I was part time (32 hrs / didn’t work Fridays) for a few years, loved it, and really didn’t feel I got much less done than my colleagues. By contrast, I would lose focus and get tired with a ten hour day. Also, I already work from home and have the option for a 10 hour day / 4 day workeeek. I like knowing my colleagues can do that if it works for them but there’s no way I could handle my children’s current schedule with a 10 hr day.

I would definitely do it.

DH works an extra few minutes per day and gets every other friday off. His short weeks are so amazing.

Anonymous wrote:My friend works for a small company in NYC and they do a 4 day 32 hour work week. The office just isn't open on Fridays and no one is expected to respond to anything that comes in that day. They're in person with some flexibility for hybrid when there is need (sick kid, etc.). From the way she talks about it, everyone is thrilled with the set up and they haven't seen any decrease in productivity. I think the employees know how sweet the gig is and they work efficiently to keep it.

Wow that sounds amazing!

My concern about the 4 day week has always been what folks are expressing here

- can I/do I want to actually WORK for 10 hours per day? What about lunch? Or taking the dog out? What if I have an appointment? I'm on a board that meets once a month at 5:30 on a Wednesday - how does that fit in with the four day week?

- will I end up working the 5th day anyway?

So I guess it'd really depend on what those four days actually look like and if the 5th is truly off

I did this when I had 2 kids in daycare. We couldn't afford it so we put them in part time, three days a week. We each had a day home with the kids (our day off), a WFH day to ourselves, and a WFH day together so we could have a weekly lunch date.

I kept the schedule when they were in school and out of daycare and loved it. Two days at home makes a big difference.

I can do my whole job in one day a week. Having to sit at my desk for 4 extra days is so stupid. I would jump at the change to have a 4 day work week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.... for clarification... the 4 days include a hybrid schedule. For example two 10 hour days in the office and two 10 hour days WFH.

Sold!

Same.

I’m basically trying to do this

The 4-10 schedule is available where I work but it doesn't work for me as a parent. Maybe when my kids are in college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend works for a small company in NYC and they do a 4 day 32 hour work week. The office just isn't open on Fridays and no one is expected to respond to anything that comes in that day. They're in person with some flexibility for hybrid when there is need (sick kid, etc.). From the way she talks about it, everyone is thrilled with the set up and they haven't seen any decrease in productivity. I think the employees know how sweet the gig is and they work efficiently to keep it.

This is the kind of situation I would definitely be a yes for. This is just possible in a lot of sectors though.

I agree. If done right, there should be minimal decrease in productivity.

It depends on the work. A friend in government worked 10-hour days to get Fridays off and he said he was so tired on Friday that he just slept...Also, after a while you're just not that productive, working a longer day.
That was just his experience, of course, and it was before covid, so any kind of workplace flexibility was a marvel.
I work two days a week from home, and three in the office (Fridays we leave a bit early). I might ask to work one more day at home, but the boss won't like it...Not sure it's worth the discussion.

Anonymous wrote:My friend works for a small company in NYC and they do a 4 day 32 hour work week. The office just isn't open on Fridays and no one is expected to respond to anything that comes in that day. They're in person with some flexibility for hybrid when there is need (sick kid, etc.). From the way she talks about it, everyone is thrilled with the set up and they haven't seen any decrease in productivity. I think the employees know how sweet the gig is and they work efficiently to keep it.

This is the kind of situation I would definitely be a yes for. This is just possible in a lot of sectors though.

Only enticing to me if the whole company is working a 4 day work week. I was part time for a little while - worked monday - thursday. It was fine and I mostly didn't have to work on Fridays, I was able to take the day but it is hard to miss things and have to prep to be out every week. If everyone else was also out it would be a different story. But some people LOVE it. Plenty of feds do AWS though most do every other friday off.

Anonymous wrote:OP here.... for clarification... the 4 days include a hybrid schedule. For example two 10 hour days in the office and two 10 hour days WFH.

I was the person who hated working a compressed schedule, but all of my hours were in the office. WFH two days a week would definitely make it better, especially if there were clear boundaries established to let the 5th day really be a day off.

Anonymous wrote:I did 4 10-hour days dod 6 years and I LOVED it.

Were they all in the office?

My friend works for a small company in NYC and they do a 4 day 32 hour work week. The office just isn't open on Fridays and no one is expected to respond to anything that comes in that day. They're in person with some flexibility for hybrid when there is need (sick kid, etc.). From the way she talks about it, everyone is thrilled with the set up and they haven't seen any decrease in productivity. I think the employees know how sweet the gig is and they work efficiently to keep it.

Anonymous wrote:Would you lean toward a job offering this as an option (all else being equal)?

Not as enticing as 3 days a week!