3 day weekend - to think this what is needed to have a decent quality of life?

[Whatifthegrassisblue]

Where does the time go? AIBU to think there is not enough time? By the time you catch up on chores, spend time with family, catch up with friends and try and have some time as a family as well ....it just doesn't happen. I was thinking about it ...1 day for chores and "life admin", leaves the other 52 days to split between time as a family, your extended family and friends. Let alone just wanting to have a day and chill and do nothing, or go on a holiday. I feel I am doing life wrong 😕 Does anyone else feel this way or AIBU?

In this wonderful and mythical land where everyone only works 4 days and has a long weekend off, who is going to work on the 3 day weekends?
Shops, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, pubs, won’t be staffed as everyone will want their time off to enjoy their 3 day weekend.
But you could say this about a 5-day week and 2-day weekend. Who is going to work on the 2 day weekends? Shops, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, pubs, won’t be staffed. Except they will: students, casual workers, parents trying to avoid childcare fees by mixing week and weekend work, second jobbers hoping to pay off debt, all the same people as might do a 3-day weekend work. When I worked in retail in a small bookshop we were always rostered one weekend day; this would be no different - one or two weekend days, time in the week off, which made life chores easier as everything was quieter, play centres quieter to take kids, etc.

And plenty of people are driven by what they want to work at, rather than the hours: as a writer I have to do evenings and weekend events and “odd” hours; when I was a journalist I often did weekend shifts, there are night editors. All those against the 3-day weekend seem to think everyone will simply down tools and not work those three days, or be gutted to lose out, versus a new culture emerging where the standard week/weekend is 4:3 but everyone works and approaches it differently.

I just find it interesting that everyone advocating for the four day week seems to think it would guarantee them three days off in a row - with the extra day being a Friday or a Monday.

But a four day week could see you working every weekend with your days off in the week, or your days of split up at random instead of altogether.

@BashirWithTheGoodBeard yes I know that's already the case - I suppose my point was if four days was considered full time they're just drop their hours even more!

Hmm, not sure if that's true. They may stay doing 4 days or whatever part time they're already doing because the hours suit them and just enjoy the extra cash.

I work less than 4 days, but I don't know that I'd necessarily reduce my hours more if the standard working week became shorter. Would depend.

What will happen to all the workaholics like my DH (joke). Realistically, he was working yesterday mainly due to coming home on Friday at a reasonable time of 8pm rather than 10.30. His colleague was working on the same thing Saturday afternoon. I mean how, when will this get done. I can just see more work being done at home or even extra work being picked up by him as his team are sticking to their 4 day week. Maybe though that would change the expectation for at least the 2 days to be free from work.

@BashirWithTheGoodBeard yeah there are lots of factors to consider.

I think the four day working week is a lovely idea and I know I'm coming across quite negatively - I just don't think it will be the wonderful cure that everyone thinks.

I think some industries will benefit hugely but others will just see longer days, less staff and lots of delays.

I agree with some of this. For me, the most pertinent issue isn't whether this is a good thing. It's more a case of- this is happening now, work has changed in the last few years and it's not going to un-change. Part of this is people who have choices using them to get a better work life balance, of which dropping hours is only one permutation. Because it doesn't really matter whether anyone else likes that or not, it's happening.

Fwiw, it seems fairly obvious to me that a lot of hospitality is either going to have to become more expensive or simply stop existing, because of the staffing issues you mention. We are going to have to pay more for jobs that require people to be in a specific location at specific times, or do without them, but as a society we still seem to be in the denial phase on that one.

Fwiw, it seems fairly obvious to me that a lot of hospitality is either going to have to become more expensive or simply stop existing, because of the staffing issues you mention. We are going to have to pay more for jobs that require people to be in a specific location at specific times, or do without them, but as a society we still seem to be in the denial phase on that one.

Yeah I definitely agree with that.

I completely agree. By the time I get to Friday my productivity at work is really waning. Then we only have Saturday and Sunday - to fit in chores, seeing friends and family and any 'me time'. It is never enough and feel run ragged most of the time.

