Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
The Daily PollANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER campaign promise. Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has called for a Citizens’ Assembly on a four-day work week in order to comb through issues such as people’s pay and its effect on the public service.
O’Gorman said it should be held after the planned citizens’ assembly on education, suggesting it would take place in the second year in government with legislation implemented in the third year.
He said that flexible and remote work had achieved a better work-life balance for people, but it was now time to “take the next steps forward”.
Fórsa, Ireland’s largest public sector trade union, has also called on the next government to test a four-day work week in its election manifesto.
So today we’re asking: Would you support a four-day work week?
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I asked some of our local council workers if they would like to work a four day week. All said they wouldn’t want the increase
Both sectors – yes.
Just the public – no. They’ll absolutely bankrupt the country if they moved to a 4 day week.
Now if it rotated between Mon-Sat for the the same pay and improved productivity then yes. But we know that won’t happen.
@The facts: why would it bankrupt the country?? Under a 4 day week you receive the same pay, for the same number of hours. E.g. 4×10 instead of 5×8. It will actually save money for employers due to smaller premises etc needed.
@Kevin Collins: not a chance most of the public sector will do a 4 x 10. Most of the phone lines are only answered up to 4pm and otber only until 2pm.
@James Brennan: that should be, most will not do a 4 x10
@Kevin Collins: it’ll 4*8. The point is that the staff are equally as effective under a 4 day week. It’s not about condensing the hours into less days.
@James Brennan: Most public servants aren’t call centre agents James, but using this example, an extended workday would allow for phones to be manned until e.g. 6pm. Which would surely be an improvement?
As for the public servants that don’t want to work extended hours, they simply wouldn’t sign up for a *voluntary* 4 day week arrangement.
@Kevin Collins: why would there be smaller premises?
@Michael o Dwyer: If the 4DWW was designed so that the absence days are spread evenly across the week, it means that on any given day you only have 80% of the headcount onsite; hence fewer desks are needed. It’s basically similar to how remote working has allowed companies to downsize their office space and save money on leases / rent, insurance, light & heat etc. A 4DWW would also alleviate traffic and public transport congestion, which are surely positives too.
@Liam Byrne: That’s absolute rubbish – how can a person be equally as effective if there’s a workload that has expected timelines. Workloads are growing considerably, not decreasing – it’s very easy for someone in power who delegates the work and that someone to then delegate it to someone else and so on – to be ignorant of the workings and pressure on an employee within the private/public sectors. OK, there’ll always be the one’s getting away with looking busy but doing feck all but mostly the workload is just about manageable for every individual..employers want to get the best from their employees and that entails keeping them engaged and focused.
These guys will talk absolute drivel coming to election time.
@Liam Byrne: actually it is. I should know. My employer moved us to 4-day week and we’ve been doing it over a year now and it’s fantastic. 4 x longer days. It’s not as if I’d be in bed by 7:30pm anyway………and if you’re a Galway or Dublin commuter then you’d be spending 90 minutes in the car on teh way home anyway. Might as well work it, get stuff done, get paid AND miss the traffic on the way home. What’s not to like ?
@Liam Byrne: what about other people who work in shops Hotels hospitals Factories etc its not all about the civil Service & it would cost a fortune & why should they work less days u can’t get through to them as it is, soon they won’t work at all,
It will not work for everyday workers will only be for government offices why should the average working person once again foot the bill for the government
@thanks for the beautiful music christy rest in pea: I am in the private sector (big bad US company) and work a 4-day week. OK, 10h per day, but I’d say it’s feasible for most office jobs. No reduction in hours or salary compared to people in 5-day week
@Jerry LeFrog: Doesn’t it depend on the job type?
Most councils all over the country have been doing that for years, as well as civil servants.
4 day week would be fine, rotating shifts Mon-Fri so all aspects of jobs are covered could possibly work.
@Rafa C: yup. Or even covering Sat to increase various coverages, depending on the business.
And not everyone has to work 4 consecutive days. For some a split week ‘Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri’ would work well. Or ‘Mon, Wed-Fri’, etc.
@Jerry LeFrog: Yeh – wouldn’t mind a mid-week day off
Unfortunately most salaries wouldn’t support a four day week. The cost of living and high rents would inhibit such an idea. The only real option is to extend the annual leave by a few days, but a lot of employers just wouldn’t be able to cope with extra outgoings.
@Paul Linehan: I think it means do the same hours for same pay, but in four days instead
@Paul Linehan: my bad, just dived into their idea. Yes, four normal days for reduced pay but more time for breastfeeding apparently. Winner.
