# If you could choose your own work week hours **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781 "2011-05-13T14:51:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/1 "2011-05-13T14:51:07Z")
Assuming a 40-hour work week and all other things being equal, what would your ideal hours be if given a choice? You will be paid the same no matter how long your shifts are (no OT for 8+ hour shifts), and you are working exactly 40 hours a week. Assume these hours are feasible for your profession, even if they really aren’t. Note on poll: note that from 5 days/week down, a distinction is made between consecutive and non-consecutive work days. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/2 "2011-05-13T15:06:58Z")
I went with 4 consecutive 10 hour days. A couple more hours a day is a fairly negligible difference for me (I mostly just sit at a desk), and a 3 day weekend every week would be awesome. OTOH if I had kids I might have a tough choice between short days every day and either 2 really long days or 40 straight. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/3 "2011-05-13T15:12:30Z")
I went with what I already have, 5 consecutive days. Some days I stay an extra hour if I’m planning on going out later. But a compulsory extra 2 hours a day? I don’t think I’d like that, even though 3-day weekends sound awfully nice. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/4 "2011-05-13T15:32:43Z")
I voted 8/5, but I’d also be happy with 10/4. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/5 "2011-05-17T12:00:51Z")
I do choose my own work hours, and I pretty much do the standard 8 hours/day, 5 days/week. It _is_ nice, though, that when I work longer - say, there’s an issue, and I work a couple long days - I can take time off later in the week without asking permission or anything. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/6 "2011-05-17T12:13:04Z")
I’m research staff in academia and one of the perks of the job is the flexibility. As long as I get work done and show up for meetings, my boss doesn’t care when I show up. Long days and weekends are frequently required, but to make up for that I can swan off in the afternoon on slow days or take a day off whenever I want. If I could change anything, though, I’d ditch the month-long experiments that have to be checked Ever. Two. Days. Without. Fail. Right now I only get a proper weekend (let alone an extended weekend) if I’m between experiments or if I can convince a labmate to do me a huge favor and spend several hours on a weekend on my project… ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/7 "2011-05-17T12:53:29Z")
I’ve done 4x10 in the past and loved it. Unfortunately my workplace is totally unwilling to do any sort of flextime, except in extraordinary circumstances. I’d like to try 3x13. I’ve worked days that long (and longer) in the past, so I know I can do it. And a three-day workweek would be awesome. Actually, given a chance, I’d do 6x13 and then have a solid week off. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/8 "2011-05-17T13:21:04Z")
I chose what I’m doing now - 40 work hours at varying times in the week. I work from home and there’s not really any set times when you’ll find me working, although I do try to be available during normal business hours. Some weeks I work more than 40, some weeks less. I usually do some work every day of the week. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/9 "2011-05-17T15:39:54Z")
3x13 would make me feel like I had more time off than I spend time working, instead of now when it feels like the other way around. And one of my biggest stressors+time wasters is my daily commute. Reducing the number of days I need to drive to and from work would significantly lower my daily stress and the amount of time I spend on the road. Cheaper gas, too. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/10 "2011-05-17T16:20:04Z")
My perfect schedule would be a 4/40 week, but non-consecutive. Work 10 hours on Mon and Tues, break on Wed, and 10 hours Thurs and Fri. This way, I would never work more than 2 consecutive days and if I have issues during the week I don’t have to wait until the weekend. It gives me enough rest to recharge if work’s going badly, and allows me a bit of a flex day in case I need to schedule something during one of my work days: I can simply come in on Wed ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/11 "2011-05-17T16:42:16Z")
Actually, I like our summer hours: 8:00 to 4:15 M-Th, 8:00-noon Friday. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/12 "2011-05-17T16:56:28Z")
Telecommute, hours randomly around the clock, and randomized days [ie, not the same days and hours each week. I may work 7 days one week and 3 days the next, only thing would be the 40 hours per calendar week] ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/13 "2011-05-17T18:16:07Z")
There’s another option: a five-day week of nine hours each, then a four-day week of nine hours each (minus one hour somewhere). Which is what I in fact chose for myself, though I occasionally toy with a regular 5x 8 hour (Somehow it seems that it’s much harder to get stuff done after work with one less hour). ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/14 "2011-05-17T18:42:59Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > My perfect schedule would be a 4/40 week, but non-consecutive. Work 10 hours on Mon and Tues, break on Wed, and 10 hours Thurs and Fri. This way, I would never work more than 2 consecutive days and if I have issues during the week I don’t have to wait until the weekend. It gives me enough rest to recharge if work’s going badly, and allows me a bit of a flex day in case I need to schedule something during one of my work days: I can simply come in on Wed I’ve always thought this would be the ideal schedule for these exact reasons. In other words, +1. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/15 "2011-05-17T18:49:07Z")
10/4 would be fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-choose-your-own-work-week-hours/581781/16 "2011-05-17T19:19:06Z")
I’d prefer a ROWE environment, which is a mixture of some the poll options. It’s a nonspecific number of hours per week, worked from anywhere that you can do work while generating that output and result that is expected of you. > **[ROWE](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROWE)** > > A results-only work environment (ROWE) is a work approach in which employees are entirely autonomous and responsible for delivering outcomes. Work is defined as an activity that employees carry out, rather than a physical location they visit. This managerial tactic redirects attention from the hours spent at work to the results generated. Leaders mentor performance and oversee the work itself, instead of micromanaging employees' time. > In 2003, Best Buy headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota init... We were piloting this in the DC Gov under the previous administration but the new leadership finds this too unconventional and new-fangled so we went back to being 8 by 5 chair warmers whether there’s work to be done or not.