Lisa Burke-Smalley, professor of management at UT-Chattanooga’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business, outlines four considerations for companies exploring a switch to a four-day workweek:
• “You have to clarify the meaning of what a four-day workweek is for your workforce and why you’re doing it. Because employees want to know why.
“I think a lot of (companies) are desperate to attract and retain talent, but it could also be productivity or whatever.”
• “Consider wage and hour issues. You’ll want to consult with a labor attorney, especially if you’re in California, where overtime is calculated on a per-day basis. In Tennessee, overtime (compensation) is time-and-a-half after 40 hours in one week. You could easily get into some overtime issues in certain states.
“You’ll want to check your state and local laws, consult your labor attorney and, if you’re unionized, that would have to all be renegotiated in a union contract.”
• “Consider the impact on your customers.”
• “And lastly is communication and training.”