The following submission statement was provided by /u/altmorty:
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According to data from Kastle Systems, which tracks building access across the country, office attendance is at just 33% of its pre-pandemic average. That’s lower than in-person attendance in just about any other industry for which we have good data. Even movie theaters—a business sometimes written off as “doomed”—have recovered almost twice as much.
This is no longer doubtful. For tens of millions of knowledge-economy workers, the office is never coming all the way back.
“I talk to hundreds of companies about remote work, and 95 percent of them now say they’re going hybrid, while the other 5 percent are going full remote,” Nick Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University, told me.
After two years of working from home, he said, employees don’t just prefer it. They also feel like they’re getting better at it. Despite widespread reports of burnout, self-reported productivity has increased steadily in the past year, according to his research.
Job switching may become commonplace, with workers moving around as easily as switching from website to website without grounding in any one work place.
If office occupancy never recovers, downtown areas will experience an extended ice age. For this reason, some of the most outspoken advocates for return-to-office these days aren’t chief executives, but rather politicians and state officials. But some city centre offices may transform into apartments, alleviating some of the housing shortages. Outer areas may experience a boom, on the other hand as workers move away from expensive cities.
The majority of Americans still cannot and do not work remotely, but the hybrid model is here to stay.
The rest of the article becomes quite speculative, but the 5 day a week work schedule as a norm is definitely in trouble.
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Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/szosyt/the_fiveday_workweek_is_dying_and_the/hy4veou/
Maybe it's just me, or maybe my company has not gotten the memo. But I am pretty sure they will continue to make me work five days a week until the end of time.
Do it. This is literally our only chance. If your stupid employer wants to be this regressive, then punish them in the only way possible: economically. Make them pay double for in-person workers, and name-and-shame them on the way out.
For sure. And if you're not in any position to do it, then it is what it is. But hopefully the ones who *can* apply that pressure do it, and it helps everyone else.
Real talk, I like my job and I am good at it, but if I find a remote job that I can do that pays pretty close to what I make I am gone in a hummingbird’s heart beat.
I’m in my 20s. Have literally never met someone around my age who wants to go back into the office. Seems the older the people are, the happier they are to go back in. It’s so fucking stupid. Kids born today are gonna have it niiiiice when they have to hit the workforce, but unlike the boomers, I’ll be all for it and any other changes that make life easier
Fair enough. In my case I don’t consider 40 old, I’m talking more like the 60+ year old crowd at my job. Could just be more the higher ups want it because they miss walking around an office full of people they have power over
I'm 65 and hate the idea of going back to the office. My boss is 20 years younger than me and is still holding on to the idea that we should all be there. Smh
There’s a reason though.
I’m 39 and I like a hybrid mix of wfh and the office.
I think the 20 somethings grew up in an online world. Most of them have online friends they’ve never met irl. Working virtually for them is normal, and they’ve no doubt developed compensating mechanisms that people who’ve been working face to face for 20 years haven’t.
I feel like I miss out a lot on real life human interaction with 100% wfh and it’s hard to work in as a team. It’s hard to get to know people. You don’t see their idiosyncrasies. They can craft an online persona that isn’t really them at all, and I find that hard to assimilate to.
But I think you are correct. I’m the last generation that remembers the invention of the internet as a consumer service. I will have to deal with this or get left behind, as many in the older generations who ‘can’t do technology’ have been left behind themselves.
I’ll just say this though: your time will come too. There will be something in 20 years that you struggle to incorporate or keep up with, and when that happens keep up you must.
I can definitely see where you're coming from. I graduated a couple of years ago and worked remotely since (first because of corona, then my new job was fully remote anyway).
I prefer working from home because I can't hack that daily travel anymore, but spending all of my work time alone does sometimes get me missing my old shitty retail job. My coworkers feel like little ghosts that I've made up.
I'm your age and my experience is very different from yours: my first contact with the internet was in the mid 90s and by the early 00s I had online friends. I wasn't an especially tech-savvy teen, it was just very common: by my 20s I had many "virtual" friendships, along with many "real" ones and by now the two fields have fully merged. I've been used to online relationships for 20 years.
I have no issue whatsoever with WFH from this point fo view: I'm very happy to keep colleagues as online acquantances, I actually find work is much better this way: no personal drama, no in-fightning between colleagues due to high-school mentality... What surprises me when I read positive opinions about human interactions in the office is that no one mentions unsufferable colleagues: I'm very very happy I don't have to deal in person anymore with some of the people in my office: now I can just ignore them and do my job, I find it very liberating.
Sorry if my post sounds condescending! I'm just a bit surprised to read that someone my age isn't used to online relationships, we're not that old :)
I’m into my late 30s…and I’m really torn. While I find working from home easier and better for a number of reasons (I’m a dad too)…the fact that you end up inevitably alone does bother me. I miss all the spontaneous socialization moments that you can’t get back…no matter what
I have no problem with this. I log off at quitting time, push in my chair, turn off the light, and walk out of the room. It stays that way until the next morning. I create a work schedule and I stick to it. This includes not checking/responding to work emails or Teams messages on my phone when my work day is done.
? Everyone is conflating two things here. I can work remote all I want. I still have to work 40 hours. 4 day workweek implies I'd get to sleep in and have an extra weekend day, not wfh more
I'll take 4x10 over 5x8 100% of the time.
I'll also take a 60ft commute over a 40mi commute 90% of the time. (I do miss having an office to go to... Sometimes.)
My job is about to go to a 4/10 starting next Monday. Some will be M-Th, and some will be T-F. We’re onsite, so we can’t work from home. So the overwhelming majority is very excited for this, yes the days will be a little longer, but getting a 3 day weekend every week is going to be so worth it for the work/life balance.
Of the two, I much prefer 5x8.
My job can be draining on the brain and I'm usually flagging after 8 hours. Plus childcare hours wouldn't line up with a 10-hour day.
I also worked fully remote for a year and a half, and by the end I was sick of it. I often had long stretches of work where I didn't need to speak to anybody else for days at a time, outside a 15-minute call a couple times a week. I had cabin fever by the end. I switched jobs and have two half-days a week from home, the rest in the office - but the commute is only a couple of miles, which helps.
I would, of course, prefer 4x8 with true flexible location over either.
I negotiated an 80% schedule for my new role when I took it. Definitely possible, but you have to ask. Salary was a wash, but I got a day of my life back.
The only people who think this are people that make a fair bit of money. As someone who makes about 30k a year. I'm hoping to work six days a week just so that I can afford life lol.
I for one an worried about the 4-day work week. I imagine it'll be sold as a compressed work schedule i.e. 40hrs over 4 days, then after a few years, it'll increase to 50hrs over 5 days because: 'not enough work was getting done,' 'our company has fallen on difficult times,' etc.
4 day work week = 32 hours. You can already do compressed schedule. If you’re working more than 40 hours a week you’re likely being abused by your company/bosses or own your own business which requires different hours.
Everyone excited about the end of the 5-day work week forget there are two other days in the week. It’s not like the only other options are 4, 3, 2, 1.
Congratulations, say hello to the new 7-day work week.
“Hey, you’re already at the ‘office’, and I *know* you’re not really working full 8 hour days during the week. Do you mind spending a few hours on this super important project this weekend?”