A 4 day week isn’t going to help get desperately needed houses built. Productivity will diminish in a lot of fields.
Will doctors and cops be moving to a 4 day week too?
Or is this just for desk surfers in offices doing jobs that a phone app could do better?
@Fidgenti: actually, you’re wrong. visited a site on a Friday in the last 10 years have you… ? We’re on 4-days, in construction, and it works well. Productivity is actually UP, not down.
@Fidgenti: Gardaí on the regular have been on a 4 day week since 2020
In some sectors, yes.
Why stop at 4? Why not 3 or 2?
As a self employed person, I doubt it will have very little impact on me. My clients are other businesses who will be open 7 days as people who have 3 days off will demand more so it will have little to no impact on me!
@Amit Wadhwa: Except you’ll have more work?
More far left nonsense
@Paul M Doe: You wouldn’t wish to reduce your seven-day trolling week?
@Brendan O’Brien: ‘deflection’ much brenny???
@Frank/Paul/Kevvy: Deflection from what?
Don’t you find that the burden of 24/7 trolling gets overly heavy at times?
@Brendan O’Brien: suppose you could ‘rest up’ several of your accounts, lol
@Frank/Paul/Kevvy: Does repeating the same lie over and over fool anyone, do you think?
@Brendan O’Brien: u tell me ‘ SPLIT’
@Brendan O’Brien: pot, kettle
@Fintan/Frank/Paul/Kevvy: Why not drag out a few more IDs while you’re at it?
@Brendan O’Brien: Every one of you guys are pathetic. Really really sad from what I presume are grown men.
@Kevin Dillon: I’m not sure who ‘you guys’ are: could you clarify?
@Brendan O’Brien: perhaps a reference to all your multi account trolling on here???
@Fintan/Frank/Paul/Kevvy: Does repeating the same lie over and over fool anyone, do you think?
@Brendan O’Brien: well you’re one of them. On litterally every article talking nonsense. Totally ruins it for the rest of us.
Certainly not. If a business is unable to maintain the same levels of production or service in fewer hours, they are going to see a sudden drop in economic output. Not all jobs (healthcare and manufacturing for example) can maintain the same productivity with reduced hours because they require continuous physical presence. From an employee point of view, if their pay is tied to hours worked, they are going to get paid less. People who love to talk about the fact that the four-day workweek will offer employees more “flexibility” forget the fact that because of reduced hours for employees, their “flexibility” will precisely be reduced because those who don’t want to see a reduction in their pay will have to sacrifice free time in order to work within the new four-day schedule.
@Frank O’Hara: There are definitely ‘pros’ of a four-day week for businesses, as well as a couple of ‘cons’.
https://www.reedglobal.ie/blog/2022/03/a-four-day-work-week-the-pros-and-cons
@Brendan O’Brien: Thank you for that interesting article Brendan, it was certainly a good read. There are a few fundamental things that I would question about their conclusions though. Firstly, with regard to their findings about increased employee mental health, I would ask the following questions. Were these results observed in highly skilled, well-paid jobs, or do they apply to all types of work? Do these statistics account for the jobs that require continuous physical presence, where reduced hours might not yield the same benefits? Did those who polled employees take into account the potential of financial stress? While mental health may improve for some workers, what about those who could experience greater financial anxiety if a shorter workweek results in reduced income?
@Brendan O’Brien: Secondly, with regard to employee happiness, did the article take into account the fact that while some employees prefer fewer workdays, others might prioritise higher wages or career advancement? This of course, is restrained if a four-day workweek is brought in which can reduce opportunities for overtime and productivity. The studies which the article cited were only done over a relatively short period of time. Did the article take into account the fact that while employees may initially feel happier, longer workdays required to maintain productivity may lead to burnout in the long run. Industries struggling to adapt could face layoffs and this in turn, can lead to much more stress for dissatisfied and displaced workers.
@Brendan O’Brien: Finally, I find the conclusion about environmental benefits to be the most dubious. I just done buy that a direct link for a four-day workweek is guaranteed. Remote work and hybrid employment models already exist in most industries, potentially diminishing any environmental benefits that the article makes claims about. Also, if employees use their extra day off for activities which increase emissions (shopping, travel etc.) the net environmental benefit would clearly be negligible or even negative.
@Frank O’Hara: what utter tosh. I say this as an engineering and construction employee currently enjoying a 4-day week. Everything is better about it. We do the same hours, over 4 days, and productivity is up, not down.
