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If the gang on the job site is
starting to get sluggish, and morale is dropping, there is a simple change
you can make to up productivity and rejuvenate enthusiasm. It’s called the
four-day workweek.
Now, you may be thinking- “I can’t lose a day on the job!” But, slow down.
You will be getting the same amount of work in fewer days. Rather than
work eight hours a day for five days a week, you can have four ten-hour
days.
There are many benefits to this. First, you will have a reduction in time
for daily set up and tear down. More time per day can be devoted to actual
work.
Second, any subcontractors you may have would then get one day to
themselves on the site. Third, clients may appreciate one less day where
their home is filled with ‘strangers’. Also, less time is lost to the
holidays, as most holidays fall on a weekend. Or, the 4/3 can be adjusted
to accommodate the holiday, such as a Tuesday through Friday to
accommodate all those ‘Monday’ holidays like Labor Day, Memorial Day and
Columbus Day.
But perhaps the most welcoming aspect of the 4/3 workweek is that of
employee satisfaction. Many employees love the idea of having Friday off,
even if it means working a little extra each other day. It is a fair
trade, to most. For many employees, they feel this to be an excellent
benefit and will work hard to keep this schedule, thus be more committed
to your company. While for others, it may be a difficult adjustment. They
will be getting home to the family later, but perhaps having a three-day
weekend can compensate for that, and for any ill feelings from those at
home.
For the employer, this schedule can allow for a full day of working on
estimates, bookkeeping and other tasks there may not have been time for
during the week while crews were out. Also, when you are doing advertising
for new employees, a “Four Day Workweek!” headline can be very appealing,
giving you an edge over other want ads!
To implement this, you may want to see what the feelings of your current
employees. Perhaps you can start slowly and do the 4/3 every other week.
Or, you could change up the weeks, by doing a Monday-Thursday one week and
the a Tuesday-Friday the next, this way, there will always be a three day
weekend.
This is a real great way to boost morale, increase production and become a
respected employer. And, you just may get a long weekend out of it as
well!
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