The idea isn't new one. The oil crisis of the 1970s prompted some employers to switch to a four-day work week, but the idea never took hold nationally.
These days, though, energy and congestion issues may give the concept more traction. Several petition drives for a shortened work week are now circulating on the Internet.
With less emphasis on structure and more on productivity, I'd think all kinds of flexible work weeks would start being looked at. What if someone can get his job done with three 13-hour days, or, for some strange reason, he would like to five or six hours every day of the week? And, by the way, what's sacred about 40 hours? Here's the job -- get it done, whatever it takes.
A few years ago, when I had an actual staff, they left it up to individual departments whether to stay with five eight-hour days or go to four 10-hour days. I thought three-day weekends were pretty desirable and went to my staff with a plan. But the two full-timers each had small children at home and didn't want to change the routines they already had in place. So we stuck it out with the traditional schedule. Bummer.
