Four day work weeks - kind of.

Anonymous

April 25,2023 at 11:37AM UTC

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Four day work weeks - kind of.

Our company had a low sales year and in lieu of bonuses and raises, we were given a four day work week.

The caveat is that on our day off, we remain on call and accessible by phone, email, and Slack. It’s supposed to be for emergencies, but I’ve had mandatory meetings scheduled on my day off, frequent DMs from my boss, and generally not been able to enjoy the time away.

We were told specifically that our weekday off is not PTO, and if we’re not able to reply to messages we are to take PTO for that day.

Further, the four day week came with a mandatory return to office. I was originally hired as remote/hybrid.

I’m beginning to feel like I’d rather just work a full week with remote flexibility, and know that my days off are my own.

Am I being spoiled? Or is my company trying to get a day of free labor and call it a “perk “?

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Paulla Fetzek, MSEdApril 25,2023 at 1:21PM UTC
Hello!
It doesn't sound as if the "day off" is that at all. However, when it was presented to the employees, were the stipulations you mention (possible meetings, answering DMs, etc) told to the employees? Or, was this presented you'd be getting an actual 4-day work week?
If it was presented as an actual 4-day week, then I'd say you're being taken advantage of.
I'm not sure what you mean by "spoiled"? If you were told you now have an actual 4-day work week, then you have every right to not expect to do work on your extra day off!
Jessica MinterApril 25,2023 at 5:01PM UTC
Working on a day off is working. If it was a personal choice of yours, that would be different, but the company is telling employees that they have to be on-call and responsive. Seems there is a bit of false advertising here and employees could be negatively impacted. ? Can you discuss with your manager to raise the issue to leadership?
AnonymousApril 25,2023 at 5:03PM UTC
They are simply abusing the hybrid work model, or totally missing the point of the four-day work model studies. That fifth day, according to them is a WFH day, not off, not personal, so if they're calling you and you're required to be available, losing PTO if not, doesn't sound ethical.
AnonymousApril 26,2023 at 1:41AM UTC
While I can appreciate them not doing layoffs due to slow sales and trying to find a workaround for you all, this makes no sense. How is this even allowed!?!? Was there a policy created for this?
AnonymousApril 26,2023 at 8:15PM UTC
Did they cut your pay when they did this? Are they paying you for the time you work on this day off? Does everyone get the same day off?
If you are salaried and they didn't cut your pay, it is one thing, and you aren't being taken advantage of. At least you're working fewer hours for the same pay. If you are hourly, and they don't let you clock in on your "day off" day, then that is wage theft. The same principle (although maybe harder to prove) is if they cut your salary by 20% (for salaried workers) because of reducing the work hours by 20%, it could also be considered wage theft. Those last two scenarios are the most troublesome. You did not mention if your wages or take-home got cut when this happened.
AnonymousApril 28,2023 at 7:04PM UTC
Frankly it's a bit of both. As employers return to office post covid they are struggling to stay afloat and are coming up with rather creative ways to manage these types of things. It's not really a day off since you are salaried and full time but if this doesn't work for you and you really want it as a day off then book it as PTO. Suggest perhaps if you stay to maybe book off 1 day per month as a PTO then you know those days are 100% no work and can live your life and not stress about it. Set the boundaries from your side if you can. Having been hired as remote/hybrid doesn't mean necessarily that they cannot shift that, it depends on the role and the business you are in. If that ambiguity of not knowing if you are called just doesn't work at all look for something new where the lines are black and white.
AnonymousMay 2,2023 at 12:46PM UTC
Author here, to clarify a bit yes I’m salaried, no they didn’t cut our pay.
So on paper it looks like we’re all working less hours for the same money, effectively an “hourly wage” raise but we’re all salaried.
if they enforced and adhered to the “emergencies only” thing in our comp day, I’d be thrilled. My dept rarely would have a time critical emergency . My issue is, they’re not. This Friday for example, my boss was wanting to brainstorm marketing ideas with me, and I had an in person meeting with one of our retail locations because it was the only day they were available. So it just feels like the same amt of work with more in-person time, for the same amt of money.
Which is the same position a lot of folks are in, I just think my leaders should have been transparent about it and not tried to spin it as a “Day off”, because it’s not.
AnonymousMay 2,2023 at 1:02PM UTC
I see several red flags here. You are having your hours cut back (supposedly) due to insufficient work, presumably instead of a yearly bonus everyone was expecting. Your company is having poor sales performance issues. You are correct when you say it isn't a day off but an "on-call" day, often consumed by in-person busy work rather than emergencies. While a business/marketing strategy session is not a true emergency, it could be significant enough to demand the undivided and uninterrupted time your "day off" provides. This is also a red flag. I would ensure your resume is current and start looking because it seems like the scramble before cost-cutting and potential layoffs.
Liz MilneMay 3,2023 at 5:27PM UTC
If you're on call and *have to* answer calls and attend meetings, it's not a four day week at all. It's four days in the office and one quietish work day from home.