Alternative work arrangements have been getting more attention from enterprises in recent months due to the poor performance of the economy. This has been especially prevalent in North America where private, public and governing bodies are all looking to teleworking and shortened work weeks to cut operational costs. Review this note to learn more about how alternative work weeks are helping enterprises reduce their costs in the current tough economy.
Shortened Work Weeks
Four day or shortened work weeks involve redistributing the 40 hour work week over four days instead of five, resulting in ten hour work days and three day weekends. Some government organizations are looking at shortened work weeks as a way to conserve energy in the face of ever increasing energy prices. A recent example of a government body adopting a four day work week is the State of Utah, where it was made mandatory for almost 80% of its state employees.