopped pastoral farming is that there’d be a lot of bush regenerating and waterways recovering. As for the economy…underpants Graham, underpants.

      Having said that, I fully understand how ceasing to send stuff overseas will result in famine and closed down schools etc. Absolutely.

      edit. I can see why your family would want to spend time with you. Such a comedian. They must be sore with all the smiley happy.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.2
      30 October 2009 at 3:46 pm

      You’re the one spouting crap graham. There’s nothing stopping you from hiring someone else to do the milking on the days that you don’t.

  8. graham 8
    30 October 2009 at 3:53 pm

    in business we like to make (i know a leftie dosent get this)money

  9. graham 9
    30 October 2009 at 4:01 pm

    Sorry i wasnt clear
    I understand farming can seem cruel.
    We only keep 20% replacements each year the av cow in new zealand only lasts 4 seasons i cull(kill) after 7(Max) so i have no cow older than 10 years old.
    Some people see animals as important as humans well they are not so get over it.
    But having said that we(farmers)have duty to care for our animals so they dont suffer undue stress and pain and the same goes for the land.
    Dont pollute waterways etc
    I acept that vegans tend to hate people like me but look my leftie friends you need people like me to earn money so we can pay for the welfare state.

  10. Edosan 10
    30 October 2009 at 10:20 pm

    Graham, I know it would probably be a bit obvious and boring of me to say that you have missed the point of this thread, but I will anyway. I’m sure no one wants to force you to work less than 7 days a week milking your cows. I’m also sure that no one wants to stop you making as much money as you can, or even spouting the odd bit of righteous indignation on a blog or two. That’s fine. It’s your prerogative.
    The point raised here was that in many industries, a four day week makes a lot more sense than forcing the kind of presentism that is currently the norm for so many reasons (not just economic), and that maybe -just maybe- wouldn’t it be good to have some legislation to allow workers to make this arrangement should they wish to?
    That was certainly my reading in any case.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.