Safety Considerations of the Four Day Work Week

Safety Considerations of the Four Day Work Week

High gasoline prices are affecting both employees and businesses. Also the rising costs of material and general overhead are contributing to the rise in the number of businesses considering going to a four day work week. As part of this consideration, the effect on employee safety and wellness must be considered.

The four day work week is a popular concept with employees and employers alike. While survey results so far show that generally employees are more satisfied with the 4 day schedule, the long term effects of near miss accidents, reportable and lost time injury rates have yet to be assessed. Keep in mind that lengthening the time employees perform heavy labor contributes to muscle fatigue. Granted employees will generally have an extra day to recuperate. However, the length of time between the day to day labor may not be enough to properly remove lactic acid build up.

Many manufacturing companies demands are also cyclical. What happens if the needs of 4 ten hour days are not enough to meet demands? Generally companies will offer over-time during these periods. If you add another hour or two to the beginning or end of the shift, the lactic acid buildup will be greater. Extending the week to include overtime on Friday may not leave enough time for recuperation, especially if your employees tend to be active on their other days off.

Some progressive companies have hired ergonomic professionals in the past to help them determine recommended lifting requirements of specific jobs. Adding an extra two hows to a shift may lower those recommended weight limits. For those companies that have no idea what the recommended weight limits of specific positions within their company are, now would be a great time to find out. (I can be contacted to answer specific questions at no or low costs.)

I would be the first to appreciate a four day work week and the last to tell you not to do it. However, I am telling you that the possible detrimental costs to your employees in doing so must be as big a consideration as gas prices and overhead costs. Please feel free to contact me for more information.