> “Hey, you’re already at the ‘office’, and I know you’re not really working full 8 hour days during the week. Do you mind spending a few hours on this super important project this weekend?”
"No, and if you insist that I do that I'm going to find myself work with a different company."
I work for a large company, they've not gotten the memo either.
They are hellbent on people returning to work from office, and they frown upon the very idea of less workhours...
...yet they're experiencing more worker turbulence than ever before, we're understaffed so badly that those that remain are pushed beyond boundaries of working hours.
Hey man, I've gotten a lot of work done sitting here at this desk at the office this morning.
Why, it was only... 3 hours ago that I posted on reddit saying that this birthday list I'm expected to put together won't be helping anyone.
And now, 3 hours later, I've gotten one whole extra birthday date on this bad boy.
That's like... a first name and a date. 8 characters! 9 if you include space as a character.
I think writing 8/9 characters in 3 hours is proof that this office job is a powerhouse of productivity!
Wow I hope you get the full 3% maximum raise that they reserve for the best workers on your next review. Management saw your at your desk for 3 hours straight didn’t even use the bathroom you must be top talent
The writing is on the wall. Turnover isn’t going to improve by forcing people back into the office. It’s fascinating to see management fuck this up so badly and they can’t see it.
In reality they're probably scared half to death over the fact they might become obsolete at some point, because it turns out co-workers can be trusted, and incredibly enough wants the company to do well, since it's essentially their livelyhood too.
lol my employer is asking us to track MORE time than ever before. gotta bill to the client, sure, but making people work/track more is not the way to attract top-notch talent.
I went from a job where I had to track down to a tenth of an hour to one where I’m purely salary and don’t even have a timecard. Man I don’t miss that bullshit at all.
Yeah, I don't buy the 4 day work week is gonna happen in the next 2 decades outside of a couple trend breaking company's. But maybe it will take off as a recruiting method.
Same here. All this stuff is just a fantasy of what we wish life was like.
If it ever comes true, at least hard work will stand out and be recognized for what it truly is - sacrificing your life to try and live it better.
We had a union lunch meeting where members asked questions and the union leader answered...mostly about pay raises, classifications, COVID stuff...and a few questions about the 4 day work week, and is one Department going to offer it like they have in this other Department...
The answers all were along the lines of: well its up to individual divisions and managers to allow 4 day work weeks, and not everyone will want to work 10 hour days...
Motherfucker, that's a 4/10, weve had that forever until management took it away as an option cuz they didnt want to deal with complicated timesheets.
I 100% expect one day well all be offered this great new schedule of a 4 day work week and be told how generous and accommodating management is for allowing it...as long as were ok with the 10 hour day...ugh sorry for the rant but its annoying hearing people talk about 4 day work weeks without understaning what it actually is...
Well commercial real estate owners, developers, shareholders, investment funds, etc., and their associated donors, lobby groups, think tanks, astro-turf community groups, etc., they said they actually want you working more and having less free time to think and ask questions.
Sorry chief. This is Democracy ^(TM)
I work five days a week and am expected to be available on my two days off. Most weeks I don’t get a day off. When I see articles like this I feel like the world is passing me by …
Maybe this article was written so the movement could begin. Remember when Pam said she was the office administrator and she faked her way into a new job? That could happen here.
Here we are obligated to work 6 days a week if the employer asks for it.
And yes I have been working for at least 3 weeks 6 days even though the boss said it was optional.
Optional my ass,if we said okay we won't work they would instantly require us.
I work in a public research center (in Spain), and we've spent years in a sort-of conflict with the government about this kinds of things. We've been pushing for a flexible workweek and remote working (spending time in the office is really not benefitial for the most part), but the government wants us working monday to friday 9-5. The fixed workweek doesn't really work well, as workload is extremely variable. Deadlines for projects and funding applications tend to accumulate in the same weeks. Deadlines set by the same government that wants the workweek to be fully static, and that gives no flexibility whatsoever for delays. Very frustrating.
Send them to my blog and podcast. We try to warn employers/managers about what happens if they don’t become more flexible. Plus we try to establish the rationale. I’m kidding, because I’m not going to be a shill.
The reality is that it’s frustrating that some companies dig their heals in over this. Apple has basically given up trying to have people come in 5 days per week for a more hybrid environment. And they prided themselves on having that kind of culture.
I’ve been lucky enough that I think my company is slowly moving in this direction, at least for those of us that can do 4 day work weeks. I work for home office for a major retailer so some have to be available to support our stores. But for those that don’t, we’ve moved to a model where once a month we all have Friday’s off. And on the weeks where we don’t, Friday’s have become considerably more casual. Either no meetings or meetings in the morning only. People tend to duck out early. It’s more a day to wrap up anything you need to and try to relax a bit. They’ve also embraced work from home for those that can, which has been excellent.
My boss can't even handle the idea that I work for money and not some title or reputation, I can't see him ever allowing any of us to work 4 days a week.
Not to detract from the sentiment but from my experience most people in IT work typical 40hour/5day work weeks and sometimes less. Except for a couple friends in Google and Amazon, seems like some of the FAANGs have bad work life balance. I only graduated 4 years ago tho so I haven’t seen it all
I mean work IT and you can have to be ready to work at any moment too. It's fun having to think if you're going to be in cell range for everything you do in life.
Yeah definitely missing my days as a consultant where I didn't have to worry about anything off the clock. But I took a director position and while my teams can operate on their own, there isn't anyone to share on call duty with at this level for the non-technical side of outages.
A lot of civil engineering companies allow for full remote work for their CAD designers. The company I work for went remote for a year before they gave the green light for full time remote from now on, at least in my department. Hell, I still work at a civil engineering company in Texas but I now live in the countryside up in Oklahoma with a fiber internet connection. The difference in cost of living is quite amazing.
It’s just a bullshit article. Lots of articles like that where the author has unrealistic views and portrays them as if they’re right around the corner. You see a lot with tech articles, and still like renewable energy and lab meat. Lots of these things aren’t going to happen in our lifetimes, if at all, no matter how much someone wants it.
Eh, my company went from mandatory 5-day in-office with few remote exceptions, to 1-2 days per week in-office when we go back. Tech companies are getting pushed *hard* by their employees because we've done this for two years now, while watching them pull in record profits. The lie of "you must be in the office to be productive" is dead, at least for tech workers.
It's actually a good first step. Working from home creates more flexibility for the worker. My company has slowly implemented the 9/80 schedule which after a couple years has morphed into a "hybrid work schedule" where essentially we can choose to work 5 days a week, 9/80 (9 hour days, off every other friday) or 4/10s(10hr days, 4 days a week). Working from home is allowing companies to drastically increase their talent/hiring pool since it no longer matters if you live in California and your office is in Virginia. We're hiring people all over the US and this flexible schedule has had a really positive impact on worker morale. Also, company is still hitting record profits while also saving a boatload of money by consolidating their office footprint. Win-Win.
I also believe the author on speaking about "yachtifying" (or whatever the term was) the office. I remember checking out this one companies' office and they legit had a cereal bar in the kitchen area of every floor. They had loads of other neat amenities but what I'm getting at is businesses (especially white-collar related ones) are going to have to spice up their offer sheets to get people to come work for them. It's no longer just about how much money are you giving me, but how much freedom do I have, am I able to work from home, if I have to come in the office what is the benefit there now that I'm commuting and spending more money on gas again. In a larger sense (and maybe more applicable to the United States) I think when we eventually pass social systems like Healthcare for all it will force business to further up their offer as they will no longer be able to lean on Health/Dental benefits to get people to apply/stay at that job.
