Yes.
Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
21–30 of 123 posts
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#22I don't think startups really care about saving 20% on salaries - I think if we're going to get 4-day workweeks the argument needs to be around attracting candidates, and pointing to improved productivity. It's mind-boggling to me how companies are like "there's no qualified candidates", and at least superficially they trip over themselves for "diversity" candidates to make their numbers look better, but they're unwi…
As someone who is actively hiring, can you elaborate a bit? What are the worst aspects of this monoculture that a company that is just now establishing its culture can focus on avoiding?
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#23I’ve had jobs where I worked 80 hours and jobs where I worked 20 hours and they were all officially normal full time jobs. As an overtime-exempt salary worker, the official number of hours I work doesn’t matter very much. If you want to work less, just spend less time working. You don’t need to try to convince your boss to sign off on it. If your job is too hard for you to meet expectations with your preferred work-life balance, find an easier job.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#24I worked for a small company that was affected by the post-911 slowdown and the company reduced the hours to Mon-Thurs for a year.
We had to economize a little more, but I was happy with it. I started doing side work, spent more time learning things or sometimes I would do nothing.
I'd have a hard time doing it willingly because it's not just me. But if it was forced on me, I wouldn't complain.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#25100%, and I agree with your interpretations. The only reason for working I've ever had is to be able to support what I really want in life: health, passions, etc. I have zero need for work for fulfillment, social life, satisfaction, or whatever or reasons people say that want to work. My biggest goal is early retirement, but working less would make the wait much more bearable.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#26I’ve had jobs where I worked 80 hours and jobs where I worked 20 hours and they were all officially normal full time jobs. As an overtime-exempt salary worker, the official number of hours I work doesn’t matter very much. If you want to work less, just spend less time working. You don’t need to try to convince your boss to sign off on it. If your job is too hard for you to meet expectations with your preferred work-l…
What does this have to do with the topic at hand? Being expected to be available for work 4 days per week vs 5 days per week has nothing to do with how many hours you actually work.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#279-80 at 100% seems easier to implement, and more representative of actual working conditions.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#28I made that move at the beginning of this year and it works great. Min hours is set at 24 with the flexibility to work more at an hourly rate. It's a win-win, I'm cheaper to the company, feel more free, and they still get most of my mental performance at lower cost.
A 5x6hr or 6x6hr schedule seems to work well also. SW is a mental game, and similar to learning an instrument the reps and sleep time in between matters more than giant globs of hours with declining productivity and potential bad habits/injuries due to fatigue.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#29No, because realistically I work 1-2 days for 100% salary.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#30My partner and me kinda did it: we are both at 90%, taking every other wednesday to take turns taking care of our child. It's really worth it, and the pay cut is manageable.