[bumby]

I think in that particular case, a normal 5 day work week would have been more productive but less popular. The biggest glaring weakness was that there was a lack of accountability. I (and others) knew we could let projects slide, show up late for work regularly and never be confronted. (I tried my hardest not to take advantage of that fact). If one is only externally motivated, that’s a difficult culture to be productive.

Long term, I think it can benefit. Former coworkers will never leave because they don’t want to lose their long weekends. However, that can be a double edged sword. I’m reminded about the quote of executives discussing whether or not to pay for staff training. One says, “But what if we train them and they leave!?” To which another says, “What if we don’t train them and they stay!?” If you’re hiring the wrong people and incentivizing them to stay, it may not be good long term. That’s why I think clear expectations and accountability are key.

I think in the right organization, with the right leadership, a shorter work week can be more productive and more popular. While defining amorphous concepts like leadership and culture can be hard, I think they are integral to the issue. Low trust, low accountability organizations would struggle, I assume