The Four Day Work Week: Sixteen Reasons Why This Might Be an Idea Whose Time Has Come
Posted by Prof. Goose on September 20, 2007 - 10:00am
Topic: Environment/Sustainability
Tags: automobile, climate change, commuting, conservation, driving, emissions, fair labor, four day, labor, oil, oil imports, oil prices, original, pollution, shortened work week, traffic congestion, vmt, work, work week [list all tags]
This is a guest post by Aaron Newton, who is working with coauthor Sharon Astyk on the forthcoming book, A Nation of Farmers. Aaron contributes at Groovy Green; he also blogs at Powering Down. Aaron is a land planner and garden farmer in suburban North Carolina, seeking ways to transform the current course of human land use development in an effort to prepare for the effects of global oil production peak and its outcome on automotive suburban America.
The notion of our standard work week here in America has remained largely the same since 1938. That was the year the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed, standardizing the eight hour work day and the 40 hour work week. Each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday workers all over the country wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast and go to work. But the notion that the majority of the workforce should keep these hours is based on nothing more than an idea put forth but the Federal government almost 70 years ago. To be sure it was an improvement in the lives of many Americans who were at the time forced to work 10+ hours a day, sometimes 6 days of the week. So a 40 hour work week was seen as an upgrade in the lives of many of U.S. citizens. 8 is a nice round number; one third of each 24 hour day. In theory it leaves 8 hours for sleep and 8 hours for other activities like eating, bathing, raising children and enjoying life. But the notion that we should work for 5 of these days in a row before taking 2 for ourselves is, as best I can tell, rather arbitrary.
The idea of a shorter work week is not a new one to anyone old enough to have lived through the energy shocks of the 1970's. It should be fairly obvious to anyone interested in conserving oil that reducing the number of daily commutes per week would reduce the overall demand for oil. There are about 133 million workers in America. Around 80% of them get to work by driving alone in a car. The average commute covers about 16 miles each way.
So let's stop and do some math...and I'll try to argue for 16 reasons why a four day work week is a good idea.
The math, as I see it, goes as thus (I welcome a discussion of these numbers, by the way...):
133,000,000 workers X 80% who drive alone = 106,400,000 single driver commuter cars each day.
106,400,000 X 32 miles round trip = 3,404,800,000 miles driven to work each day
3,404,800,000 / 21 mpg (average fuel efficiency) = 162,133,333 gallons of gasoline each day
Each barrel of crude oil produces, on average, 19.5 gallons of gas. (It is important to note that other products like kerosene and asphalt are produced from that same barrel.)
162,133,333 / 19.5 = 8,314,530 barrels of oil each day.
What this shows is Reason #1; the impact a 4 day work week could have on crude oil imports. I'm talking about a 10-20% and even perhaps a 40% reduction in the amount of oil we need Monday through Friday simply by rearranging our work week. No wonder this idea was utilized in the 70's.
But the clear fact that a 4 day work week would save such a precious non-renewable resource is just the first of 16 reasons why I think it's time to revive the idea of reducing the numbers of days we work each week.
Reason #2 The 4 Day Work Week would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants.
As you pull out of your driveway on your way to work your automobile has already begun to emit Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Hydrocarbons, Ozone, particulates, Lead and Chlorofluorcarbons. Some of these compounds are responsible for the greenhouse effect that is warming our planet and throwing our global climate system into increasing instability. Others of them contribute to air pollution that causes everything from dramatically rising rates of childhood asthma to cancers, heart disease and respiratory illnesses. Sometimes I drive to work too, so don't think the whole thing is your fault. But it's true that we're playing fast and loose with our ecosystem and poisoning ourselves with our autos. 60-70% of urban air pollution is caused by cars. Taking 20% of them off the roads during the most heavily traveled time of the day would obviously reduce the overall amount of pollutants produced by our autos. And this is key, if a worker transitions to a 4 Day Work Week and then spends all day off driving around when he or she would have be at work, then the savings in terms of fuel and pollution will be lost. This is not a plan to provide everyone with more time to drive around but a plan to bring people back into their homes and their local communities. It's an effort to give them more time with family, more time to exercise, more time to write the great American novel or learn to keep bees, or get another degree, or start a garden.
Reason #3 The 4 Day Work Week would reduce workers exposure to pollutants.
