Four day work week

Birmingham, Alabama is shifting to a four-day, ten-hour-a-day work week.

Another great energy savings idea. If everyone did not do their commute (average of 30 miles one way) one day a week, that would probably be at least a 10% reduction in miles driven. (If you figure that commuter driving is one half of all driving and that 20% of commuter driving is eliminated)

What are the other benefits? There are so many. Let’s start a list.

Fewer cars on the road.

Less time stuck in traffic jams.

Fewer traffic jams.

One day a week to do all of your personal errands that is not on the weekend. (Banking, dentist appointments, school volunteering for the kids)

What is so hard about it? What would be painful about it?

Ten hours is longer than eight. I, for one, would have to build up my endurance. But then when I went from being a stay-at-home dad, to working, I had to build up my endurance to get to eight hours a day.

There are some people at work I can not handle for even eight hours a day. Could I be patient enough with them for ten hour stretches?

For some places, it would take better coordination to cover all days.

What else do you think a benefit would be and what are the other pitfalls?