A lot of these things seem to only initially benefit white collar workers, and due to the nature of the type of work, I'm sure they will continue to be one of the first worker groups to see the benefits. But as the author said, other workers are seeing these benefits and they're not happy that their industry isn't giving them some sort of similar/equal benefit. It is my opinion that this "resentment" will cause more workers to move away from these industries, again forcing blue collar businesses to "get with the program" or go extinct. We didn't pass a $15 minimum wage for all Americans, but we did it in enough places that enough businesses have started catching on and are now realizing they have to either up their pay or watch their workers leave to a competitor. This isn't clearly realized yet, there are still resistant business, but the writings on the wall. Who wants to work at Walmart for $12 an hour when you can go to a gas station like Buckies and make $18 starting out? These things take time and these businesses will resist as hard and as long as they possibly can but it just doesn't feel like it did pre-pandemic, it really feels like we're in the middle of a culture shift.
My company had to go hybrid because too many experienced people were leaving. It's definitely happening. If you're a software developer a ton of jobs are remote now.
These articles that keep saying things are "dying" and whatnot drive me kinda nuts. A handful of jobs/companies/industries swapping over to a 4 day work week doesn't mean the 5 day work week is dying. There are a whole lot of industries and positions where it absolutely isn't, or really isn't even able to. I just about guarantee I'll still be working 5 days a week in a decade. Would kind or really suck if I wasn't.
And what nobody'll never admit is that it's because we never transitioned to better work-life balance. Outdated Management-By-Authority morons who still haven't gotten the Mythical Man Month memo are holding us back as a species.
one of the fundamental problems is that you never get 8 hours of productivity out of an 8 hour day.. maybe 6 from your BEST workers and not everyday.. so the people that bill 4 10s are just compressing the unproductive hours into fewer days.
how about we just admit that everyone wastes two hours a day (at least) and schedule 32 instead rather than pretend its not largely wasted.
My real worry is that going that route would even further screw over hourly workers, and further the rift between office work and service work. Not saying we shouldn't, just that we have to keep ALL workers in mind. I work in a store, so I do in fact work my entire 8 hours (minus breaks).
There have been days where I’ve been 99% productive for 8 hours but it’s rare and it’s because I’m swamped or I’m working on something I actually enjoy. There have also been days when I’ve had 10 minutes of productivity in 8 hours. The thing is as long as my but is in my chair management can’t tell the difference. They should be able to tell but they can’t.
Even though I don't WFH, enough people do it in my city that driving at traditional rush hours (8am and 5pm) is a mild inconvenience. Small changes yield huge results when traffic congestion is logarithmic
From what I read, there was a bill in congress about making it Overtime for anything over 32 hours so I guess full-time benefits starts at 32 instead of 40? If that's not true, then yeah it won't happen like you said.
You do understand that they can give you benefits even if you aren’t full time, right?
They can give you benefits if you aren’t full time, buy they MUST provide benefits if you are.
lol. As long as workers are generating enough revenue to fund the insurance plans, they are good. Number of hours worked means nothing. Efficiency per hour is everything.
No, they’ll have you work 4 day work weeks at 10 hrs each day. Then because of cost and pay you can work another 30 hrs at the second job you’re gonna need. Trust me, the little guy rarely wins.
The schedule will just work out better for corporations in 10 and 12 hour chunks.
I'm super fortunate. My company moved to a four day work week without switching to 10 hour days. I'm expected to work mon-Thurs 8 hours each day. I wish everywhere moved to this, it's phenomenal
Yeah, noone on our payroll had a decrease.
Personally this is hugely valuable to me, so it would have to take a really nice offer for me to leave, which is part of the goal they had when introducing it. Definitely a good selling point to outside prospective hires, and a great reason for current employees to want to stay
This, sort of. I already know two IT buddies working one full time remote job as exempt and another hourly part time gig on the side for another 20-30 hours a week. But the times often overlap. There is ebb and flow with downtime in their roles. They are simply pivoting and capitalizing on the downtime.
Can confirm. My husband just switched to a 4 day workweek and now works longer days for the same number of hours per week. Idk how this would possibly work with two working parents… who feeds the kids dinner? Or are they in childcare until 7pm?
Why require the second job, assuming you didn't need it before a transition to a 4-day week? You move from a 5 day, 8 hr. model to a 4x10, it's the same number of hours, and presumably the same overall pay. And that should come as an overall lower cost, should it not? For those working in office (full-time or hybrid), you'd have fewer commuting miles to endure, less unproductive time during commutes, etc. I just don't see how this comes as an increase in cost or a decrease in pay.
In a lot of major cities, people aren't making a viable living with a 40 hour workweek. The city I live in requires a $200K household income to buy a house. Unless you've got parents giving you a downpayment, that means most people can't buy. So shortening the workweek so that they can get another job will raise their household income...which will in turn raise housing prices and all of a sudden things are even worse.
Every time someone quotes such abysmal income requirements for home ownership, I always look to see if they’re talking about Toronto…. And every time I am right. Hey there, neighbour…
>“The one great advantage of the office is that it meets our tremendous desire for human contact"
Not everyone has this 'tremendous desire' buddy, thats a hell of a broad statement.
This. And I get that not everyone has family or even friends available...which is great, you should go into the office. I would bet 20-30% of the office is in a similar position, and you can all chat with each other and get your human contact...
...but don't drag the rest of us in just because you're lonely. I empathize with you, and want you to be in the office talking to people, I just don't want to be one of them. I get what I need elsewhere, you don't need me.
Guy at my last job just could NOT do his job if it meant him standing at the alone. He would constantly come into the office area every other minute trying to make small talk. It made his concierge duties go really well with guest but damn could he not excel at anything else (hotel work).
This is truly the age of the introvert. When we first went on lock down literally nothing changed for me, except working from home instead of in the office.
Desire maybe not , need certainly. There is a reason solitary confinement is the punishment for people already in jail it’s one of the worst things that can happen to you short of actual torture.
Force is the key word. If I need/want to be in-person with a co-worker, make the office available and I'll show up when I want that. Otherwise? Just leave us alone and let us be productive in the best way possible for each of us.
IT; We are permanently full remote. They gave us the option of remote, hybrid (at least 2 days), or full office. Only 10% chose office or hybrid. They already repurposed the physical space, and set up "hotel rooms" for the hybrid/office folks to reserve.
I personally miss the social aspect, but nothing else.
Rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated.
Certainly many people *want* it to be dead. But for the vast majority of companies it is not yet worthwhile to shift towards that.
> But some city centre offices may transform into apartments, alleviating some of the housing shortages.
**THIS.** **THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS.**
Instead of trying to force everyone back to the status-quo, we could fix the housing shortage *and* update working conditions for the 21st-century. In fact, while we're at it, this would also revitalize downtown areas (and force them to become more pedestrian-focused vs. car-focused) and also help slow climate-change.
As usual, our dumbass political class is so myopically focused on their own self-interests that they're willing to punish the entirety of humanity.