A recent study by the California EPA says "50% of a person's daily exposure to ultra fine particles (the particles linked to cardiovascular disease and respiratory illnesses) can occur during a commute." A report by the Clean Air Task Force in 2007 found diesel particle levels were between 4 to 8 times higher in commute vehicles than in the surrounding air. It makes sense when you think about it. The pollution coming from the tailpipe of a vehicle is mostly likely to affect you while you're sitting directly behind it, especially if you're stuck in slow moving traffic where the concentrations of such particles can build up.
Reason #4 The 4 Day Work Week would mean less traffic congestion.
Rush hour exists because everyone needs to get to work at about the same time. Anyone who's lived in a city of size can tell you that early in the morning and late in the afternoon the roads fill up. The average 16 mile commutes takes 26 minutes each way. That's 52 minutes a day traveling at roughly 35 miles per hour. Imagine if 1/5 of the cars suddenly disappeared? If the work week was staggered so that 1/5 of all workers took a different day off, the U.S. commuter would see a 20% reduction in rush hour congestion without building a single new road. Which leads nicely to the next reason:
Reason #5 The 4 Day Work Week would reduce money spent on new road construction and existing road maintenance.
With 1/5 few cars making the commute each day, fewer new road projects would be necessary and existing roads would last longer with less maintenance. This is not to say that we shouldn't take advantage of this cost savings to invest in alternative transportation systems. In fact it's the opposite. This could be a gift to the tax payer who would receive new and better options for travel without any rise in taxes.
Reason #6 The 4 Day Work Week would result in a reduction in personal expenses.
From www.ridetowork.org,
"2002 annual household private vehicle expense is $7,371. This is divided into $3,665 for vehicle purchases, $1,235 for gas and oil and $2,471 for insurance and misc."
If workers used their cars 20% less often to drive to work, they would see a reduction in the frequency of oil changes, tune ups and the purchase of new tires just to name a few savings. The above numbers also reflect the price of gasoline in 2002. We all know it has increase since then and will continue to increase now that global oil production has peaked. Remember those 162,133,333 gallons of gas we're going to save?
162,133,333 X $2.75 per gallon = $445,866,665.00
This would save US workers a lot of money! And because our cars would be driven less frequently, they wouldn't need to be replaced as often. That's not to say that would shouldn't try to replace inefficient older cars with more efficient new ones, but this could give the auto manufactures time to wake up to the global peak in oil production and make changes in the types of vehicles they offer. It could also give communities time to respond with planning strategies that favor other types of transportation including walking, biking and mass transit.
Reason #7 The 4 Day Work Week would mean fewer auto accidents each year.
I don't have statistics on the number of automobile related deaths and injuries that occur specifically during rush hour but almost every radio station on the dial offers a regular update of car crashes throughout each morning and evening commute. It seems safe to assume that fewer cars on the road during those periods of time would result in fewer accidents and the injuries that result from them.
Reason #8 The 4 Day Work Week would mean less time spent in VSC or Voluntary Solitary Confinement
Now some people tell me the time they spend alone in their car is relaxing. Personally I think if that's true then what those people are really enjoying is time alone on uncongested roads. Rush hour on a busy street is not relaxing. Personal time away from other people can be a positive experience. But we don't have to spend our time alone in a metal box burning nonrenewable resources that heat the planet. If less time was spent commuting each week, people would have more time for themselves to enjoy, even if they wanted to enjoy that time alone. It seems to me that as a nation we are experiencing an epidemic of disconnect. Ever see those people early in the morning on their way to work at 6:30am talking on their cell phones? Just who are they talking to? Maybe some of them are already working (before even arriving at work) but I bet many of them are talking to other friends and family who are, quite possibly, out in traffic too. How many of you have ever made a cell phone call because you were bored or lonely in your car? I have friends who will call me and announce that's what they're doing, calling me to get some company. The car is an insulator that keeps us from interacting and as naturally social creatures this isn't a good practice. Less time spent in cars can mean more time spent with other human beings living life.
Reason #9 The 4 Day Work Week would mean a reduction in absenteeism
A recent survey found that 43% of respondents admitted to playing hooky last year. That is they stayed home from work even though they weren't sick. Another day scheduled during the week to address the needs and wants of workers would give people more time to complete all sorts of activities. It could keep them from taking their own day off. It could also give people a day to schedule appointments like medical, dental, tax, attorney or other. A Four Day Work Week would mean fewer random interruptions when workers must leave the office to take care of these matters. Even the occasional summer day spent hiking with a child sounds like a good national exercise to me.
