[Bermo KTM]

I see the commies in our little state are fookin at it again , as a business owner this is a fookin joke ,
: Cutting hours but paying the same could help businesses retain staff and increase turnover, the report said.

Four-day working week pilot bid for Welsh workers

A shorter week could make staff happier and benefit firms, the Future Generations Commission says.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Kestrel R]

So increasing costs and cutting productivity somehow increases turnover does it?

There is a reason why socialism has never worked anywhere ever. Perhaps the Welsh government (isn't it actually an assembly) is going to do socialism properly this time.

 

[BigDaddyAdz]

It's a brilliant idea and I encourage all of my competitors to do this asap, I would even go so far as to suggest that they go for a 3 day week.

Whilst they continue with that and piss off all their clients because the service levels have dropped and their prices have increased, I shall continue in the usual way and pick up a few new clients along the way.

 

[charlie264]

Someone cleaver worked out, if wealth was distributed evenly everyone would only need to work 2 days a week. This is only possible due to mechanisation and nothing to do with wages.

 

[Dorset turbos]

They're a bit slow - local council have been offering work less for same pay for decades.

 

[Camac]

Part of my work is dealing with Housing Associations. One Housing Association I work with has given their employees an additional day off a month. It`s called Covid Stress Day, it`s to help them cope with the trials and tribulations of Covid.

I thought my contact was taking the piss but no it`s true. It just fuckin beggers belief.

 

[Dorset turbos]

My sister in law "works" for housing and I keep taking the piss and say what do you do all day as all the council houses have been sold.

 

[mojave_mo_problems]

I fully support it. Different industries will be affected differently, of course. In my industry (defence tech) I do not see that reducing the working hours will materially impact productivity. No-one is productive all day anyway. More rested, more better.

I've been advocating for 4 day work week for my engineers for a while. There's a fair body of research that shows in some cases (not all) that productivity is unaffected or improves, though that's not to say its cut and dry. Moreover, work life balance is improved, which is good, great even

If you're cranking out widgets on an assembly line, hours may directly correlate to productivity, but for many service, engineering and software jobs that simply isn't the case.

Ideally, everyone would be able to work fewer days, that's a good thing. 5 days isn't special.

 

[Bermo KTM]

for the same money ??? you advocate people working less for the same money ??

 

[mojave_mo_problems]

Yep. Who wouldn't want that?

If productivity can be maintained (or even improved, bonus!), and people get more time off work why would you not want to offer that? Win win.

I work in a competitive industry, and most of my engineers could walk into another job anywhere else if they wanted to. Past a certain point more money isn't that attractive. I know for a fact that most of my colleagues would take an extra day off a week over a 20% pay rise.

 

[Camac]

I fully support it. Different industries will be affected differently, of course. In my industry (defence tech) I do not see that reducing the working hours will materially impact productivity. No-one is productive all day anyway. More rested, more better.

I've been advocating for 4 day work week for my engineers for a while. There's a fair body of research that shows in some cases (not all) that productivity is unaffected or improves, though that's not to say its cut and dry. Moreover, work life balance is improved, which is good, great even

If you're cranking out widgets on an assembly line, hours may directly correlate to productivity, but for many service, engineering and software jobs that simply isn't the case.

Ideally, everyone would be able to work fewer days, that's a good thing. 5 days isn't special.

Employees would always choose to work less hours for the same money. But if productivity falls and it hits profit margins then they won`t be in a job for long.
You`re obviously not an employer.

 

[mojave_mo_problems]

You obviously are not an employer.

Not true.

I'm not blind to the fact that its not a simple one size fits all solution. As with most things.

Then again, I'm also 100% in favor of Universal Basic Income, so make of that what you will.

 

[Camac]

Not true.

I'm not blind to the fact that its not a simple one size fits all solution. As with most things.

Then again, I'm also 100% in favor of Universal Basic Income, so make of that what you will.

What kind of business do you have. If you don`t mind me asking ?

 

[charlie264]

Not true.

I'm not blind to the fact that its not a simple one size fits all solution. As with most things.

Then again, I'm also 100% in favor of Universal Basic Income, so make of that what you will.

Rational?

 

[mojave_mo_problems]

What kind of business do you have. If you don`t mind me asking ?

Tech SME.

 

[mojave_mo_problems]

Employees would always choose to work less hours for the same money. But if productivity falls and it hits profit margins then they won`t be in a job for long.
You`re obviously not an employer.

I either missed the first paragraph, or it was edited in.

I agree with you, I just disagree that productivity and hours worked are a direct correlation. Strong correlation, naturally, and there is always going to be a tipping point, but in many (office jobs) the amount of time wasted on pointless bullshit is significant. The general idea of the 4 day work week is people end up more focused, and spend less time prevaricating.

If a 4 day work week meant shipping things 20% later, it would be a different story, but I don't believe that would be the case.

So to clarify, as an employer, if you could offer your employees a significant benefit without increasing your costs; a benefit that directly affects retention, commitment and employee mental health, why wouldn't you?

The problem is, most businesses are rightfully risk averse, and its a risky proposition.

So pilots make sense.

Past pilots have shown good results, in different countries.

 

[Camac]

I work for a manufacturing based company. So productivity is directly linked to hours worked.
It might work for your business but not in mine.

 

[BigDaddyAdz]

Tech SME.

Same as me then and it doesn't work. With resource based billing you are cutting down the amout of available hours for projects. With the help desk you need to employ additional staff to cover those days that the guys are not working. The customer don't care, they just need their calls answered and resolved.

 

[stumo]

The idea will have come from someone who sits on their arse doing fuckall all day and thinks they would do the same amount of fuckallness in four days as they are doing in 5..

 

[BigDaddyAdz]

If I had an employee who says they can do the same amount of work in 4 days that they have been doing in 5 days, up to now, is either lying or a lazy cunt.