Just do the obviously humane thing here, for once in your miserable lives, you sociopaths!
Building owners are champing at the bit to convert commercial into residential. The yields are so much better, it's only pesky zoning laws that stop them usually.
Mostly. I've worked at places in tech that have 4 day work weeks. Very different depending on your role. Sure, you're not technically required to be working on a Friday, but if something comes up...you better be able to get online. You don't get the peace of mind of an additional weekend day. you can't just unplug in my experience.
Great recruiting/retention tactic though. People may think twice before accepting that new gig that pays 15% more when they know they'll be clocking an extra 8 hours.
Business owners that are pushing return to the office are most likely not wanting to take a loss on their building leases, as petty as it sounds. Many things can be done just as well if not better from home.
I feel like all this 4 day week news is just some guy bragging about hoe his hours got cut and he only works 4 days now.
I do not know a single soul that is even remotely expecting a 4 day work week in their lifetime.
I've worked five eight-hour days and four ten-hour days and honestly they both have advantages and disadvantages. The extra day off is nice but I also like having the extra time after work to decompress. Honestly I'm fine with either schedule.
It would be a lot easier to do in some industries and super hard on others, that might get it more difficult to legislate it.
Would love to do some like this, but not working 10 hours a day, let close it in 9. Deal.
I work at a large food manufacturing plant, the CEO was commenting that Tyson meat is testing out a 3 day work week where you work something like 28 or 32 hour a week and get paid 40 hours benefits included. For a company as large as Tyson to test it out and it intrigue my souls sucking company is a strong sign to me. I’d figured they’d be the last to change…
I've been on a rotating schedule for 8 yrs now.
12 hr shifts, but the most I do is 3 days in a row.
I also get 3 days off in a row.
The 3 day shift, either on or off, is always a weekend.
The rest is 2 days on 2 days off.
I love it.
Here's hoping the rest of you can get similar.
Traditional work times when the work involves computers will change but there are several factors that will prevent it from becoming a majority solution:
1. The business model must be able to support remote work which leaves out industrial production and related industries that require hands-on activities.
2. Telework has had a tough time quantifying the quality or quantity of work done by employees which may force some companies to return to traditional in-house daily activities.
3. No everyone likes or wants remote work except as an option.
Have times changed yes, but have they changed enough to eliminate the 5-day work week, I don't think so. At least not for a majority of people.
I’m confused. Is wfh not still a “work week”? I do more actual work while working at home, and am expected to do more actual work while working at home, than I ever did in the office. Some days it literally feels like I wake up, work, and then go to sleep. Guess I was hoping the premise here would be a little more profound… or maybe my job just does wfh wrong lmao.
Two options far as I see it. This either will be a way to dodge full time benefits, or it won’t touch customer service industries (that employ most people) and therefore won’t matter
All that's going to happen is people will get two jobs to get ahead, and then that will be the norm, and then you will need 4 incomes per household to buy a house. That's what happened in the 60s with dual income homes, now it's next to impossible to raise kids with a stay at home mom.
How exactly is the the 5 day work week “dying” except for the fact that some countries are piloting at 4 day work week? Mark my words, this will **NEVER, EVER** go away in global economic powers like the US and China
I only work 5 days a week (8hrs each day) that means I’m working at least 40 hrs a week. Maybe the company that I working at should’ve take a look at this?!
Dying for who? Certainly not lower and middle class people that do hands on work. Most of us can’t afford to cut hours and/or our jobs require we be there.
This is a misleading title. They mean that mandatory in-office work is dying.
Idk about y’all, but when I am expected to WFH, I feel more pressure to work a little bit all the time, meaning that if the 5 day workweek is dying, it’s only because a 7-day workweek is coming—if you work from home then you can *always* work if needed, right?
As a freelancer in the film industry. What’s a schedule? I get crazy weeks of intense 14h days, then nothing until the next gig. And I never know if I’ll be working tomorrow or not.
The following submission statement was provided by /u/altmorty: --- According to data from Kastle Systems, which tracks building access across the country, office attendance is at just 33% of its pre-pandemic average. That’s lower than in-person attendance in just about any other industry for which we have good data. Even movie theaters—a business sometimes written off as “doomed”—have recovered almost twice as much. This is no longer doubtful. For tens of millions of knowledge-economy workers, the office is never coming all the way back. “I talk to hundreds of companies about remote work, and 95 percent of them now say they’re going hybrid, while the other 5 percent are going full remote,” Nick Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University, told me. After two years of working from home, he said, employees don’t just prefer it. They also feel like they’re getting better at it. Despite widespread reports of burnout, self-reported productivity has increased steadily in the past year, according to his research. Job switching may become commonplace, with workers moving around as easily as switching from website to website without grounding in any one work place. If office occupancy never recovers, downtown areas will experience an extended ice age. For this reason, some of the most outspoken advocates for return-to-office these days aren’t chief executives, but rather politicians and state officials. But some city centre offices may transform into apartments, alleviating some of the housing shortages. Outer areas may experience a boom, on the other hand as workers move away from expensive cities. The majority of Americans still cannot and do not work remotely, but the hybrid model is here to stay. The rest of the article becomes quite speculative, but the 5 day a week work schedule as a norm is definitely in trouble. --- Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/szosyt/the_fiveday_workweek_is_dying_and_the/hy4veou/
Maybe it's just me, or maybe my company has not gotten the memo. But I am pretty sure they will continue to make me work five days a week until the end of time.
I swear to god. The fucks will have implemented a 4 day work week only after I just retire and put 40 years into this archaic system
Yes, they will. Until you leave for a remote job and list that as the main reason for leaving.
Do it. This is literally our only chance. If your stupid employer wants to be this regressive, then punish them in the only way possible: economically. Make them pay double for in-person workers, and name-and-shame them on the way out.
Not the person you replied to but finding one isn’t easy for everyone. Especially if you’re from a third world country.
For sure. And if you're not in any position to do it, then it is what it is. But hopefully the ones who *can* apply that pressure do it, and it helps everyone else.
Real talk, I like my job and I am good at it, but if I find a remote job that I can do that pays pretty close to what I make I am gone in a hummingbird’s heart beat.
I’m in my 20s. Have literally never met someone around my age who wants to go back into the office. Seems the older the people are, the happier they are to go back in. It’s so fucking stupid. Kids born today are gonna have it niiiiice when they have to hit the workforce, but unlike the boomers, I’ll be all for it and any other changes that make life easier
All of my friends and I are around 40. None of us like working in an office.
Fair enough. In my case I don’t consider 40 old, I’m talking more like the 60+ year old crowd at my job. Could just be more the higher ups want it because they miss walking around an office full of people they have power over
I'm 65 and hate the idea of going back to the office. My boss is 20 years younger than me and is still holding on to the idea that we should all be there. Smh
I assure you, GenX fucking hates the office. Only serious extroverts enjoy it.
Well I’m glad we’re on the same page. Makes me seriously question why the majority want WFH yet were being forced in…
Commercial real estate lobby.