Reason #10 The 4 Day Work Week would increase productivity
Yes I said "increase productivity."
In 1930 famed cereal maker W.K. Kellog had this to say about his decision to decrease his companies work week from 40 to 30 hours.
The efficiency and morale of our employees is so increased, the accident and insurance rates are so improved, and the unit cost of production is so lowered that we can afford to pay as much for six hours as we formerly paid for eight.
Peak oil and climate change could make for turbulent business waters ahead. This country needs more business leaders willing to navigate these waters not by burdening their workforce with limitations or restrictions but with a willingness to try new strategies. Ideas such as this one should be strongly considered by corporate America or maybe it's time for the Federal government to revisit this issue through law. New ways of working really could benefit both businesses and employees. It's important in the time ahead not to simply saddle the workers of America with the rising costs of energy and ecological destruction.
There are lots options concerning the number of hours a 4 Day Work Week could contain. Employees could work 10 hours a day and keep a 40 hour work week. Or they could simply eliminate an entire day and drop down to a 32 hour work week. In between is the idea of working 4 days a week, 9 hours a day. But regardless of how many hours people work, the important part to remember is that most tasks are going to get accomplished each week just as they did before. A recent survey by salary.com of over 10,000 American workers revealed that on average, we waste more than 2 hours each day surfing the web or making phone calls to friends. Might these distractions be activities that workers must be willing to trade for an entire extra day off to spend surfing on the Internet? I say that tongue in cheek as there are better ways to spend your new day off but the point is that the inbox is never empty and that important tasks could probably be completed in a shorter work week if time spent at work was all about work. A shorter work week would sharpen this focus and make the workplace more productive.
Reason #11 The 4 Day Work Week would give us more time for family
60% of Americans say they do not have enough time for family. To be sure we could change that statement to read, make time for family, because time is after all what you make it. It's important to note that we work more hours than any other nation on the planet. But why? Why do we work? I think this question is at the heart of support for a shorter work week. We work so we can support our families right? But is more money and the always increasing amount of stuff that money buys really supporting our families? We have to pay bills but would your son rather have you at home or have a new flat screen television? 7 out of 10 teenage pregnancies are conceived at the home of the young girl between the hours of 3pm and 5pm. It is my view that what might be in my daughter's best interest isn't me working 50 hours a week so I can buy her a sweet sixteen car. It might be spending more time at home with my daughter talking to her about her future. A shorter work week would give this nation an opportunity to spend more time at home with our families.
Reason #12 The 4 Day Work Week would decrease labor costs
Long work hours increase the worker turnover rate which leads to more money spent on acquiring and training new employees. Employees who have almost as many days to spend on their own as days they spend working will be much happier and more loyal. These are employees who will work harder and stay longer at any given company.
Reason #13 The 4 Day Work Week would decrease operational costs
Depending on just how a company chooses to structure its 4 Day Work Week, any number of operational costs could be reduced. The energy savings from the climate control of unoccupied buildings could be enormous. Fewer security or maintenance issues could result from having a smaller number of people in the office each day. A shorter work week could mean more infrequent cleanings and less information technology service calls.
Reason #14 The 4 Day Work Week would mean a reduction in the cost of childcare
If a two parent household were to switch to a 4 Day Work Week then their childcare costs could be reduced by 40%. Childcare ranges in cost depending on the type care and the specific location in which a worker lives. Estimates range from $3,000 to $15,000 annually per child. A family spending $5,000 who could reduce the number of days their child is in care from 5 days to 3 could save $2,000 a year. This also means more of the child's time spent with parents which fosters stronger families. It is important to note here that childcare that exceeds the normal 8 hour work day is more expensive. If both parents switched to 10 hour work days their childcare costs might not decrease.
