Cold compress? Pros and cons of a compressed working week

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Say what you like about the dictatorial bosses of the Industrial Revolution in the UK, but they did not have to manage the myriad of working options open to the employees of today. Remote working, flexible hours, compressed hours, carer’s leave, and duvet days – you can imagine the ruddy faces the early industrial pioneers would have got, even ruddier if presented with a request from a man seeking to take nine months’ parental leave in place of their partner. As for people wanting to work just a few hours a week to enable them to follow a certain lifestyle or to have more than one job – no, their stove pipe hats would have been thrown to the ground in sheer exasperation.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Citation

(2018), "Cold compress? Pros and cons of a compressed working week", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 26 No. 6, pp. 5-7. https://doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-06-2018-0110