Are you in favour of a 4 day week to beat the recession?

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:09pm #1

Its one of the strategies being considered to counteract the recession and make Ireland more competitive, so would you be in favour of it? I would, think it would be fantastic.

Quazzie · 13-01-2009 10:11pm

More time off to spend less money.. No thanks!!

georgem25 · 13-01-2009 10:13pm

A 4 day week is better than no days!!

Guy:Incognito · 13-01-2009 10:13pm

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

More time off to spend less money.. No thanks!!

Even when the alternativ eis every day off and €198.50 to spend?

thetyreman · 13-01-2009 10:15pm

If people (employees) are given the choice of 4 days on or 7 days on,i dont think there is any discussion

schween · 13-01-2009 10:16pm

Its better than being laid off!

Quazzie · 13-01-2009 10:16pm

Stekelly wrote: »

Even when the alternativ eis every day off and €198.50 to spend?

The country is not going to collapse. There will be less jobs but there will be some jobs. A 4 day week would jeopardize lots of mortgages

Saibh · 13-01-2009 10:20pm

Would rather have 4 days of work than none.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:22pm

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

The country is not going to collapse. There will be less jobs but there will be some jobs. A 4 day week would jeopardize lots of mortgages

Well those people can get a part time job as well then. I'd love to have more time to enjoy life than be shackled at my computer all day 5 days a week. Would happily take a pay cut for this privilege even though I don't earn much more than minimum wage.

YDMHSSB · 13-01-2009 10:23pm

some companies have already gone to 3 days but its generally the first step to lay off/closure. 4 day weeks would perhaps reduce wages 20% for companies but may not be the answer.

Blush_01 · 13-01-2009 10:31pm

I spend my money at the weekend. There's no way I want more weekend, I just about make the money go around as it is!

If it was a choice between redundancy and a four day week, I'd take the latter, but only if it was a last resort to maintain jobs.

Earthhorse · 13-01-2009 10:33pm

I'm in favour of 4 day weeks for whatever. You draft it, I'll sign it.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:37pm

Blush_01 wrote: »

I spend my money at the weekend. There's no way I want more weekend, I just about make the money go around as it is!

If it was a choice between redundancy and a four day week, I'd take the latter, but only if it was a last resort to maintain jobs.

But surely you spend as much money when you're working than when you off, maybe more considering the cost of travelling into work. Also this is just a thought- you don't need to get locked every day you're off work, its not a legal requirement or anything

anotherlostie · 13-01-2009 10:39pm

Didn't the French try this with the 35hr week, now seen as a failure?

mickos · 13-01-2009 10:39pm

Who had this idea? Surely its up to each individual company to decide personally I'd love a 4 day week but its not gonna happen for me. We haven't given up just yet:cool:

Ass · 13-01-2009 10:40pm

If we lost a full week day a lot of companies would die horribly. You would pretty much destroy this country beyond repair.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:41pm

mickos wrote: »

Who had this idea? Surely its up to each individual company to decide personally I'd love a 4 day week but its not gonna happen for me. We haven't given up just yet:cool:

didn't something like this happen in the 80's? any old cnuts about here to confirm this?

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:42pm

Ass Face wrote: »

If we lost a full week day a lot of companies would die horribly. You would pretty much destroy this country beyond repair.

how so ted?

Blush_01 · 13-01-2009 10:44pm

shamblertine wrote: »

But surely you spend as much money when you're working than when you off, maybe more considering the cost of travelling into work. Also this is just a thought- you don't need to get locked every day you're off work, its not a legal requirement or anything

I walk to work. I rarely drink. Any more assumptions?

Ass · 13-01-2009 10:44pm

shamblertine wrote: »

how so ted?

Are you asking me how a business makes more money by staying open an extra day per week?

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:48pm

Blush_01 wrote: »

I walk to work. I rarely drink. Any more assumptions?

spend less on smack then

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:49pm

Domo230 wrote: »

Is this a joke.

Who wouldnt want to work less?

there truely is some sick people on this forum

Blush_01 · 13-01-2009 10:50pm

shamblertine wrote: »

spend less on smack then

But I NEEED it.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:50pm

Ass Face wrote: »

Are you asking me how a business makes more money by staying open an extra day per week?