Reason #15 The 4 Day Work Week would provide time for a transition into the informal economy
There are a lot of reasons why consumer culture is bad for us. It focuses not on people and their relationships to one another but instead on things, on stuff, on cheap plastic crap from Mal-Wart. It's worth pointing out that not only is our habit of consuming mass quantities of junk toxifying our lives and our environment with all sorts of chemicals and pollution, it's also using up a number of nonrenewable resources at an alarming rate. It seems reasonable to assume that we can't continue on this ride of infinite growth for a whole lot longer. The coming era will be one of a decline in the availability of all sorts of resources we take for granted right now. Learning how to reshape and relocalize our lives will be an immense effort for both communities and the individuals living in them. Having an extra day each week to begin this process could prove invaluable. Need time to learn how to cook or garden? Have you always wanted to start a new cottage industry business from home? Maybe you'd like to be more activity in volunteer efforts in your community to address peak oil and climate change. This extra day could be our ticket as a nation to scaling back on our consumption while we reconnect to local life.
Reason #16 The 4 Day Work Week feels great!
I write this proposal not as an academic making a theoretical suggestion but as a participant in the new 4 Day Work Week movement. At the beginning of 2007 I renegotiated my contract with my employer and started staying home on Fridays. I now have more than a two day speed bump on the highway of American employment. I get to enjoy almost as many days at home each week as I spend working at my job. And it feels wonderful. Since making the change I have even taken a new job and was still able to continue with my shorter work week. 25% of U.S. companies already have some sort of policy towards alternative work schedules.
Telecommuting, cell phones and the Internet are just some of the other tools that can offer more flexibility to the outdated idea that we should all be at the office from 8 to 5 on Monday through Friday. I can tell you from experience that this feels great. I am able to spend time on projects that are important to me. I get to see my young daughter more. Lately it's been a Friday bike ride together. And I have a chance to share my ideas with more time to write proposals like this one.
Changes require action. Our nation is at a point where we need change. Not politicians talking about change but an actual change in the way we live our lives. The 4 Day Work Week could be a catalyst for a change from a nation that lives to work into a nation that works to live. Come join me won't you?
Ten hour workdays tend to lead to fatigue and lower productivity for many.
I think a 9 hour work week with alternating three day weekends would be a good compromise. The extra half hour/week would help make up for lost productivity to the employers.
Alan
IME, you are correct. I would not be in favor of a 4-day work week if it was still 40 hours a week. Ten hours is too much.
We used to have "summer flex time" in our office. You could have any schedule you wanted for the summer, as long as you submitted it to the boss at the beginning of the summer, so others knew when they could expect you to be in. One summer, I went for a four-day work week, and regretted it. Ten hours a day was very dreary and exhausting.
The next summer, I went with alternate Fridays off, which was better. But most people ended up taking alternate Friday afternoons off, because even nine days a week resulted in work days that were too long.
I suppose it would be different for different types of jobs. At least in WA and AK, it's common for low-skilled industrial workers to work sixty and sometimes seasonal eighty-hour weeks. You get paid overtime for anything above forty.The added overtime would make these jobs more appealing.
Wimps. No wonder America is going down the tubes.
Try 5x12 hours at night.
Go for the Gusto!
7x12 hours. Three weeks on, three weeks off.
The only guys I knew who did that worked in the marine industry out on the ships. That you?
In a prior life I worked marine SAR and this was 7x12, two on, two off. It was a great schedule for a young person and I sometimes kick myself for leaving it. But the government kept cutting the budget. A floating combo firetruck, ambulance, and towtruck was one thing; a floating hearse was something else again.
The standard rotation in the offshore industry is 7x12 3 on, 3 off. My "rotation" was phone call at 0200, call up a helicopter and out to the rig until whenever.
I did that packaging granola bars 7pm to 7am. Good times.
As a resident physician I regularly worked 36 to 38 hour shifts and 100 to 110 hours per week. Often I would get at least a couple hours of sleep but I recall having twelve 36+ hour shifts (in the ICU or CCU) where I did not even see the call room let alone get any sleep. This was every 4th night call. So work schedule was 36 hours on/ 12 off/ 12 on /12 off/ 12 on / 12 off/ 36 on. It did cut down on the commute a little I suppose bc/ every 4th day you just skipped one trip home and back. And to think the lives of very sick people on life support were in my weary hands!
When I was in med school, the surgery program there had an ICU rotation for the interns where they were on call every other night so it was basically 38 hours on/ 10 off/ 38 hour on... Most of these people were from out of town and had family come into town to live at their apt. or hired people to take care of their affairs for the month.
Now residencies theoretically limit hours to no more than 80 per week and not more than 30 hours straight.
Flexibility is the key. One size does not fit all.