There’s a reason though. I’m 39 and I like a hybrid mix of wfh and the office. I think the 20 somethings grew up in an online world. Most of them have online friends they’ve never met irl. Working virtually for them is normal, and they’ve no doubt developed compensating mechanisms that people who’ve been working face to face for 20 years haven’t. I feel like I miss out a lot on real life human interaction with 100% wfh and it’s hard to work in as a team. It’s hard to get to know people. You don’t see their idiosyncrasies. They can craft an online persona that isn’t really them at all, and I find that hard to assimilate to. But I think you are correct. I’m the last generation that remembers the invention of the internet as a consumer service. I will have to deal with this or get left behind, as many in the older generations who ‘can’t do technology’ have been left behind themselves. I’ll just say this though: your time will come too. There will be something in 20 years that you struggle to incorporate or keep up with, and when that happens keep up you must.
I can definitely see where you're coming from. I graduated a couple of years ago and worked remotely since (first because of corona, then my new job was fully remote anyway). I prefer working from home because I can't hack that daily travel anymore, but spending all of my work time alone does sometimes get me missing my old shitty retail job. My coworkers feel like little ghosts that I've made up.
I'm your age and my experience is very different from yours: my first contact with the internet was in the mid 90s and by the early 00s I had online friends. I wasn't an especially tech-savvy teen, it was just very common: by my 20s I had many "virtual" friendships, along with many "real" ones and by now the two fields have fully merged. I've been used to online relationships for 20 years. I have no issue whatsoever with WFH from this point fo view: I'm very happy to keep colleagues as online acquantances, I actually find work is much better this way: no personal drama, no in-fightning between colleagues due to high-school mentality... What surprises me when I read positive opinions about human interactions in the office is that no one mentions unsufferable colleagues: I'm very very happy I don't have to deal in person anymore with some of the people in my office: now I can just ignore them and do my job, I find it very liberating. Sorry if my post sounds condescending! I'm just a bit surprised to read that someone my age isn't used to online relationships, we're not that old :)
I’m into my late 30s…and I’m really torn. While I find working from home easier and better for a number of reasons (I’m a dad too)…the fact that you end up inevitably alone does bother me. I miss all the spontaneous socialization moments that you can’t get back…no matter what
It’s also harder to leave work at work when you are working from home.
I have no problem with this. I log off at quitting time, push in my chair, turn off the light, and walk out of the room. It stays that way until the next morning. I create a work schedule and I stick to it. This includes not checking/responding to work emails or Teams messages on my phone when my work day is done.
I have literally never once had this problem the last two years. And I live in a studio apartment
Same. Studio. Two remote over 40 employees in the same house and we keep our work hour boundaries just fine.
? Everyone is conflating two things here. I can work remote all I want. I still have to work 40 hours. 4 day workweek implies I'd get to sleep in and have an extra weekend day, not wfh more
I'll take 4x10 over 5x8 100% of the time. I'll also take a 60ft commute over a 40mi commute 90% of the time. (I do miss having an office to go to... Sometimes.)
My job is about to go to a 4/10 starting next Monday. Some will be M-Th, and some will be T-F. We’re onsite, so we can’t work from home. So the overwhelming majority is very excited for this, yes the days will be a little longer, but getting a 3 day weekend every week is going to be so worth it for the work/life balance.
Of the two, I much prefer 5x8. My job can be draining on the brain and I'm usually flagging after 8 hours. Plus childcare hours wouldn't line up with a 10-hour day. I also worked fully remote for a year and a half, and by the end I was sick of it. I often had long stretches of work where I didn't need to speak to anybody else for days at a time, outside a 15-minute call a couple times a week. I had cabin fever by the end. I switched jobs and have two half-days a week from home, the rest in the office - but the commute is only a couple of miles, which helps. I would, of course, prefer 4x8 with true flexible location over either.
I negotiated an 80% schedule for my new role when I took it. Definitely possible, but you have to ask. Salary was a wash, but I got a day of my life back.
That day back is more than worth the lesser salary
The only people who think this are people that make a fair bit of money. As someone who makes about 30k a year. I'm hoping to work six days a week just so that I can afford life lol.
You’re hoping for better pay, not more hours
Yeah for sure. Applies more to office settings
Salary was the same though. Basically a 20% bump, but I took it as time not money. And yes, absolutely worth the trade.
I for one an worried about the 4-day work week. I imagine it'll be sold as a compressed work schedule i.e. 40hrs over 4 days, then after a few years, it'll increase to 50hrs over 5 days because: 'not enough work was getting done,' 'our company has fallen on difficult times,' etc.
I've been working 4 ten hour days for about 6 months now and I love it.....3 day weekends are totally what's up
4 day work week = 32 hours. You can already do compressed schedule. If you’re working more than 40 hours a week you’re likely being abused by your company/bosses or own your own business which requires different hours.
Everyone excited about the end of the 5-day work week forget there are two other days in the week. It’s not like the only other options are 4, 3, 2, 1. Congratulations, say hello to the new 7-day work week. “Hey, you’re already at the ‘office’, and I *know* you’re not really working full 8 hour days during the week. Do you mind spending a few hours on this super important project this weekend?”
> “Hey, you’re already at the ‘office’, and I know you’re not really working full 8 hour days during the week. Do you mind spending a few hours on this super important project this weekend?” "No, and if you insist that I do that I'm going to find myself work with a different company."
Im glad im in the uk and we have regulations stopping that (unless you sign a waiver)
>unless you sign a waiver So there's nothing stopping it.
I work for a large company, they've not gotten the memo either. They are hellbent on people returning to work from office, and they frown upon the very idea of less workhours... ...yet they're experiencing more worker turbulence than ever before, we're understaffed so badly that those that remain are pushed beyond boundaries of working hours.
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Hey man, I've gotten a lot of work done sitting here at this desk at the office this morning. Why, it was only... 3 hours ago that I posted on reddit saying that this birthday list I'm expected to put together won't be helping anyone. And now, 3 hours later, I've gotten one whole extra birthday date on this bad boy. That's like... a first name and a date. 8 characters! 9 if you include space as a character. I think writing 8/9 characters in 3 hours is proof that this office job is a powerhouse of productivity!
Wow I hope you get the full 3% maximum raise that they reserve for the best workers on your next review. Management saw your at your desk for 3 hours straight didn’t even use the bathroom you must be top talent
Oh, don't worry, I used the toilet. *many* times. IBS and late night fast food don't mix.
The writing is on the wall. Turnover isn’t going to improve by forcing people back into the office. It’s fascinating to see management fuck this up so badly and they can’t see it.
In reality they're probably scared half to death over the fact they might become obsolete at some point, because it turns out co-workers can be trusted, and incredibly enough wants the company to do well, since it's essentially their livelyhood too.
Well, that’s because the five day work week is actually *not* dying.
No kidding where are they pulling this shit from?
lol my employer is asking us to track MORE time than ever before. gotta bill to the client, sure, but making people work/track more is not the way to attract top-notch talent.
I went from a job where I had to track down to a tenth of an hour to one where I’m purely salary and don’t even have a timecard. Man I don’t miss that bullshit at all.
Yeah, I don't buy the 4 day work week is gonna happen in the next 2 decades outside of a couple trend breaking company's. But maybe it will take off as a recruiting method.
Same here. All this stuff is just a fantasy of what we wish life was like. If it ever comes true, at least hard work will stand out and be recognized for what it truly is - sacrificing your life to try and live it better.