People do the same amount of work, instead of doing their tasks in 5 days they work a bit harder and do it in 4. The company saves 20% in wage costs with a lesser fraction lost in productivity. Simple really.

Blush_01 · 13-01-2009 10:55pm

shamblertine wrote: »

People do the same amount of work, instead of doing their tasks in 5 days they work a bit harder and do it in 4. The company saves 20% in wage costs with a lesser fraction lost in productivity. Simple really.

... except as it is 2/3 of the department I work in stay late every night, and that's with a 5 day week. 4 day week with payed overtime, I'm there. Otherwise, stick it. Before I do.

thetyreman · 13-01-2009 10:56pm

shamblertine wrote: »

People do the same amount of work, instead of doing their tasks in 5 days they work a bit harder and do it in 4. The company saves 20% in wage costs with a lesser fraction lost in productivity. Simple really.

Sounds good in THEORY

MR FIREMAN ;; SORRY MRS WE CANT PUT YOUR FIRE OUT TODAY

MRS ;; HELP,HELP,HELP WHY NOT..

MR FIREMAN ;; WE ARNT WORKING TODAY,CAN YOU CALL BACK TOMORRW,HAVE A NICE DAY..

Ass · 13-01-2009 10:58pm

shamblertine wrote: »

People do the same amount of work, instead of doing their tasks in 5 days they work a bit harder and do it in 4. The company saves 20% in wage costs with a lesser fraction lost in productivity. Simple really.

Wow...

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 10:59pm

thetyreman wrote: »

Sounds good in THEORY

MR FIREMAN ;; SORRY MRS WE CANT PUT YOUR FIRE OUT TODAY

MRS ;; HELP,HELP,HELP WHY NOT..

MR FIREMAN ;; WE ARNT WORKING TODAY,CAN YOU CALL BACK TOMORRW,HAVE A NICE DAY..

OBVIOUSLY IT DOESN'T APPLY TO EMMERGENCY SERVICES AND THE LIKE!!! Jesus, I can't believe I had to spell that out. :mad::mad::mad:

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 11:00pm

Ass Face wrote: »

Wow...

WHAT ARE YOU WOWING ABOUT ASS FACE?!

Ass · 13-01-2009 11:01pm

shamblertine wrote: »

WHAT ARE YOU WOWING ABOUT ASS FACE?!

I'm wowing at how dumb and naive your post was.

ScumLord · 13-01-2009 11:03pm

How many weeks would there be in a month then?

I'm all for it, tell the government to go ahead with it.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 11:05pm

Ass Face wrote: »

I'm wowing at how dumb and naive your post was.

Please educate me as to why it is dumb and naive. It worked in the last recession, it'll work this time too.

mikemac · 13-01-2009 11:05pm

shamblertine wrote: »

People do the same amount of work, instead of doing their tasks in 5 days they work a bit harder and do it in 4. The company saves 20% in wage costs with a lesser fraction lost in productivity. Simple really.

You're asking people to cram 5 days work into 4?
What if it's not possible, do they still until 8pm or 9pm on Thursday evening without pay?

I can see what you're getting at but no employee would ever sign up to such a scheme and they'd be a fool to do it

Their workload hasn't decreased. They do the same work every week and get 20% less for doing it.
I clock up a lot of late nights in my job but it's paid overtime. And to hell am I'm working 60 weeks without the overtime, I'd leave at 5:30 as in my contract instead
And we had this debate in work forum last week. Some people are suckers and some of us aren't

thebman · 13-01-2009 11:06pm

It would work for some departments in some companies. Sales have to be there or else no sales one day a week.

Our IT department on the other hand, 4 day week and just the admins on call to come in if something goes wrong as one lives right around the corner from the office.

It would work where I work for my department I think. I don't think they'd do it as it might increase morale though. Oh but I wouldn't work overtime to do the same work and get paid less. That would just be stupid. I don't work for free, I'm not a slave :cool:

I do like my job but I expect to be paid for the work that I do. The odd bit of overtime is fine but every day is a bit crazy.