I worked a Mon 13, Tue 13, Thur 14 for a while and it was a great schedule. My job was 'white collar', not sure that I would want to work days that long if I were in construction, but....
After most folks went home at 5 I was able to be much more productive. The phone wasn't ringing, people weren't stopping by the office to shoot the breeze....
Had Wednesday to get the chores done and a three day weekend every week.
--
One place that a 3 or 4 day would really improve things is here in the mountains where the Cal Trans crews come out to work on the roads.
They work an 8 hour day. It's about 10am by the time they load up and drive to the site, 10:30 by the time they get the flag stops set up.
They break at 12:00 for lunch. And start packing up to go home about 3:30.
Roughly four hours of paid "work" time on the road each day. One hour setting up, taking down.
Leaves three hours for work. (Fifteen hours out of forty.)
One less work day would add four hours of productivity.
I've worked odd hours sometimes. Some things I loved, some things I didn't. I used to work a night shift at a deli. It was nice to do my shopping at 2 am when there were no crowds around, and to have the days free. OTOH, it was a real drag on my social life, since all my friends socialized in the evenings, while I was at work.
I sometimes work evenings and weekends, and I like the peace of a quiet office. But there are drawbacks. If the network goes down, there's no one to fix it. And the building is often physically uncomfortable, since they turn off the heat/air conditioning outside regular work hours. There are also security issues, like the superior with a drinking problem came in late in order to grope me, knowing I would be alone.
How long is a "ten-hour-day" when you add on an unpaid lunch (lunch is not required to be compensated under Federal Law) and commute times? 11 hours? 12?
This is a terrible idea for lots of workers, especially parents, and laborers, and the physically weakend.
Goose, do you ride? I started at age 11, and 27 years later, I'm still at it. (current ride - '03 BMW R1150GS)
absolutely, damac. I ride four days a week to school...it's absolutely liberating. I've not been in my car much at all lately other than for long-range travel.
I recommend it if it's viable for you, whether biking or scootering or something.
Of course, biking is best for you, but even the scooter, once you get used to it, it really is not that hard. Get some panniers/scooter storage though!
Been riding an Aprillia Scarabeo 50cc scoot ever since a friend in the oil industry said gas is going to the moon shortly. I get 90mpg and the insurance is 102.00 per year. cheap cheap cool down after working 12 on 2 off 8hr shfts.
OCB
Two of the last three companies I've worked for do that. They call it "the nine eighty work week".
The biggest obstacle against it in the other companies I've worked for is management's belief that their customers won't tolerate the plant being shut down every other Friday.
My company does that 4 9 hours days + 1 8 hour day one week, and then 4 9 hour days the next week. This was in response to a request by a local city to have employers get their employees to reduced commutes by 10%. I guess taking 10% of the days out of the picture is easier than trying to get people to carpool or ride public transit. Not all people do it though. People with kids cannot afford the extra hour for the daycare and some people find 9 hour days too long.
Why not a three day week? If we all moved near our jobs we could eliminate most automobile production and there goes a good 20% of labor needs not to mention traffic cops and over and over in the spiral of dubious necessities that we have become entitled to.
Social organisation is a necessity, but its form is arbitrary. Who will shoot the sacred cow? We're actually working a nine day week if you take into account all the labor done on our behalf in other countries so that we can cruise around in 'clown cars' selling real estate and financial instruments. If we actually made what we consume we wouldn't have the time to consume it!
Most important question is this: "What are we doing during the 40 hour, 5 day week to start with?" In other words, what is the Net Creative output of all the time we spend driving around to jobs to pay for cars to drive around?
We can argue about a percentage here or there, and the means of transport, but the bottom line is to ask if what we do every day is contributing more to the world than the resources we burn up doing it.
As for work weeks, I've spent my time in the grind, working 88 hour weeks, traveling weekends between jobs, with no vacations. I've also spent time as a homemaker and gardener. In between is the farm life, which has little separation between work and play. The toughest thing is deciding what I should be doing each day that will not waste the little time I have available. Coming here is valuable, and it uses very little energy.
The 40 hour week was started during a single earner lifestyle. Most households have at least two earners and they both work extra hours, not to mention the time spent commuting. The end result is higher health care costs, more demand for wars to 'secure' oil supplies, and lack of reasoned judgement when consuming, probably due to lack of sleep and RE-creation time (not to be confused with enter-train-ment).