Would happily do 4 longer days for the extra day off…
@MN: that’s what I do, longer days but only 4 of them. I can tell you that’s great to have a 3-day weekend
@Jerry LeFrog: well personally I couldn’t deal with a longer working day due to the nature of my work, it consists of calculations – which in themselves I find challenging and enjoy but it also involves being stuck at a desk for the duration and it’s quite strategic so requires as little background noise as possible – you can imagine what office is like!! Definitely no to 10 hrs, give me 8.30-4.30 and home..even 8-4..earlier working hours than shorter working week so you can make the most of the evenings.
@Jerry LeFrog: and a Long Weekend is a double-winner. Monday off AND the rest of the week is a 3-dayer. Win-Win-Win.
What is the meaning of a 4 day work week? Given most people in private haven’t enough days in the week as it stands, how would 4 days work?
@Jack: Some info here: https://fourdayweek.ie/
Yes, if it’s 12-hour days.
@Dan Murphy: 12 hour days will you get the boat, most of us actually have a life thanks.
How does that work for employers who are struggling as it is plus the new mandatory pension scheme that they have to pay towards too in January?
I work remotely and I say 4.5 day week would be great…
Work 9 hour days from Mon to Thursday and finish work at 1pm on a Friday… Second half of Friday can be a bit of dead squid anyway and getting the jobs done for the weekend would be cool
Yes I would support a 4 day sitting Dáil, it would give them more time to deal with pressing problems in our society!
Hold on, if they’re expecting the output from a 5 day week in 4 days (so keeping all current benefits & salaries intact) & just increasing the working day on those 4 days, how will that affect people who rely on childcare? Where are they going to get the extra hours from? Because most I know close at 6pm which means most people have to leave work between 5 & 5.30pm to collect their child.
Disastrous debate for SF last night
So even though public demand 7 days a week services. ???? 3 days or 2 days or No days a week(state(tax payer)dependence) is a great/destructive vote getter.
How will this work!? So at the moment I’m working 39 hours a week. If a four day week was brought in I’m down in wages, as my hours will be down to 31 hours a week. So that will not work for me. Now the other option is to increase my working day from 8 hours per day to 10 hours per day. I don’t want to work 10 hours a day. My day is long enough working in this environment and weather everyday. So for me I’m quite happy with 5 days a week thanks very much!
@Brian k.: christ almighty. do you know any mathematics at all ? You get paid by the hour. You do 39 hours over 5 days currently. So you’d do 39 hours over 4 days. Guess what – 39 = 39. Was that so hard ? I’m ignoring the advantages of no commuting/travel costs on the 5th day, not to mention the time advantage. Is it any wonder this country is upside-down ?
@John Moylan: A lot of jobs could not do 39 hours in 4 days get real & Employers are out this am no way would they agree & could not afford it
@John Moylan: Did u bother to read about text before having a go why be so ignorant its a very valid point he makes
It all depends upon one’s position in life. Some want to maximise time off, some want shorter working days, some want to maximise income and overtime. I think existing flexi systems could be expanded allow four day weeks so it becomes optional. Obviously the needs for certain businesses are different and some could and others could not facilitate the four day week. However a study somewhere (Germany?) suggested that there is a limited amount of “work” time in any day and increasing hours beyond this does not maintain or increase productivity but rather increases “water cooler” time so you get about 6 hours productivity from someone regardless of the hours of attendance.
Never going to happen. Just lip service from aul Roddy
@Old Times: it’s already happening : do catch up. 100+ employees here and we’re loving it.
Only if I’m getting it.
Yes. I work as a nurse and we do a 4 day week. I love it as I love having my Thursdays off to get things done or spend the day with my daughter. I do two 10 hour days and two 8 hour days totalling to 38 hours per week so still working full time hours. Some people do not like the longer days though but people should have a choice if they want a 5 or 4 day week.
Ever heard of part time work.
It’ll never happen
I’m not going to work an extra day for anyone
@john o neill: not even yourself??
The Lacey lot voted yes and that is the mentality of them millennials and even worse with the Gen Z crowd hard work is alien to them, raised to soft.
For all workers yes, not just public service!
The way the world is now days and the current working week based on factory work and the church.
We should keep Friday to Sunday as a traditional weekend. But everything should be open 7 days a week with no time restrictions. You would work one week 4 days the other 3 days.
@Be Lucky: And who will pay for that get real
This is only for civil servants
I can see why an employee would want home working and 4 day week
But it’s an erosion of public service standards
Can anyone afford to work a four day week? I know I can’t.
@JP Fox: You get paid the same as a 5 day week, just longer hours packed into 4 days. I’ve been on a 4 day week for 3 years now in my nursing job and do two 10 hour days and two 8 hour days.
Wouldnt work for me my job is open 6 days and im the only one who can do my job there
have your say