Run_to_da_hills · 13-01-2009 11:07pm

Elimination of Monday as a day of work.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 11:07pm

mikemac wrote: »

You're asking people to cram 5 days work into 4?
What if it's not possible, do they still until 8pm or 9pm on Thursday evening without pay?

I can see what you're getting at but no employee would ever sign up to such a scheme and they'd be a fool to do it

Their workload hasn't decreased. They do the same work every week and get 20% less for doing it.
I clock up a lot of late nights in my job but it's paid overtime. And we had this debate in work forum last week. Some people are suckers and some of us aren't

yeah and those people who aren't suckers end up out of work, wish I was one of them

stovelid · 13-01-2009 11:08pm

I'm more in favour of a four-week beating for anybody who mentions the recession again.

thetyreman · 13-01-2009 11:08pm

shamblertine wrote: »

OBVIOUSLY IT DOESN'T APPLY TO EMMERGENCY SERVICES AND THE LIKE!!! Jesus, I can't believe I had to spell that out. :mad::mad::mad:

OH RIGHT,,i do beg your pardon,i should have known,simple really...

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 11:09pm

ScumLord wrote: »

I'm all for it, tell the government to go ahead with it.

Ok so, whats bertie aherns email address? I'll tell him we all agree with the idea and to go ahead and make the announcement.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 11:10pm

stovelid wrote: »

I'm more in favour of a four-week beating for anybody who mentions the recession again.

recession? what recession! ........oh yeah the one that cost me my jab

thetyreman · 13-01-2009 11:12pm

shamblertine wrote: »

Ok so, whats bertie aherns email address? I'll tell him we all agree with the idea and to go ahead and make the announcement.

Yea and Bertie can email Brian Cowen,the taoiseach:):)

Susannahmia · 13-01-2009 11:14pm

Everyone else seems to be assuming that the business would have to be open for less hours. I don't think so.

I'm not sure if I'd agree to it but for discussions sake the only really feasible way I could see it working and being of any benefit to the economy would be that it could increase the availability of job openings.

I.e. People would work less hours but businesses could open for the same hours as before, they would just have to employ more people to compensate.

mikemac · 13-01-2009 11:15pm

shamblertine wrote: »

yeah and those people who aren't suckers end up out of work, wish I was one of them

If you don't have a job, maybe stroll into your next employer and tell you are willing to work harder and for 20% less then everyone else.
See how far that gets you as that's what you have proposed, good luck!

Did someone say

scab?

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 11:15pm

thetyreman wrote: »

Yea and Bertie can email Brian Cowen,the taoiseach:):)

berties not the taioseach any more? damn, I've been away for a while

tony1kenobi · 13-01-2009 11:17pm

shamblertine wrote: »

Are you in favour of a 4 day week?Its one of the strategies being considered to counteract the recession and make Ireland more competitive, so would you be in favour of it? I would, think it would be fantastic.

That would be fantastic alright. Which 3 days will we get rid of? Or are we just going to make up new names for the four days?

Will we still even call them days,weeks and so on?

I don't see how it will affect a recession, smashing idea though.

shamblertine · 13-01-2009 11:18pm

mikemac wrote: »

If you don't have a job, maybe stroll into your next employer and tell you are willing to work harder and for 20% less then everyone else.
See how far that gets you as that's what you have proposed, good luck!

Did someone say scab?

Thats pretty much how I got my first job after university. There was so much competition that I decided to undercut the market, and it got me the job.

Sam Vimes · 13-01-2009 11:49pm

here's an idea: one guy was worried that if he had a four day week he'd have more time to spend less money. And the idea of this is to save businesses money. So why don't we all work the same hours for 20% less money!? Or maybe even work saturdays too! That'll drag us right out of this recession and we won't have to worry about all this spare time where we waste our money

Sanjuro · 14-01-2009 12:13am

Here's a crazy idea... I know it's a bit out there, but bear with me. This unusual concept is called... DISCIPLINE. Nobody's putting a gun to your head and declaring, "SPEND, DAMN YOU!" You don't want to spend money in your spare time? Then don't. It's a novel concept, but one that might just work.