Restructuring Staff Time: The Eight-Day Week

A group of psychiatrists in private practice who also provide services for inpatients of a private psychiatric hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, tested and adopied an eight-day week. In conjunction with hospital social workers they form teams that alternate in working ten hours a day for eight consecutive days, Monday through Monday, then have six days off. All team members work on each Monday. After 16 months of the new schedule there was a significant drop in the average length of hospitalization and cost per patient and in the absenteeism of the staff.