Amazon is piloting teams with a 30-hour workweek

[Recursion]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/08/26/amazon-is-piloting-teams-with-a-30-hour-work-week/

The program will have a few technical teams made up entirely of part-time workers. These 30-hour employees will be salaried and receive the same benefits as traditional 40-hour workers, but they will receive only 75 percent of the pay full-time workers earn. Currently, the company employs part-time workers that share the same benefits as full-time workers. However, the pilot program would differ in that an entire team, including managers, would work reduced hours.

...

"We want to create a work environment that is tailored to a reduced schedule and still fosters success and career growth," states a posting by the company on Eventbrite.com for an informational seminar. "This initiative was created with Amazon's diverse workforce in mind and the realization that the traditional full-time schedule may not be a 'one size fits all' model."

Currently, the pilot program will be small, consisting of a few dozen people. These teams will work on tech products within the human resources division of the company, working Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with additional flex hours. Their salaries will be lower than 40-hour workers, but they will have the option to transition to full-time if they choose. Team members will be hired from inside and outside the company. Amazon does not have plans to alter the 40-hour workweek on a companywide level, the spokesman said.

The announcement comes a year after the company faced criticism after a New York Times report described Amazon as a company that encouraged employees to work upward of 80 hours a week while rarely taking vacation. Amazon senior vice president Jay Carney published a response letter on Medium saying that the story “misrepresented” the company and offering Amazon's perspective.

(Also, they disclose in the article but I didn't quote it, so: the CEO of Amazon owns the Washington Post)

[Sherman A1]

1. Interesting

Thanks for posting.

[virgogal]

2. I wold have loved this back in my work days.

[Adrahil]

3. Interesting, but...

I would have a hard time doing by job in 30 hours a week. It'll be intersting to see how this works out. Also, i could not afford a 25% pay cut.

[Warpy]

9. Yes, I was wondering about that 25% pay cut, also

Because of that, they might find few takers for these new teams. Also, it looks like the hours per day will be reduced, but not the number of days a worker has to be present. They might have better luck with 10 hour shifts, 3 days a week. That might be worth taking a pay cut to get. In addition, Amazon would get people arriving fresh and rested after 4 days off instead of fried from having to do all the household chores in 2 days. Yay, team.

I know that moving from 8 hour shifts to 12 hour shifts in nursing made a big difference. 12 hours didn't exhaust me much more than 8 did and I had more days off to recover. Cutting the hours while keeping me commuting the same number of days would have gotten me out the door and looking for a better job.

[liberal N proud]

4. Only 75 percent of the pay full-time workers earn

That is the kicker. I might work for those who are young and not thinking about the high cost of everything in their future.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

8. I would've liked working 30 hour weeks when my son was a baby/toddler

That would have been great. I asked, but my company wouldn't let me do less than 40 hours. It's too late for that for me now, but that is a great opportunity to take if you need the time a little more than the money.

[Johnny2X2X]

5. More productive

Prediction. This team will be more productive than their 40 hour counterparts. This is not an experiment really as we already have plenty of data suggesting that 30-35 hours a week is optimum for being productive. The workweek needs to be shortened for efficiency to be optimized.

Amazon is not the only large company trying this out. And my company, a Fortune 15 company that employs 400,000 people recently went to unlimited vacation days for all salaried employees.

I know people will resist this idea, but the tide is turning, forward thinking corporations have begun to look at their employees differently. Work life balance is the catch phrase of the day. Empowerment if workers is also taking hold. This is more than a fad, it's what will be best for the companies in the long run. Happier and healthier employees make for a more profitable company, this is becoming obvious. This takes time, but this will filter down in the next decade. It's a long time coming, patience is needed though as these changes take time.

[Brickbat]

6. You're exactly right.

As long as the economy remains strong and employers have to work a little bit to find employees, they will look for ways to harness productivity and keep employees happy.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. "More productive"?

It's and interesting puzzle, measuring productivity. First, you have to define productivity in a way that makes sense. Mostly, I found it was measured by measuring things that are easy to measure, and easy for managers to put on slides for presentation. And, measuring those measures usually meant extra work recording measurements, time that could be spent more productively.

I wish them well with their experiment.

In terms of "caring about employees", I wouldn't rank Amazon all that highly.

[brush]

7. They're seeing if this will work for their whole workforce.

If they deem it successful, look out, everyone. Pay cuts and work hour cuts are coming, and you better believe that other companies will follow.

And think about this, the work that comes into these companies is not being cut 25% so someone is going to have to do that work.

Guess who?