Compressed four-day work weeks

I recently came across this story and thought I would share. There is a lot of talk going on about compressing the five day work week into four.

Stacy’s Story

“I have been working a compressed four-day work week for more than two years.  I am a salaried employee and not in a situation where I am expected to log my each and every hour that I work.  As long as I get my job done — whether it takes 32 hours or 60 hours — that is what is expected of me, and that is the work ethic that I uphold. 

[However] there is still, at least in my company, the attitude that the more hours you work, regardless of productivity, the more successful you want to be.  In my circumstance, I am fortunate to have a boss who does not think in this manner.  In fact, she offered me the compressed work week without me even asking.  She values my contributions and fully trusts that I will get the job done, not matter what.

For me, the compressed work week gives me a much higher quality of life and work-life balance. I am able to be a fully productive employee and earn a full salary needed to support my family.  At the same time, I am able to spend precious time with my young children, save costs on day care, and get a few household things done before the weekend arrives.  It then offers us more family time on the weekend, something we need to learn to value more in this country.”

What are your thoughts on this issue and what are some creative ways you have come up with to help employees with flex, and how has it affected your bottom line? I’d love to hear them.

This story was written in response to the following story: http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/workweek-hours-corporate-policies-workday-flexible-employers-2714061-1.html

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