What is Alternate Fridays? The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Alternate Work Schedules
Hey there! As a long-time tech professional and data geek, I‘ve worked on a few different work schedules over the years. Recently more companies have been adopting "alternate Fridays" schedules, where employees work longer hours Monday-Thursday and get every other Friday off.
I decided to dig into the data and research on alternate schedules to really understand the pros, cons, and best practices. Whether you‘re an employer considering alternate Fridays, or an employee curious to learn more, I‘ll break it all down for you in this comprehensive guide. Let‘s get started!
What Does "Alternate Fridays" Mean?
Alternate Fridays refers to a compressed work schedule where employees work longer hours for 4 days each week, and take every other Friday off. Here‘s a quick rundown:
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Employees work 4 days per week: Typically Monday through Thursday
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One Friday off, the next Friday worked: Off week 1, on week 2, off week 3, and so on
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Longer hours Monday-Thursday: Such as 10 hour days instead of 8
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Full 40 hours still worked: The full 40 hours are compressed into 4 days instead of spread over 5 days
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26 extra days off per year: Without reducing total hours worked annually
So in summary, you work longer days Monday through Thursday in order to take alternate Fridays off. This gives you an extra day off every other week without reducing your total hours.
It‘s also referred to as a "9/80 schedule" – working 80 hours over 9 days, with 1 day off.
Alternate Fridays vs. Every Friday Off
Alternate Friday schedules are different from having every Friday off:
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Every Friday off = 4 day workweek. Employees work 4 standard 8 hour days to total 32 hours instead of 40.
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Alternate Fridays off = Employees still work 40 total hours, just compressed into 4 longer days of 10 hours each.
Many companies choose the alternate Friday compromise. It provides employees extra time off without reducing total work hours or pay. This allows companies to retain productivity while improving employee morale and work-life balance.
The Growing Popularity of Alternate Fridays
While alternate schedules have existed for years, they‘ve grown increasingly popular over the past decade.
According to a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the number of organizations offering alternate Friday schedules increased from 42% in 2019 to 60% by 2021.
And according to Gallup polling, more than half of working Americans say they‘d change jobs for a role offering better work-life balance and more flexibility.
This data shows that compressed alternate schedules have gone mainstream. They can help companies attract talent by offering better lifestyle flexibility.
As a tech professional, I‘ve seen the popularity of alternate schedules first-hand. Many software engineers expect this type of flexibility. It‘s becoming the norm at most tech firms.
Key Benefits of Alternate Friday Schedules
Why have alternate schedules become so popular? There are many potential benefits, both for employees and employers:
Benefits for Employees
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More time off – Those 26 extra days off per year are valuable! More time for hobbies, leisure, appointments, etc.
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Longer weekends – Having an extra day off every other Friday is great. Time to recharge.
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Work-life balance – The extra day off relieves stress and allows people to better manage personal responsibilities.
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Higher morale – Polls show the vast majority of employees really value extra time off. It‘s a highly desired job benefit.
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Health – With the extra day, people have more time to maintain fitness routines and doctor visits.
Benefits for Employers
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Attract talent – As mentioned, these schedules are becoming expected, especially in tech and other competitive fields.
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Retain talent – Employees are much less likely to leave a job for another offering an extra 10-15 days off per year.
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Productivity – Contrary to logic, shortened schedules with longer hours can actually increase productivity. Employees make better use of time.
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Cost savings – Some energy/overhead costs can be reduced with the office closed alternate Fridays. May also reduce paid leave.
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Coverage – Condensing hours can allow roles to be covered with fewer staff.
As you can see, alternate Fridays really are a potential win-win offering advantages for both parties when executed well.
Who Uses Alternate Friday Schedules?
While initially more common in government and schools, these schedules have spread to corporate environments. According to multiple surveys, the following industries and roles most commonly offer alternate Friday flexibility:
- Government (41%)
- Education (61%)
- Corporate (24%)
- Finance (28%)
- Tech companies (over 50%)
- Remote workers (43%)
- Entry-level office roles (36%)
- Jobs without frequent client meetings
These stats demonstrate the wide range of fields adopting alternate schedules.
It remains less common for jobs requiring 24/7 shift staffing, as it can be challenging to coordinate. But even some hospitals and law enforcement agencies now offer it for certain non-essential roles.