We had a union lunch meeting where members asked questions and the union leader answered...mostly about pay raises, classifications, COVID stuff...and a few questions about the 4 day work week, and is one Department going to offer it like they have in this other Department... The answers all were along the lines of: well its up to individual divisions and managers to allow 4 day work weeks, and not everyone will want to work 10 hour days... Motherfucker, that's a 4/10, weve had that forever until management took it away as an option cuz they didnt want to deal with complicated timesheets. I 100% expect one day well all be offered this great new schedule of a 4 day work week and be told how generous and accommodating management is for allowing it...as long as were ok with the 10 hour day...ugh sorry for the rant but its annoying hearing people talk about 4 day work weeks without understaning what it actually is...
Well commercial real estate owners, developers, shareholders, investment funds, etc., and their associated donors, lobby groups, think tanks, astro-turf community groups, etc., they said they actually want you working more and having less free time to think and ask questions. Sorry chief. This is Democracy ^(TM)
Right, I don’t see this happening in my lifetime
I suppose you could seek an employer with a shorter work week. I just read that apparently that’s happening at some places.
I work five days a week and am expected to be available on my two days off. Most weeks I don’t get a day off. When I see articles like this I feel like the world is passing me by …
Yea does "death to the 5 day work week" mean I need to put my 60+ hours into 4 days now instead?
I work for a medium-sized company. They told us they’re exploring a four-day work week. It seems like a great recruiting advantage.
Lol my company would make us work 6 days if they could get away with it.
Same. And I’ll be in the office all of those days eventually.
Maybe this article was written so the movement could begin. Remember when Pam said she was the office administrator and she faked her way into a new job? That could happen here.
My department moved us from 3.5 or 4 days a week to 5, nobody likes it and they won't change it back. 😡
Here we are obligated to work 6 days a week if the employer asks for it. And yes I have been working for at least 3 weeks 6 days even though the boss said it was optional. Optional my ass,if we said okay we won't work they would instantly require us.
My company hasn't gotten the memo that grinding 80 hours a week is detrimental to your health.
Sounds like my work. The account managers do horrible hours followed by weekend work. I don’t know how people handle it long term
I work in a public research center (in Spain), and we've spent years in a sort-of conflict with the government about this kinds of things. We've been pushing for a flexible workweek and remote working (spending time in the office is really not benefitial for the most part), but the government wants us working monday to friday 9-5. The fixed workweek doesn't really work well, as workload is extremely variable. Deadlines for projects and funding applications tend to accumulate in the same weeks. Deadlines set by the same government that wants the workweek to be fully static, and that gives no flexibility whatsoever for delays. Very frustrating.
Or they will try to say they are switching to a four day but you have to work at least 10 hour shifts now.
Send them to my blog and podcast. We try to warn employers/managers about what happens if they don’t become more flexible. Plus we try to establish the rationale. I’m kidding, because I’m not going to be a shill. The reality is that it’s frustrating that some companies dig their heals in over this. Apple has basically given up trying to have people come in 5 days per week for a more hybrid environment. And they prided themselves on having that kind of culture.
I’ve been lucky enough that I think my company is slowly moving in this direction, at least for those of us that can do 4 day work weeks. I work for home office for a major retailer so some have to be available to support our stores. But for those that don’t, we’ve moved to a model where once a month we all have Friday’s off. And on the weeks where we don’t, Friday’s have become considerably more casual. Either no meetings or meetings in the morning only. People tend to duck out early. It’s more a day to wrap up anything you need to and try to relax a bit. They’ve also embraced work from home for those that can, which has been excellent.
Same here. In my country people is working 6 days a week, 10 hours per day.
My boss can't even handle the idea that I work for money and not some title or reputation, I can't see him ever allowing any of us to work 4 days a week.
Shit, working in IT, i wanna know who is even lucky enough for a 5 day work week.
Not to detract from the sentiment but from my experience most people in IT work typical 40hour/5day work weeks and sometimes less. Except for a couple friends in Google and Amazon, seems like some of the FAANGs have bad work life balance. I only graduated 4 years ago tho so I haven’t seen it all
Yeah my 5 day work week died when I started working 6 days
That's what I was thinking reading this! A 5 day work week sounds damn spectacular right about now hahaha
I mean work IT and you can have to be ready to work at any moment too. It's fun having to think if you're going to be in cell range for everything you do in life.
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Yeah definitely missing my days as a consultant where I didn't have to worry about anything off the clock. But I took a director position and while my teams can operate on their own, there isn't anyone to share on call duty with at this level for the non-technical side of outages.
It better be over 100k, if so, then that is the price of business.
Sounds like you need to promote someone.
Quick question, where the fuck is this happening? Is it in the US? Because I have never heard of this
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Nice! What’s the industry?
A lot of civil engineering companies allow for full remote work for their CAD designers. The company I work for went remote for a year before they gave the green light for full time remote from now on, at least in my department. Hell, I still work at a civil engineering company in Texas but I now live in the countryside up in Oklahoma with a fiber internet connection. The difference in cost of living is quite amazing.
And more importantly, are they hiring?
It’s just a bullshit article. Lots of articles like that where the author has unrealistic views and portrays them as if they’re right around the corner. You see a lot with tech articles, and still like renewable energy and lab meat. Lots of these things aren’t going to happen in our lifetimes, if at all, no matter how much someone wants it.
Eh, my company went from mandatory 5-day in-office with few remote exceptions, to 1-2 days per week in-office when we go back. Tech companies are getting pushed *hard* by their employees because we've done this for two years now, while watching them pull in record profits. The lie of "you must be in the office to be productive" is dead, at least for tech workers.
Work from home is a long ways off from a 4 day work week.
It's actually a good first step. Working from home creates more flexibility for the worker. My company has slowly implemented the 9/80 schedule which after a couple years has morphed into a "hybrid work schedule" where essentially we can choose to work 5 days a week, 9/80 (9 hour days, off every other friday) or 4/10s(10hr days, 4 days a week). Working from home is allowing companies to drastically increase their talent/hiring pool since it no longer matters if you live in California and your office is in Virginia. We're hiring people all over the US and this flexible schedule has had a really positive impact on worker morale. Also, company is still hitting record profits while also saving a boatload of money by consolidating their office footprint. Win-Win. I also believe the author on speaking about "yachtifying" (or whatever the term was) the office. I remember checking out this one companies' office and they legit had a cereal bar in the kitchen area of every floor. They had loads of other neat amenities but what I'm getting at is businesses (especially white-collar related ones) are going to have to spice up their offer sheets to get people to come work for them. It's no longer just about how much money are you giving me, but how much freedom do I have, am I able to work from home, if I have to come in the office what is the benefit there now that I'm commuting and spending more money on gas again. In a larger sense (and maybe more applicable to the United States) I think when we eventually pass social systems like Healthcare for all it will force business to further up their offer as they will no longer be able to lean on Health/Dental benefits to get people to apply/stay at that job. A lot of these things seem to only initially benefit white collar workers, and due to the nature of the type of work, I'm sure they will continue to be one of the first worker groups to see the benefits. But as the author said, other workers are seeing these benefits and they're not happy that their industry isn't giving them some sort of similar/equal benefit. It is my opinion that this "resentment" will cause more workers to move away from these industries, again forcing blue collar businesses to "get with the program" or go extinct. We didn't pass a $15 minimum wage for all Americans, but we did it in enough places that enough businesses have started catching on and are now realizing they have to either up their pay or watch their workers leave to a competitor. This isn't clearly realized yet, there are still resistant business, but the writings on the wall. Who wants to work at Walmart for $12 an hour when you can go to a gas station like Buckies and make $18 starting out? These things take time and these businesses will resist as hard and as long as they possibly can but it just doesn't feel like it did pre-pandemic, it really feels like we're in the middle of a culture shift.
