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42 Conn. L. Rev. 1267 (2009-2010)
Sprawl, Family Rhythms, and the Four-Day Work Week

handle is hein.journals/conlr42 and id is 1279 raw text is: CONNECTICUT
LAW REVIEW
VOLUME 42                   MAY 2010                   NUMBER4
Article
Sprawl, Family Rhythms,
and the Four-Day Work Week
KATHARINE B. SILBAUGH
We evaluate the four-day work week against the background of other
institutional and social practices and constraints. But we fix these other
variables when considering the value of this work reform. For example,
workers enjoy the commute time and expense savings associated with a
four-day week. These savings would mean little if the commutes in
question were negligible. Therefore, the value of the four-day work week
depends in part on the social history that gave us increasingly substantial
commutes.   This Article seeks to highlight some of the institutional
practices that influence the adoption ofa four-day work week, particularly
those associated with sprawl. It compares the reform to school districts
that operate a four-day school week as a cost-saving measure. School
systems choose a four-day week because they are rural and long distances
create particularly serious time and transportation costs. This comparison
helps to reveal the role sprawl and its impact on commutes plays in the
four-day work week reform. In addition, the four-day work week depends
on being different from other workplaces for its benefits. The odd hours
for commutes are needed to relieve pressure on the roads. The irregular
hours for the opening of government offices are effective because they
coincide with non-work hours for private sector employees. While new
distances may necessitate a four-day work week, irregular, unsynchronized
hours come with a cost. Synchronized non-work hours allow communities
to share common civic time and allow families to develop social rhythms of
non-work time together. The four-day work week reform, which derives its
benefit from irregularity, undermines common community and family
rhythms.

1267

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