This five day working week is just a construct of the Industrial Revolution and the 'elites' to get maximum work out and profits of the peasants. Before then people worked way less hours. Really is time for things to change - with the likes of the Tories in charge though it never will.

This five day working week is just a construct of the Industrial Revolution and the 'elites' to get maximum work out and profits of the peasants.

Yes, this is what I was meaning upthread when I said it exists for historical reasons not because of any evidence that it's the most productive model.

I work 4 days and it's absolutely amazing, best thing I ever did.

At the time DH couldn't understand why I wanted to do it - he has come round to my way of thinking and his soon going onto a 4 day week

I'm 31 and work 24hours over 3 days. Honestly I can't understand why people take on so much but i know thats easy for me to say as a high earner and childfree. My life is so simple and enjoyable. I honestly couldn't cope with the slog that I consider a lot of people's lives to be.

I work 3 days, mon to wed and i am never so happy as i am walking out that door on wed and switching off till Monday. Dont think i could ever go back to working full time.

I couldn’t do a two day weekend! I work 12 hour shifts on either a three or four day week and after every 20 days, get 8 days off in a row - bliss!!

Oh my friend does this, she loves it

I work a 4 day week and it's a revelation. So much better and easier to manage life

Hang on, there are people out there having TWO days off a week, every or every other week!?!
Next you'll be trying to tell me your working days are less than 13hrs and you get to stop/eat during the day too? That any days off are 'together' and that you don't have to sit on top of your phone on a rare day off in case you have to go in and your unavailability would be considered as a general lack of commitment to the role and frowned upon deeply?
What is this fairytale?

Working 3 12 hour shifts a week sounds great but few people can get childcare to make that happen.

Childcare in the UK only really suits people working Mon-Fri 9-5. Very difficult to get childcare much beyond that (places might operate 8-6 but you still need time to get to / from childcare to work).

I know one local authority in Scotland are considering moving schools to a 4 day week longer days but just 4 days in a bid to save cash (reduces heating and transport costs).
But that's likely to cause issues for parents who both work.

I think there will always be workaholics. Some people live for work.

In your husband's case - it sounds like your husband's workplace is not adequately staffed? I'm aware that many professions have a culture of those hours, but this is changing as millennials are less inclined to tolerate it.

Apparently we had more leisure time as hunter gatherers than we do now. We have all this tech and machinery to make our lives easier and end up working harder and harder.

amp.theguardian.com/money/2023/feb/21/four-day-week-uk-trial-success-pattern

Most of the companies that tried it out are keeping it. The office type jobs looked at how to improve time efficiency, cutting the length of meetings and things like that. For some jobs that just won't translate, as you need someone there to cover a certain thing at a certain time eg nurses, doctors. For those roles there would need to be further investment in new staff.

But if it becomes common in other areas then all industries will have to adopt it, or they won't be able to attract staff.

We're in an era of declining populations and shrinking workforces - workers are in a stronger position to effect change.

We already have shortages of medical and trades people - were are we meant to magic up more trained people from?

It is worth pointing out that some people leave jobs and sectors specifically because of the expectations of hours. Less so in jobs where it's more easily possible to work part time. But there are places where it's 60 hours a week or fuck off, where some of the people who choose option 2 would stay on if they could go for something in the middle.

Yes, exactly. Nurses, doctors, teachers etc are leaving the professions partly due to intolerable hours and terrible work-life balance. If that could be fixed with a reduction in hours, but no reduction in pay, then we could retain many more people in these professions.

A standard 4 day week for all, along with flexibility to WFH where possible, could also help more mothers, carers, disabled people , and older people who want to work but currently find it impossible, to remain in the workforce .

Exactly 🙈

It's all very well saying people can just work on a roster and we can all work four days, but most industries are chronically understaffed as it is.

Let's be honest - in industries like hospitality, it won't be a case of "don't worry Susie, you can drop to four days and we'll hire Jane to cover the shortfall" - it will be "Susie can drop to four days but the business will have to shut the other days as we don't have enough staff. But we can't earn enough on four days a week to stay so now Susie is out of a job."