Challenges and Considerations of Alternate Fridays
While alternate Fridays provide enticing benefits, they also come with some potential downsides to consider:
Challenges for Employees
- Longer days can lead to fatigue and burnout
- Work-life balance benefits diminsh if employees just cram 5 days of work into 4 days
- Getting appointments and errands done is trickier with longer working hours
- Childcare on off-Fridays can still be an issue
Challenges for Employers
- Ensuring adequate daily staffing and coverage
- Project timelines may suffer if work spills into the off-Friday
- Customer responsiveness and wait times can increase
- Harder to maintain consistency and alignment across teams
Additionally, alternate Fridays often don’t work for customer-facing roles where staff are needed 5 days a week for full customer access.
As with any schedule, there are trade-offs to weigh. Flexibility is key – what works for one team might not work for another.
Best Practices for Making Alternate Fridays Successful
If you want to implement a successful alternate Friday schedule, here are some best practices:
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Evaluate roles carefully – Which are most suitable? Customer-facing and managerial roles often don‘t work well.
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Set clear expectations – Employees need to deliver a full week‘s work in 4 days without cutting quality.
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Adjust hours thoughtfully – Avoid too early/late hours or overly long days. Allow for breaks.
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Be flexible – Allow teams and employees to modify schedules if it isn‘t working well.
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Trial run first – Pilot with a few teams before rolling out company-wide. Work out challenges on a small scale first.
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Gather feedback – Survey employees after 3-6 months to see if adjustments are needed.
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Review productivity – Monitor results to ensure teams are delivering quality work on time. Adjust if not.
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Communicate changes – Keep both employees and customers aware of any Friday hour changes.
Following this advice can help make the transition to alternate Fridays smooth and successful!
Alternate Fridays Schedule Examples
Here are two sample alternate Friday schedules with the hours and days worked:
4/10 Schedule
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8am – 6:30pm (10.5 hours) |
| Tuesday | 8am – 6:30pm (10.5 hours) |
| Wednesday | 8am – 6:30pm (10.5 hours) |
| Thursday | 8am – 6:30pm (10.5 hours) |
| Friday | Off (every other Friday) |
- Works out to 42 hours over 4 days
- 28 extra days off per year
- 30 min lunch break
9/80 Schedule
| Week 1 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:30am – 7:00pm (10.5 hours) |
| Tuesday | 8:30am – 7:00pm (10.5 hours) |
| Wednesday | 8:30am – 1:00pm (4.5 hours) |
| Thursday | Off |
| Friday | Off |
| Week 2 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:30am – 7:00pm (10.5 hours) |
| Tuesday | 8:30am – 7:00pm (10.5 hours) |
| Wednesday | 8:30am – 7:00pm (10.5 hours) |
| Thursday | 8:30am – 1:00pm (4.5 hours) |
| Friday | Off |
- 80 hours over 9 days, with 1 day off
- 30 min lunch break
- 26 extra days off per year
As you can see, there are a few options for structuring the hours over 4 days to make up a full 40 hour workweek with an extra day off every other week.
My Take as a Tech Professional
As an IT engineer and data analyst who values work-life balance, I‘m a big proponent of alternate schedules. Early in my career, the standard 9-5 grind burned me out. I felt like all I did was work – the weekends flew by in a flash.
Since adopting an alternate Friday schedule, my stress levels and overall happiness improved massively. I have more time for weekend trips, seeing friends and family, and pursuing my hobbies. I come into the office refreshed and energized, delivering higher quality work in less time.
When done right, these compressed schedules seem to unlock higher productivity in us. Without distractions, I get a full day‘s work done in 6-7 hours. I take a quick lunch and leave early feeling accomplished.
My team also leverages more collaboration tools through the week so we stay aligned without face time on off-Fridays.
Of course, alternate Fridays aren‘t for everyone. Some of my coworkers actually opt to just work 5 standard days. I know parents in particular find childcare tough on off-days. But for me and many colleagues, the extra day is invaluable.
I hope this deep dive has shed light on how alternate schedules work and whether it could benefit your team too. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!
Jake
Tech Blogger, Data Nerd, Project Management Enthusiast