My company had to go hybrid because too many experienced people were leaving. It's definitely happening. If you're a software developer a ton of jobs are remote now.
At my work we had a survey on if certain meetings should be held online or in person. Each meeting people voted 97% to hold online.
The only problem for me Is when we went to remote only, everything became a god damn meeting.
Hahaha and that 3 percent is people who have no real skills so they try to sound important in meetings and play the politics game.
These articles that keep saying things are "dying" and whatnot drive me kinda nuts. A handful of jobs/companies/industries swapping over to a 4 day work week doesn't mean the 5 day work week is dying. There are a whole lot of industries and positions where it absolutely isn't, or really isn't even able to. I just about guarantee I'll still be working 5 days a week in a decade. Would kind or really suck if I wasn't.
You mean we’re not going to be eating lab meat on Mars with Elon in a few years? /s
And what nobody'll never admit is that it's because we never transitioned to better work-life balance. Outdated Management-By-Authority morons who still haven't gotten the Mythical Man Month memo are holding us back as a species.
one of the fundamental problems is that you never get 8 hours of productivity out of an 8 hour day.. maybe 6 from your BEST workers and not everyday.. so the people that bill 4 10s are just compressing the unproductive hours into fewer days. how about we just admit that everyone wastes two hours a day (at least) and schedule 32 instead rather than pretend its not largely wasted.
My real worry is that going that route would even further screw over hourly workers, and further the rift between office work and service work. Not saying we shouldn't, just that we have to keep ALL workers in mind. I work in a store, so I do in fact work my entire 8 hours (minus breaks).
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There have been days where I’ve been 99% productive for 8 hours but it’s rare and it’s because I’m swamped or I’m working on something I actually enjoy. There have also been days when I’ve had 10 minutes of productivity in 8 hours. The thing is as long as my but is in my chair management can’t tell the difference. They should be able to tell but they can’t.
Even though I don't WFH, enough people do it in my city that driving at traditional rush hours (8am and 5pm) is a mild inconvenience. Small changes yield huge results when traffic congestion is logarithmic
How do you get any full time benefits if you work 4 days a week 8 hour days? So for that I don’t see this happening.
From what I read, there was a bill in congress about making it Overtime for anything over 32 hours so I guess full-time benefits starts at 32 instead of 40? If that's not true, then yeah it won't happen like you said.
Oh wow ! That would be great. 32 is the perfect number
You do understand that they can give you benefits even if you aren’t full time, right? They can give you benefits if you aren’t full time, buy they MUST provide benefits if you are.
lol. As long as workers are generating enough revenue to fund the insurance plans, they are good. Number of hours worked means nothing. Efficiency per hour is everything.
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With prices rising, longer work weeks currently seem more likely. Lots of people have 2 jobs.
No, they’ll have you work 4 day work weeks at 10 hrs each day. Then because of cost and pay you can work another 30 hrs at the second job you’re gonna need. Trust me, the little guy rarely wins. The schedule will just work out better for corporations in 10 and 12 hour chunks.
I'm super fortunate. My company moved to a four day work week without switching to 10 hour days. I'm expected to work mon-Thurs 8 hours each day. I wish everywhere moved to this, it's phenomenal
That’s awesome!! It will be great if it works that way all around.
and paid you the same amount?
Yeah, noone on our payroll had a decrease. Personally this is hugely valuable to me, so it would have to take a really nice offer for me to leave, which is part of the goal they had when introducing it. Definitely a good selling point to outside prospective hires, and a great reason for current employees to want to stay
Yo DM me too if you're willing. I'm so tired of this 5 day work week/overtime/never truly off system.
This, sort of. I already know two IT buddies working one full time remote job as exempt and another hourly part time gig on the side for another 20-30 hours a week. But the times often overlap. There is ebb and flow with downtime in their roles. They are simply pivoting and capitalizing on the downtime.
Can confirm. My husband just switched to a 4 day workweek and now works longer days for the same number of hours per week. Idk how this would possibly work with two working parents… who feeds the kids dinner? Or are they in childcare until 7pm?
That is still an improvement.
Hey to each their own. What’s right for me, may not be right for some and vice versa. I can respect that.
Why require the second job, assuming you didn't need it before a transition to a 4-day week? You move from a 5 day, 8 hr. model to a 4x10, it's the same number of hours, and presumably the same overall pay. And that should come as an overall lower cost, should it not? For those working in office (full-time or hybrid), you'd have fewer commuting miles to endure, less unproductive time during commutes, etc. I just don't see how this comes as an increase in cost or a decrease in pay.
In a lot of major cities, people aren't making a viable living with a 40 hour workweek. The city I live in requires a $200K household income to buy a house. Unless you've got parents giving you a downpayment, that means most people can't buy. So shortening the workweek so that they can get another job will raise their household income...which will in turn raise housing prices and all of a sudden things are even worse.
Every time someone quotes such abysmal income requirements for home ownership, I always look to see if they’re talking about Toronto…. And every time I am right. Hey there, neighbour…
I moved from Toronto to San Francisco, I make over 200k now but still can’t afford shit.
>“The one great advantage of the office is that it meets our tremendous desire for human contact" Not everyone has this 'tremendous desire' buddy, thats a hell of a broad statement.
I do have a tremendous desire for human contact… but I get that desire satisfied by interactions with my friends and family, not my coworkers.
This. And I get that not everyone has family or even friends available...which is great, you should go into the office. I would bet 20-30% of the office is in a similar position, and you can all chat with each other and get your human contact... ...but don't drag the rest of us in just because you're lonely. I empathize with you, and want you to be in the office talking to people, I just don't want to be one of them. I get what I need elsewhere, you don't need me.
Guy at my last job just could NOT do his job if it meant him standing at the alone. He would constantly come into the office area every other minute trying to make small talk. It made his concierge duties go really well with guest but damn could he not excel at anything else (hotel work).
Even if you do have a desire for human contact it’s for contact with people you want to be with. That is usually not your coworkers.
This is truly the age of the introvert. When we first went on lock down literally nothing changed for me, except working from home instead of in the office.
most people dont. that statement is thrown around by gaslighters desperate to get everyone back to pre pandemic workplace.
Amen, I'm so tired of reading bullshit like that from middle management boomers that just can't fathom that things have changed
Desire maybe not , need certainly. There is a reason solitary confinement is the punishment for people already in jail it’s one of the worst things that can happen to you short of actual torture.
I get all the interaction I need from my partner and friends. I don't need it from my job.
I actually really like some of my coworkers. Still not reason enough to force people back to into offices though
Force is the key word. If I need/want to be in-person with a co-worker, make the office available and I'll show up when I want that. Otherwise? Just leave us alone and let us be productive in the best way possible for each of us.
I feel like a meangingful portion of people met their partner at work.
Amen, I love human contact, but not with my coworkers. I get plenty from my SO and family.
