In Thailand, many people work a seven day week. In England, they complain if they have to work six. What about working a four-day week? A 40-hour week still, but spread over four days instead of five.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21242782

The savings? Less time wasted in commuting; lower electricity costs for the employer; longer weekends (staff not so groggy on Monday morning..... perhaps).

I've spent most of my life working six or seven days a week, twelve hours a day.

Did me very little harm - I'd have been a crotchety old sod anyway!

As an employee, I'd prefer the 40-hour week with no regulation when to work (times, days of the week). I had such a job once when I was a student. 100% Flexitime.

As an employer, I have no problems if the staff work in shifts. Some people like to come early and leave early, others prefer to come later and leave late. It has to be coordinated, though, as customers need to be able to call during "normal" working hours.

Personally, I wouldn't like to work then hours a day for four days (totally exhausting me) and then having nothing to do for three days. I'd rather work 8-hours days and 7-day work weeks for six weeks and then get three weeks off, a real vacation.

As an employee, I'd prefer the 40-hour week with no regulation when to work (times, days of the week). I had such a job once when I was a student. 100% Flexitime.

As an employer, I have no problems if the staff work in shifts. Some people like to come early and leave early, others prefer to come later and leave late. It has to be coordinated, though, as customers need to be able to call during "normal" working hours.

Personally, I wouldn't like to work then hours a day for four days (totally exhausting me) and then having nothing to do for three days. I'd rather work 8-hours days and 7-day work weeks for six weeks and then get three weeks off, a real vacation.

Agree with this. I have worked 72 hr shifts in the past and it does nothing but leave you disoriented. Happily those working hours are now consigned to history.

No more than 8 hours a day for me....I don't mind if its 7 days a week.....gimme the cash.

since several months we have reduced our "working" days from 5 to 4 by "nominating" Wednesday a holiday. meaning: on Wednesdays (like Saturdays and Sundays) no maid, no cook, no gardener and no driver. we are happy and our staff is happy.

do i have to emphasize that our staff earns far above average salaries and perks inspite of 16/17 working days a month than those employees who usually work 28 or even 29 days a month?

p.s. there were a number of years during which i worked 7 days a week 12-14 hours a day and that in the deserts, the swamps and the bush.

I am the maid, the cook, the gardener and the driver.... and nobody gives me a day off!

I think this is the future, but it's going to be a three-day weekend instead of Wednesdays off. I just wonder how it's going to affect the living-style; will Friday become 'the night out' instead of Saturday, will there be more divorces (think about it, three days together instead of two, the husband with too much time on his hands, and nothing to do with it)?

I work a 50 hour week - 5 x 10 days out of 7.

since several months we have reduced our "working" days from 5 to 4 by "nominating" Wednesday a holiday. meaning: on Wednesdays (like Saturdays and Sundays) no maid, no cook, no gardener and no driver. we are happy and our staff is happy.

do i have to emphasize that our staff earns far above average salaries and perks inspite of 16/17 working days a month than those employees who usually work 28 or even 29 days a month?

p.s. there were a number of years during which i worked 7 days a week 12-14 hours a day and that in the deserts, the swamps and the bush.

Do your domestic helpers still work 40 hours a week, just compressing it into four days instead of five, as the OP suggests?

Do your domestic helpers generate a profit for the organization, so that your post relates to the OP?

Just asking.

since several months we have reduced our "working" days from 5 to 4 by "nominating" Wednesday a holiday. meaning: on Wednesdays (like Saturdays and Sundays) no maid, no cook, no gardener and no driver. we are happy and our staff is happy.

do i have to emphasize that our staff earns far above average salaries and perks inspite of 16/17 working days a month than those employees who usually work 28 or even 29 days a month?

p.s. there were a number of years during which i worked 7 days a week 12-14 hours a day and that in the deserts, the swamps and the bush.

Do your domestic helpers still work 40 hours a week, just compressing it into four days instead of five, as the OP suggests?

Do your domestic helpers generate a profit for the organization, so that your post relates to the OP?

Just asking.

working hours per week

maids = 25-30h

driver/handyman = 20-25h (in rare cases 30h)

compression wouldn't make any sense as there's only a fixed amount of housekeeping to do and that also applies to the maintenance of a high-tech home except if repairs are to handle.

to be precise, my claim "4 days work" for the live-ins is not quite correct. there's still one hour of work on the "off days" doing the dishes in the kitchen. the live-ins alternate to do that work.

our "organisation" is a family of four (two retired adults, two not yet retired small dogs). the generated profit is huge for all parties but cannot be expressed in Dollars or Baht.

I am sure your staff are all very satisfied, Naam, but it's really beside the point. The article, and my initial post, clearly referred to people earning salaries, commuters, office staff, factory staff and the like.

Certain occupations obviously can't follow the same pattern. Hotel and domestic workers, for example; medical staff (I wish there were enough doctors around for them to be able to work 40 hours a week!); teachers.

Increased use of IT in offices, for example, has reduced the workload of each member of staff. This can lead to the employer reducing the number of staff he employs, or to each member of staff needing to work fewer hours.... maybe 35 or 30 hours a week. This makes a 4-day week a real possibility.

"but it's really beside the point"

really besides the point are 99% of the postings in "outside the box". so my posting fits in nicely.