Four day work week.
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I read last week that a few states are going to a four day work week for state employees in order to save gas and save money spent on gas.
Has anyone out there in our industry considered this? Or would you end up putting more than you saved in your boat and heading to the lake on friday?
I find it hard to believe anyone would stay home and read a book on that extra day off. Opinions please!
Brad Larsen
I have, in the past, worked a four day work week. Three day weekends every week made it easier to go through your paycheck that much faster.
Then, we got busy… so you’d put in a few hours of overtime Monday through Thursday, working something like 12 hour days, then come in and do it on Friday & Saturday too. You’d make some damn good money, but you were too worn out to enjoy it.
I just read something this morning on that same thing. Utah figures out of 11 billion dollar budget it could save 3 million by closing 1 extra day. I have worked 4 day weeks and they are great but i don’t know how well it would work for owners in a bodyshop environment. I think it will become more looked at as energy prices keep soaring,people are already looking at taking jobs with less pay closer to home to offset commuting costs.Times they are a changin.
Times they are a changin. hey that’s my line.
But I said that very thing to my self 20 years ago …why do people live so far from work.
Worked for a couple years in the city (Calgary) and noticed while driving clear cross the city to go to work that I passed the same damn people going the other way twice every day … meaning they worked near where I lived and I worked near where they lived. :woohoo: , no need to say what was wrong with this picture so I decided then that that would be a goal of mine. To live near where I work.lived now 15 years within 1min walk or less from work and the savings are rather large. driving is dangerous , expensive , and environmentally unfriendly making it rather senseless. B) yes get with the times , they are a changin B)
as for a four day work week ? work your but off and take fridays off , I’m thinkin more like 7/24 with shifts $B)$
I think its an interesting concept, i know I’d prefer working it but I don’t know how much of a benefit it is to a shop owner. I guess its a win/lose situation. You’d have to wonder who’s gonna get the estimates and job opportunities? The guys working the extra day or the guys open late during the week. I would think the guys that operate on different hours then most of the public would be better off, which might suggest the guys open later during the week might have an advantage seeing as the general public isn’t working.
I tend to disagree a bit with you on the employee saving energy costs. Maybe not necessarily reading a book, but some people are content staying close to home. I’m sure that different people would use their day differently, but I would think it to translate into less travel overall.
Their is one thing I find interesting about the government energy saving strategies, next time your out driving in the twilight… have a look at your local government owned 10 story building, I bet ya the lights are on!
Good responses. Funny one of you mentioned Utah. I worked in Salt Lake City for a couple of years and the traffic was brutal the last 15 miles into downtown. But every once in a while you would just fly in going 65 mph all the way. Come to find out, the days that you were able to drive in with no problem were days like Columbus day,Labor day or any other day that the banks and government take off. The traffic was down by a third. I think the gas others will save, because they are not being slowed to a crawl, will far outweigh the gas goverment employees will save.
On the fear of lost business by shutting down that one extra day, I would sugeest staggering your crew so that half are there monday thru thursday and the others come in wedsnesday thru saturday. That gives you six days of sales and six days of service. Or if you are one of those shops that seem to have one day a week that is pure hell (Usually mondays or fridays) that might be a good day for the overlap. This might prove to be an advantage for you business.
Personally, for me it is near impossible to hold still for more than a day. I would be in my car driving around not only spending more on gas but on other things as well. Might be a good day to work on the electric car though.
Gentlemen as always: Opinions Please!
Brad LarsenI am on a 4 day work week.but its more like 16 hours monday to thursday but i was doing that anyway.
Here’s an interesting read on shops starting a 4 day work week, says it is boosting productivity…..
[url]http://www.bodyshopbiz.com/issues/isarticle.asp?id=86768&issue=07092008&PC=BS&story_id=&link_targ=DailyNews&link_source=aypr_BS[/url]
I think …here at least , finding the right people would be difficult.
great idea though B) had it long time go B)
the shop i work at has been mon-thurs for over 20 years. salaried employees i.e. office,estimaters, and parts switch working every other friday. i dont think i could fridays again. call ins are rare because of the long weekends. tend to sleep in a bit on friday from being worn down but the 156 days a year excluding holidays and vacation time is sooo nice.
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