Thumbs Down To Four-Day Week
Few New England companies are considering moving to a four-day work week, according to a new survey by the Agawam-based Employers Association of the Northeast.
Just 1 percent of the nearly 200 survey respondents said their company operates on a 10-hour day, four-day week schedule, and more than 85 percent said they have no plans to reduce hours. Most, 79 percent, said they are open five days a week, and 20 percent actually said they currently operate six or seven days a week.
Of the companies that said they have or are considering a compressed schedule, 30 percent said the main reason is allowing employees to save on commuting costs. Another 16 percent said the rationale is reducing costs like labor and energy.
The biggest concern the companies cited about changing their schedule was customer service issues, listed by 76 percent of respondents. Forty percent mentioned employee morale, 39 percent listed loss of productivity due to increased daily hours and 19 percent cited the potential for increases in workplace injuries.
More than 60 percent of the companies that responded to the survey are located in Western Massachusetts, and more than 40 percent are manufacturers.
WBJ Web Partners
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