One way to save time, money, gas, and to reduce carbon emissions is for people to stop working the typical 8 hour a day, 5 day a week shifts and start working 10 hours a day, 4 days a week.

And it’s something that benefits employers, employees, and the environment.

1) Less Gas Used - if a person is driving to work one less day a week, it’s going to save gas and reduce the amount of carbon emissions.

2) Less Traffic Congestion - less people on the road means less traffic congestion

3) Roads Would Last Longer - in theory anyway because they would be used 20% less by commuters going to and from work

4) Less Absenteeism - a good situation for employers who have costs in the millions of dollars each year because of absent employees. Companies who have 10 hour days 4 days a week have reported lower absenteeism rates because employees have 1 typical work day off each week that they can use to schedule medical, dental, eye, legal, etc. appointments that usually require them to take off work because many of those businesses are only open during the same hours most people work or have limited night and weekend appointments that are extremely difficult to get.

5) Reduced Heating and Cooling Costs for Employers - if a business doesn’t have to have use daytime levels of air conditioning and heating one day a week money will be saved even though people will be at work longer hours the days they are there. This is because once a building is up to its normal temperature for the day it takes less energy to maintain a comfortable temperature.

6) Happier Employees - some people resist going to a longer day but less working days because they think it’s going to be too tiring but once people get used to it they almost never want to go back to 8 hour days. My husband works 12 hour days and loves his schedule. Yes, he’s tired after working 12 hours and doesn’t do much more than come home, eat, and go to sleep but he only has to work 3 or 4 days a week. He loves it and won’t go back to 8 hour days.

7) More Free Time - this is especially true for people who have long commutes. If a person has a one hour commute each way every day like my husband does, they would have 2 extra hours a week to do other things.