Great topic. I think we're seeing a divergence of schedules. Besides one firm that reduced the weekly commitment across all staff by a few hours (still well above 32), I haven't heard of a reduced work week implemented on a company-wide scale in CE. However, it seems increasingly common for individual employees to request and be granted alternative schedules. In rare cases, the option for reduced hours is now enshrined in the employee handbook, making it a more effective tool for recruitment. For me, it comes down to an individual balance of work stress, personal commitments, and preference.
I work a 32-hour week, distributed across five shorter days rather than four 8-hour days. I am generally at my desk through normal business hours, but I take one or two long breaks throughout the day for professional activities, personal email, and miscellaneous reading. People are sometimes surprised not only that my firm agreed to this benefit, but that I wanted it in the first place, without taking a full day off. When I go home, I like to have a clean separation not only from work, but from professional activities and my personal email--so it made the most sense for me. Prior to going on a reduced schedule, I was squeezing in around 10-15 hours a week of non-work activities on a 40-hour work week, getting home late most days, and feeling very hemmed in by my schedule. I have a lot more flexibility on a 32--and I still have time to cook!
One concern is that, even if salary is prorated, a 20% reduction in hours represents a 20% increase in overhead. The hope is that the gains in productivity and retention more than make up for that. Remote work and "hoteling" may be changing this paradigm anyway.
The SEA-MW SE3 Committee discusses daily and weekly schedule flexibility in our 2022 publication Work Flexibility Strategies for Recruitment and Retention in the Metropolitan Washington Region, which is available through this link. The document is targeted at DC/MD/VA structural engineering consultants, but much of the data applies more broadly. Another great resource is the 2020 NCSEA SE3 Brief on Work Flexibility.
------------------------------
Christian Parker P.E., M.ASCE
Structural Project Engineer
Washington DC
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2023 12:06 PM
From: William McAnally
Subject: A 4-Day Work Week?
The Wall Street Journal (21 Feb) reports that companies testing a 4-day work week found sharp drops in worker turnover and absenteeism while largely maintaining productivity. Keeping annual salaries the same for 32-hour weeks sounds like a self-inflicted wound for business; however, companies responded by reducing meetings (a common need mentioned here) and travel. It reminds me of co-workers who cut back to half-time for family reasons and found themselves getting just as much done.<o:p></o:p>
What's your experience say about this?<o:p></o:p>
------------------------------
William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., D.CE, D.NE, F.ASCE
ENGINEER
Columbus MS
------------------------------