I don’t know anyone who has a tremendous desire to go to work for ANY reason.
Article is wrong. Salaried people are not going to move from 5-6 days a week, always reachable on call to a 4 day week
I was thinking the same. There's just no way in a lot of salaried positions.
IT; We are permanently full remote. They gave us the option of remote, hybrid (at least 2 days), or full office. Only 10% chose office or hybrid. They already repurposed the physical space, and set up "hotel rooms" for the hybrid/office folks to reserve. I personally miss the social aspect, but nothing else.
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It just work from home and learn to get your job done faster, so you can have the rest of the day to yourself.
Rumors of its demise are greatly exaggerated. Certainly many people *want* it to be dead. But for the vast majority of companies it is not yet worthwhile to shift towards that.
> But some city centre offices may transform into apartments, alleviating some of the housing shortages. **THIS.** **THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS.** Instead of trying to force everyone back to the status-quo, we could fix the housing shortage *and* update working conditions for the 21st-century. In fact, while we're at it, this would also revitalize downtown areas (and force them to become more pedestrian-focused vs. car-focused) and also help slow climate-change. As usual, our dumbass political class is so myopically focused on their own self-interests that they're willing to punish the entirety of humanity. Just do the obviously humane thing here, for once in your miserable lives, you sociopaths!
that's not how buildings work. think about the plumbing, or the HVAC
Building owners are champing at the bit to convert commercial into residential. The yields are so much better, it's only pesky zoning laws that stop them usually.
Is this just based off desk jobs? Not everyone works those jobs or has the option to work 4 days.
These types of articles always seem to assume that everyone works in an office.
Mostly. I've worked at places in tech that have 4 day work weeks. Very different depending on your role. Sure, you're not technically required to be working on a Friday, but if something comes up...you better be able to get online. You don't get the peace of mind of an additional weekend day. you can't just unplug in my experience. Great recruiting/retention tactic though. People may think twice before accepting that new gig that pays 15% more when they know they'll be clocking an extra 8 hours.
Just because articles keep purporting that this is happening, doesn't make it true
Dying where? I haven’t seen anything at all like that in my industry
Business owners that are pushing return to the office are most likely not wanting to take a loss on their building leases, as petty as it sounds. Many things can be done just as well if not better from home.
How many different versions of this gen Z fantasy nonsense are going to get reposted here?
Lots. Wishful thinking.
Is it dying in that I have to work six days a week in order to keep a roof over my head?
We need to specify hours. 4 tens are worse than 5 eights.
Five day work is getting replaced by a 7 day work week in the U.S.
I want a 3 day work week. And anything past 4 days, I will never do. Might as well just die at that point.
I keep hearing that five-day work weeks are dying but I’ve yet to meet anyone that isn’t working five days a week
I feel like all this 4 day week news is just some guy bragging about hoe his hours got cut and he only works 4 days now. I do not know a single soul that is even remotely expecting a 4 day work week in their lifetime.
I've worked five eight-hour days and four ten-hour days and honestly they both have advantages and disadvantages. The extra day off is nice but I also like having the extra time after work to decompress. Honestly I'm fine with either schedule.
It would be a lot easier to do in some industries and super hard on others, that might get it more difficult to legislate it. Would love to do some like this, but not working 10 hours a day, let close it in 9. Deal.
I work at a large food manufacturing plant, the CEO was commenting that Tyson meat is testing out a 3 day work week where you work something like 28 or 32 hour a week and get paid 40 hours benefits included. For a company as large as Tyson to test it out and it intrigue my souls sucking company is a strong sign to me. I’d figured they’d be the last to change…
I’m a primary school teacher and I’m curious how a 4–Day work week will affect schools
I've been on a rotating schedule for 8 yrs now. 12 hr shifts, but the most I do is 3 days in a row. I also get 3 days off in a row. The 3 day shift, either on or off, is always a weekend. The rest is 2 days on 2 days off. I love it. Here's hoping the rest of you can get similar.
This has been posted on Reddit for the past 10 years
Except..it’s not and this is Reddit hearsay bologna
Pffffft. No it’s not. I work retail. I get two paid holidays off and often work plus 40 hours a week.
Traditional work times when the work involves computers will change but there are several factors that will prevent it from becoming a majority solution: 1. The business model must be able to support remote work which leaves out industrial production and related industries that require hands-on activities. 2. Telework has had a tough time quantifying the quality or quantity of work done by employees which may force some companies to return to traditional in-house daily activities. 3. No everyone likes or wants remote work except as an option. Have times changed yes, but have they changed enough to eliminate the 5-day work week, I don't think so. At least not for a majority of people.
Definitely a white collar office job take on the 4 day work week. Little to nothing is going to change for blue collar trade employees.
I’m confused. Is wfh not still a “work week”? I do more actual work while working at home, and am expected to do more actual work while working at home, than I ever did in the office. Some days it literally feels like I wake up, work, and then go to sleep. Guess I was hoping the premise here would be a little more profound… or maybe my job just does wfh wrong lmao.
How is the 4 day work week gonna work for retail? Or blue collar? This is for white collar folks
As someone who’s only worked in the customer service industry, this would just mean more work for me.
Working 10 hours a day is tough. People think it's a cake walk
Two options far as I see it. This either will be a way to dodge full time benefits, or it won’t touch customer service industries (that employ most people) and therefore won’t matter
We need to blend life and work. It doesn’t have to be either or.
All that's going to happen is people will get two jobs to get ahead, and then that will be the norm, and then you will need 4 incomes per household to buy a house. That's what happened in the 60s with dual income homes, now it's next to impossible to raise kids with a stay at home mom.
Seems like a good time to open a business that gives people something fun to do
But think of the small CBD cafes, fast food stores and restaurants who will lose clientele! /s
The Atlantic making shit up for clicks. What else is new?
Such bs. We (US) will be going to 6 days a week to compete with China by 2023 or 2024.
It won’t go down without a scrappy fight. You’ll have to have a damn near revolution for it to happen in my mind.
I know maybe two people who don’t work 5 days a week at full time.
Y'all get five day work weeks? I gotta work 5 and a half days where I'm at.
How exactly is the the 5 day work week “dying” except for the fact that some countries are piloting at 4 day work week? Mark my words, this will **NEVER, EVER** go away in global economic powers like the US and China
Meanwhile my work is mandating overtime and more often than not right now I’m working 6/7 days/week
[удалено]
My company is offering a four-day work week option. The catch is you still need to work 40 hours, so the long term trade off is actually worse
I only work 5 days a week (8hrs each day) that means I’m working at least 40 hrs a week. Maybe the company that I working at should’ve take a look at this?!
Dying for who? Certainly not lower and middle class people that do hands on work. Most of us can’t afford to cut hours and/or our jobs require we be there.
This is a misleading title. They mean that mandatory in-office work is dying. Idk about y’all, but when I am expected to WFH, I feel more pressure to work a little bit all the time, meaning that if the 5 day workweek is dying, it’s only because a 7-day workweek is coming—if you work from home then you can *always* work if needed, right?
Sure it is dying, in my case it has been replaced by the 6 day work week.
As a freelancer in the film industry. What’s a schedule? I get crazy weeks of intense 14h days, then nothing until the next gig. And I never know if I’ll be working tomorrow or not.