"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%.