book

The Four-Day Workweek

Name: The Four-Day Workweek
Author: Robert Grosse
ISBN: 9781351673761

by Robert Grosse

May 2018

Intermediate to advanced

180 pages

4h 52m

English

Routledge

Audiobook available

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Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
One Introduction
The Basic Premise Organization of the Book Notes References
Two Quality of Life and Satisfaction/Happiness
The Goal of Work The Correlation between Less Work and More Satisfaction A Note on Happiness The French 35-Hour Workweek Differences between the US and European Countries Happiness and Income Let People Choose – But Establish a 32-Hour, Four-Day Baseline Notes References

Three Motivation and Productivity
Motivation in Experiments with a Four-Day, 40-Hour Compressed Workweek Productivity in Experiments with a Compressed Four-Day, 40-Hour Workweek Examples of Reduced-Hours, Five-Day Workweeks Motivation and Productivity in Examples of Four-Day, 32-Hour Workweeks Productivity Increases in the US over the Years Conclusions Notes References
Four What Will People Do with More Time Free from Work?
Sectors That Would Face Increased Demand Spending Patterns in the 20th Century Conclusions Appendix Notes References
Five Compensation
Introduction Six Scenarios Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4 Worker Responses and Possible Government Policies An Empirical Check on Productivity vs. Hours Worked and Wages A Consideration of US Income Inequality Conclusions Notes References
Six Man vs. Machine – Job Losses with Technology Advances
Introduction Some History from the 19th and 20th Centuries The 21st Century Employment and Automation across Industry Sectors Conclusions Notes References
Seven Logistics – How Can It Be Done?
Businesses/Offices that Are Open 40 Hours, 5 Days per Week Restaurants/Hotels/Businesses that Are Already Open for Extended Hours, Say Seven Days a Week Schools/Colleges/Universities Doctors, Lawyers, and Other Professionals Managers and other Salaried Employees The Financial Challenge Who Jumps First? Adjustment Costs Examples Conclusions Notes References
Eight Some History on the Length of the Workweek
Introduction History from the Beginning of the Industrial Revolution The 1800s The Early 1900s – Major Changes After World War II – Reduced Unionization 1970s – Compressed Workweeks Since 2000 – More Flexible Workweeks Flexible work hours Working from Home (or Elsewhere Away from the Workplace) Conclusions Appendix Notes References
Nine The Future of Work
Introduction How Does This Relate to the Four-Day, 32-Hour Workweek? Part-Time vs. Full-Time Workers Flexible Schedules Contractees vs. Employees Faster Job Rotation Technology Change Economic Cost Changes (Especially in Communications and Transportation) New Work Models – Uber, Ace Hardware, Airbnb, and eBay Malone’s Networks Idea The Digital Age of Schmidt and Cohen Jacob Morgan’s Future of Work for Employees and Employers What Do People Want from a Job? Income, Friends, Safety, Health, Routine, Freedom/Flexibility, Creativity, Freedom in Decision-Making, and Hierarchy vs. Democracy Conclusions Appendix Notes References
Ten This Won’t Work
Introduction Reasons Why It Won’t Work Cost to the Workers in Lost Income and Companies in Lost Output Workers Pay the Cost of Reduced Hours or Work Companies Pay the Cost of Reduced Hours of Work Companies and Workers Share Costs of the Reduced Workweek It Has Always Been Thus Reasons Why It Will Work The Existing Trajectory of Work Hours Over the Past Century There Actually Is Demand for a Shorter Workweek Demand Creates Its Own Supply Conclusions Notes References
Eleven Conclusions
A Brief Review of the Previous Ten Chapters Notes
Index

Content preview from The Four-Day Workweek

Logistics – How Can It Be Done?

Seven

To restate the central proposition: why not reduce the number of work days to four per week from five per week, with hours per day remaining the same? This would give everyone (who could structure work this way) 20% more time for leisure and other activities.¹ So, how could this be accomplished, starting from today’s standard of a five-day, 40-hour workweek?

Fundamentally, the change would take place by making one more day into a weekend day, say Friday. Then office and factory and other wage-earning workers would put in eight-hour days on Monday through Thursday. (Professional and managerial people would work four-day weeks as well, though their hours would not be limited to 32 per week just as they ...

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The Four-Day Workweek

by Robert Grosse

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