Our social structure is F.I. (fu..ing insane) when you really look at the direction we are heading. The only advocates talking to our representatives on a regular basis are businessmen and 'non'profit organizations which only thrive if we maintain consumption levels and (taxable and tax-deductible) earning levels.
Isn't it time to slow things down?
" If you want Change, keep it in your pocket. Buy less, buy local, make it yourself or do without. What is your NET Creativity?"
Good points, antigrav.
I have some other beef with the article, which IMO is good in theory, but would lack something in application. The following could seriously dent any benefits:
1. Those struggling financially would have a greater opportunity (more time available) to find and spend in part-time work (potentially driving anyway).
2. Those with the discretionary income may be more inclined to take short trips (think long weekends now), or just simply spend the extra day driving to friend's, shopping malls, etc.
Basically, a day off work doesn't necessarily mean a day without driving, and in many cases, does not. That may change in harder economic times, however.
Having said that, it would be a great boon for family life, and in fact, that is the main reason I am cutting back to a 4-day week in a few months - so I can spend an extra day with my soon-to-be baby.
"You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created."
Albert Einstein
Ahem
Sacred cows should be tipped, not shot
The usual 10%?
Reddit:
http://politics.reddit.com/info/2rmfo/comments
this is a great one to send around the blogosphere...if you are so inclined we appreciate the help.
I'd love a 4-day work week, for purely selfish reasons. Three-day weekend!
Actually, my employer does have 4-day workweeks for some departments. I think it's so they can save money on equipment. They don't have to buy as many trucks, laptops, GPS's, etc. It's almost like shiftwork, in a way, only it's over the week instead of over the day.
And some schools in the U.S. have gone to a 4-day week, because they didn't have money for the increased heating and transportation costs, and it was politically impossible to raise taxes.
I am not sure how much oil it would save if everyone did it, though. It might reduce congestion a little, which would help. OTOH, people not working won't necessarily sit at home. The extra day off may turn out to be an extra day for shopping, road trips, or other consumption.
As for absenteeism...maybe for some, it's simply because they don't have time, but I suspect for many, the problem is they need time off while others are working. To go to the bank, the post office, etc. A friend of mine used to go weeks between cashing her checks, because she didn't have time to go to the bank and her employer didn't offer direct deposit. Her boss was irate, and asked her why she didn't cash the checks promptly. She explained the problem, which was he should have been aware of, since he was the one keeping her on the job site from dawn to dusk. He had no sympathy...until she asked him how he cashed his checks, and he had to confess his stay-at-home wife did it for him.
In many ways, the world is still set up for Ozzie and Harriet, and if both parents are working, or you're single, you're out of luck. A shorter work week won't change that. Unless the day off is staggered, which will cause other problems.
Gas up the boat and RV Mabel, we have 3 days to Party!!!!
FF
And to grow tomatos - yeh!
Ha! There's on simple reason it won't happen this side of Chavez winning here in '08: the five day week is already a 9, 10 or more hour week for many. Money, corporate capitalism, will never allow it, now less than ever. Not universal health care, not a four day work week, not any of it. We're on the defense, not the offense for the time being.
Growing up in the '60s, I remember some of the fantasies we were fed about what the 21st century would be like. Of course, there would be flying cars and vacations to the moon and Mars, but one of the biggest miscalculations was that robots would free us from labor and thus we'd all enjoy much shorter work weeks. Needless to say, things didn't work out that way.
Or maybe I should take that back. Lots of Americans now "enjoy" 35-hour work weeks at minimum wage, so that their employers can classify them as "part-time" and thus avoid paying any fringe benefits like unemployment insurance, worker's compensation, etc.
I bet we'll see vacations on Mars before we see 20-hour work weeks with health insurance and other benefits.
Actually, you can think of the Chinese as the "robots".
However, we now have a gigantic "service economy" that did not exist on this scale before.
I don't know about you, but I have a washing machine, a drier, a dishwasher, all of which help me out with those daily duties at home. Robots help out with welding on cars these days, and I've even pondered getting one of those "Roomba" vacuum cleaners. Especially now that you can program them to auto vacuum while you're out at work, and automatically return to their charging station to recharge, etc. When they automatically dump their collected dust into the trash, we'll really be talking.
