Reprising the four-day workweek

REGULAR NLEx/ SCTEx uses know the tell-tale signs of the coming of a long weekend, which we’ve basically had two of this August. That’s when the LTO-deputized patrolmen with their distinct drill instructor hats and yellow visibility vests harvest a bumper crop of drivers’ licenses,

Whether universally or grudgingly welcomed, long weekends are a break from the monotony of work. A four-day workweek would institute these and there

hour days we may have four 10-hour days, which is now common practice due to “overtawad” or gratis overtime. We can go by the example of France in the ‘80s, when the authorities cut the working week from 40 hours to 35 hours. Of course, expect resistance to ideas that break the mold or routine, predicated on the argument that reducing the working week reduces

as hours spent. Today, however, more kinds of work be it services or goods. Thus “work” or its results is

not how much time is spent on it.

When considering a four-day workweek, the government should rewrite the rules of what constitute overtime, which opens up many avenues for employees to make more income/hour or spend more time for themselves. A four-day workweek will also increase employment for temps and/or permanent employees for businesses needing seven days a week service, just what this employment- and incomestarved economy needs. - ing business, a large part of which is

experience of the GMA-era “holiday economics” to consider. Much as

many businesses find them a nuisance and blip

venture. Nevertheless, all recognize the value of holidays for both service and manufacturing industries as homo sapiens, unlike machines that only need a rest, need a recharge of their “batteries” -- proven to boost productivity. Laborers who are paid a daily wage, constantly nose to the grinding wheel six days a week, eight hours a day, welcome any break. Does it really affect productivity?

Some will argue that high unemployment, just like many holidays, reduces the number of working hours, which makes for a smaller denominator and thus affects productivity. While this is true, when comparing the USA – which has far less holidays and us – with the EU – which has far more holidays than us – it can be argued that the quality of holiday-making, though dearer, is better in the EU or the places where the Europeans go to during holiday season.

But holiday economics or three days off from the

- ing up the non-working day close to the weekend spreads out the time and road space needed for citizens to transit to holiday/weekend destinations

and Mondays bear witness to the inadequacy of our transport infrastructure in accommodating a sudden rush to enter or exit the metropolis. Imagine if the holiday lands smack in any of the

will be a dilemma for those who would want to risk a day trip. Congestion at bus terminals starts building up just as the evening rush hour begins. Some employers have proof that a Tuesday holiday after a Monday working day is detrimental to most people working up to a momentum for work the rest of the week.

Also, since our urban economies are largely controlled by distribution and merchandising companies,

weekend allows for funding late-for-deposit checks. Thus all dictate that Friday afternoon is suppliers’ collection day. This leads thousands of motorcycleriding messengers to rush to get checks for late deposit

compounded by the rush to get out of the city.

The holiday weekend is also valuable not only to workers but students alike. Imagine most of them cooped up in rabbit-hutch urban accommodation in order to save money and looking forward to the hope of getting out into the countryside and family come Friday.

Perhaps someday we will live in a society where

far from residential suburbs, linked by ever more congested roads. The adage “build it and they will come”

as there has to be consistent point of contact for transacting with people. Cloud computing and blanket broadband coverage, meanwhile, will further reduce the need for people to be moving around to do work that they can now do in the comfort of their homes. Young web entrepreneurs, usually labelled as

to get any work done. The endless interruptions of managers and meetings, they claim, is the problem. Work is like sleep: once interrupted, getting back on

- preneurs say, are imposed by others and are out of synch for even the most ardent of nose-to-the grinding wheel laborer.

But corporations are groups of people that need to be physically close to each other in order to shorten communication lines. You can’t have a herd scattered all over the place. You need a corral for control and access. But who can deny that in the comfort of lying in bed wearing pajamas, temptations to stray from the focus of getting work done are ever present? You’re the boss and no one’s watching. If others aren’t wasting

Possibly, owing to the addiction to having a captive audience at meetings, many self-made entrepreneurs’

fragile egos. Then, in that case, the right frame of mind is to expect the interruptions imposed by others and never mind if not much work gets done. Perhaps this is the strongest argument for having a four-day workweek, more so than mere long weekends bracketed by holidays. Since after a certain amount of time spent in

anyway, why not just let them go home and take a the LTO will likely get better.