Book on four-day workweek?

September 18, 2005 8:53 PM

I'm looking for a good book or two about the advantages (and disadvantages) of a four-day workweek (implementing, too). I'd also like to get the title of one that I read around 1980 (I think).

A friend of mine runs a small non-profit and is thinking about offering a four-day workweek to her staff. I read a good book about this around 1980 (I think) - very popular, perhaps one of the first on the subject (by a woman author, I think; I remember no other details, other than it being a paperback).

I'm interested in the title of that book, but, more importantly, I'd like a recommendation for a book or two to give to my friend to help her understand the advantages and disadvantages of this option, and how best to implement it if she goes that route.

[I'd really prefer a book recommendation to, say, a website recommendation, and am NOT looking for a discussion of the pros and cons here. Recommendations for pamphlets or other written materials would also be fine.]

posted by WestCoaster to work & money (3 answers total)

The Four-Day Workweek, David M. Maklan, 1977 (ISBN 0-275-90270-6) sounds a little like your book. Out of print, but try Alibris or Amazon. But it's a pricey hardcover, not a paperback.

I wonder if it was The Four Day Week in Your Future by John G. Kamin, from 1984?
posted by dhartung at 10:02 PM on September 18, 2005

I can recommend The Overworked American by Juliet B. Schor (1991). This was useful to me when I (successfully) asked my boss to switch to a part-time job.

Take Back Your Time publishes their own book on the topic, and has their web site includes a list of related books.

Both of these are written more for employees than employers, and both take strong positions in favor of shorter working hours. If you're looking for a more balanced analysis, these may not be the best resources.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:17 AM on September 19, 2005

Looking back at Schor's book, it actually does include useful advice for employers, including concrete policy suggestions like using comp time instead of overtime pay.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:19 AM on September 19, 2005