The problem is, most robots have taken over doing productive work, freeing us up time to do worthless things like flip burgers and give out loans.
Maybe we'll figure out that we can simply work less hours, instead of working the same amount of hours and having more toys like flat screen TVs. Until then, I'm looking for that automated, self-charging lawn mower.
~Durandal (http://www.wtdwtshtf.com/)
That brings up an excellent point, the reason many of us are trapped in the 40 hour work week is that we forfeit medical benefits if we go part-time. Nationalized healthcare would reduce the incentive for businesses to limit the number of workers (health insurance is a massive cost for corporations) and have existing workers work ever more hours. In addition, it would allow people to cut back to 35 hours (or whatever you think is manageable) without losing their financial security.
Another action that would help would be lowering income taxes for the lower 75%, income taxes increase the cost of labour, perhaps the one resource we have in excess in the world. Perhaps a carbon tax or stricter taxes on corporations would make up the shortfall.
Any solution to peak oil, global warming and poverty will depend on wide or universal access to contraception.
Much as I like your idea, I should point out one possible flaw in your assumptions:
You are essentially assuming that employees would just stay home during that extra day each week. Is that a valid assumption? How many would take advantage of a weekly three-day holiday to hit the road on mini-vacations? How many would spend their time by driving to the malls for shopping trips? How many would try to supplement their incomes by taking on second jobs during the weekend (jobs that would be available in abundance as the numbers of shoppers increased)?
I should also point out that while your plan might work for some jobs, it could not work for all. People who had Fridays off would expect to get personal tasks done on Fridays, including visits to doctor's offices, renewing their driver's licenses, etc., etc. All of those institutions are going to have to keep their doors opened and be staffed on those days. Perhaps larger institutions could cope by distributing the days off of their employees throughout the week, with just 20% off on any weekday. Unfortunately, getting a day off mid-week would be far less attractive to employees compared to getting every Friday off; I think it would just be a lot harder "sell".
Thus, I suspect that the realistic potential impact for your plan would be considerably less than your calculations suggest. Nevertheless, it could be helpful wherever it could be implemented.
Before I even read past the first point, this is exactly what I thought of. I ride to work when the weather is nice and even when I drive, my commute is shorter than most. The majority of the miles I drive are on weekends or vacation days. There are stats available on average miles driven by day. I couldn't find them to post links here but I will do some more digging and post a link if I find it. If you adjusted your calcualation to take this into consideration, you'd likely still come up with a significant reduction in oil use.
Perhaps larger institutions could cope by distributing the days off of their employees throughout the week, with just 20% off on any weekday. Unfortunately, getting a day off mid-week would be far less attractive to employees compared to getting every Friday off; I think it would just be a lot harder "sell".
By having a "rolling" day off... Monday one week, Tuesday the next, etc... It should be a much easier sell.
Especially given that every 5 weeks everyone would get a 4 day weekend...
Those that guide our economy, manage our countries finances and are responsible for the safekeeping of our currency have beaten you to it. However, instead of reducing everyones workweek by 20% they have chosen to set us on a path to 20% unemployment.
Yes, oh yes. Finally.
I've posted several times that I'm usually working a 3x12 hr week. I've also worked a 4/40, but, I prefer the 12 hour one. I really had my doubts going into it, cuz I was worried about the physical aspects; on a busy shift, we'll do 8 miles, and I was worried about how I would feel after 3 shifts. Not a problem; I've actually done 5 or 6 in a row.
There are lots of ways to arrange schedules. Ours is semi-fixed cuz one of my partners is in school....3 on, 4 off. My favorite was 3 on, two off, 3 on, 6 off. A vacation without using vacation pay. I've got a friend who is now a traveling therapist in NM; she's working 6x12 and then an 8, followed by 7 days off.
2 less commutes a week for me, 40% less gas consumed. Pretty impossible for me to carpool, altho there are a few nurses living in town. Schedules are different,. departments start shifts at various times, whatever.
But I love the 12 hour shift.
Oh, and virtually no traffic, especially Sat and Sun nights. And grocery shopping at 6 AM is a breeze. Especially with my (shameless spam) new shopping bag
http://www.chicobag.com/
No, I don't own the company :>)
Bought one for mice elf, stared buying them for my kids and my mom. May give them away at X-mas. I'd rather have hemp, but these were right at the checkstand.
Go out and get shopping bags of your own.
Rat On