Companies offering “summer hours”
Discussion
Since May I’ve been lucky enough to work “summer hours”; we can clock off at 1pm every Friday, unless of course work still needs doing or we’re with clients.
Our last summer Friday has just passed. And it got me wondering why these hours are not permanent or why exist at all.
Now we’re entering one of the toughest winters in memory, it seems even harsher that suddenly we’re working until 530 on a Friday as well.
We seemed to function perfectly well as a company all summer, why do we need to go back to full hours just because the season has changed.
Anyone else’s company doing similar?
Our last summer Friday has just passed. And it got me wondering why these hours are not permanent or why exist at all.
Now we’re entering one of the toughest winters in memory, it seems even harsher that suddenly we’re working until 530 on a Friday as well.
We seemed to function perfectly well as a company all summer, why do we need to go back to full hours just because the season has changed.
Anyone else’s company doing similar?
Cudd Wudd said:
Think of all the gas and electricity you'll save by not being home earlier to heat and light your home during those cold winter afternoons. You'll be quids in 
I work from home most of the week anyway, it was just nice logging off/switching off at 1pm. To be honest Friday afternoons aren’t exactly the busiest times of the week anyway, so it’s not going to be life changing staying online until 530, which also makes me wonder even more why not keep the 1pm end time My company tried this a good few years back before anyone had ever heard of Covid. The idea was the flex around buisness needs. April and May were always quiet months, Q4 was always mental so taking annual leave was discouraged then. Its good on theory but wouod take discipline e.g. working 25 to 30 hour weeks for weeks on end could leave a hefty balance to make up.
The company seem to be doing a better job of filling order books in Q1 now. To fully embrace such a way of working though comapines need to get away from logging x hours and measure on output.
The company seem to be doing a better job of filling order books in Q1 now. To fully embrace such a way of working though comapines need to get away from logging x hours and measure on output.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Well yes that’s kind of my point and I did say that in my post. As much as I like it, why have it at all if it can’t be all year round. I work in the sales department of a media ad tech company. Sometimes we are with clients on a Friday, sometimes other departments still need to get campaigns live, so we’re not always taking the half day anyway, but I still think it could happen all year round if it can happen for 4 months of the year.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
The sales team are probably the ones who took advantage of it the least as taking clients out still often happens on a Friday afternoon. That said, the agencies i rep also do summer Fridays but they finish at 3pm, so client entertaining has become more common on a Thursday recently.
Pit Pony said:
My current job is the first one in 25 years I've had where they want me to work Friday afternoon.
All it does is piss me off. I need to drive 110 miles up the M6, from Birmingham, and I've already done enough unpaid overtime to cover the whole of Friday.
You need to get on the quiet quitting trend All it does is piss me off. I need to drive 110 miles up the M6, from Birmingham, and I've already done enough unpaid overtime to cover the whole of Friday.
.I think it used to just be called working to contract.
ZedLeg said:
I have to say that since I’ve been working from home and setting my own working hours (considering availability for meetings etc), the idea of being expected to sit at a desk for 8 hours between nine and five seems incredibly archaic.
I've long held the view that in many businesses the idea of Mon - Fri 9-5 and a fixed 40 hours (or whatever) a week was obsolete long before Covid and still is.Employment often seems a classic example of "we've always done it this way".
Many industries are moving more towards flexibility and considering individual circumstances in order to create a work / like balance that suits workers. Clearly there’s roles and sectors where this won’t work but where it can work, I think it should be encouraged and is a further evolution from the summer hours you talk of. For example, a chap I work with compresses his full time hours so he’s able to finish midday on a Thursday with his week done.
Heathwood said:
Many industries are moving more towards flexibility and considering individual circumstances in order to create a work / like balance that suits workers. Clearly there’s roles and sectors where this won’t work but where it can work, I think it should be encouraged and is a further evolution from the summer hours you talk of. For example, a chap I work with compresses his full time hours so he’s able to finish midday on a Thursday with his week done.
That sounds bloody great for him. Sadly in my game, selling advertising is never “done”, in the sense of completing your tasks for the week. You can always send more emails, try and have more meetings, put together more proposals etc. so early finish on a Friday is probably all I can hope for
Sometimes for certain companies, the outcome isn't enough. They're not happy for you to point out the positive results of your efforts, if you haven't achieved them through their rigid framework it's still not good enough. Even if that framework doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
Of course "they're paying you so can do what they like...yadda yadda" - doesn't excuse the fact that it's wilfully obtuse.
Of course "they're paying you so can do what they like...yadda yadda" - doesn't excuse the fact that it's wilfully obtuse.
In many respects this is why I like being self employed. I am also quite surprised that companies still operate the "these are your fixed hours in the office" approach.. I prefer the work/life balance approach and frankly most people (at least IME) will be working/answering emails at 8pm and also over a weekend....
Pit Pony said:
My current job is the first one in 25 years I've had where they want me to work Friday afternoon.
All it does is piss me off. I need to drive 110 miles up the M6, from Birmingham, and I've already done enough unpaid overtime to cover the whole of Friday.
Why are you doing unpaid overtime if you aren't being recompensed in some way? That "compensation" can be in multiple different ways, it might be the increased potential for promotion, increasing your employability by getting more experience or it might just be extra job satisfaction but if there isn't some kind of "benefit" or "reward" then what's the point of doing it?All it does is piss me off. I need to drive 110 miles up the M6, from Birmingham, and I've already done enough unpaid overtime to cover the whole of Friday.
For a team or company to work well there needs to be a fair distribution of Quid Pro Quos otherwise the best people leave and you're left with those who CBA to move and are "quiet quitting"
klan8456 said:
Sounds like your comp should be reduced 10% then?
Seems a silly suggestion. If it was a case of finishing Friday 1pm but getting paid less then of course I’d turn it down and get paid full. It’s not really the point here. And not something the company wouldn’t even consider as a policy. Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff