: "Advantages and disadvantages of four-day week
: Summary of an article entitled 'Four-Day Workweek' by Gilbert Fuchsberg in The Wall Street Journal (Aug 3rd '94) monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.
: About one quarter of American large companies now offer or require a four-day schedule for at least some of their workers (ten-hour shifts four days a week for the same pay). According to a Gallup survey, two-thirds of working adults would prefer this shorter work week. Some of the advantages and disadvantages, from the perspective of both the employees and employers, are as follows:

:
: Advantages
: - 52 extra days off a year to do whatever the worker wants;
: - Less absenteeism as employees have less need to miss work for doctor's visits and other obligations;
: - Employers can save on energy, custodial and security costs;
: - A reduction in exhaust emissions from commuter cars.

: Disadvantages
: - Stress of juggling ten-hour days and childcare; to get to work on time employees may need to leave before their children are awake;
: - Repetitive strain injuries are a fear;
: - Some managers feel deprived of quiet time and so are forced to come in on Fridays anyway;
: - Customers may complain if staff are absent.
: Some companies, particularly in Europe, are minimising redundancies by simply slicing a day from everyone's workweek, cutting total hours but also cutting wages by 20%.