I am the family, so I'll respond:
About 6 years ago TheHusbandHalf's employer had the hourly employees vote whether they wanted this change of not. They voted for it, so he now works that schedule.
We both love it. (I am not sure what day of the week a pay week starts)
wk 1 work 4 days
wk 2 work 4 days
wk 3 work 5 days
wk 4 he gets Sat off from wk 3, 5 days off, then work Fri, Sat We love that 6 days off!
I just got the days from the calendar, I don't know where the division is for a pay period.
We have to have a marked calendar to keep track of when he's on/off because the work days of each week are different
There is another place owned by the same company that the company decided the 36 hours in one week/ 44 the next meant they didn't have to pay overtime. They just figured they could take the 4 hours from one and add them to the 36 hr week. The state said nope, you can't split the work week that way. So he gets 4 hours overtime pay. Please don't ask me about the specifics of that, I can not wrap my brain around it to describe it any more..
Last year they wanted to know if they(company) could go back to the 8 hr shifts. The contract they signed with the union the first time they switched had a clause that the employees could switch it back if they wanted - but there is no clause that says the company can.
The employees said NO, we like it.
I do not work, and no school age children, it might be different for other families.
You know, I wrote all that and I think he works 12 hr shifts. Sometimes they ask him to hold over a shift, but law says he can't work more than 16 straight, so I'm guessing that's why the co. wants to go back - sometimes one of the salary guys has to fill.
added: TheHusbandHalf commutes 20 min.