Six-Hour Shifts Satisfied Kellogg's Appetite For Productivity
InformationWeek reported that in 1930 Kellogg changed its Battle Creek, Michigan, cereal plant from three eight-hour shifts to four six-hour shifts and hired about 300 unemployed workers, with existing employees taking a slight pay cut. The shorter days reportedly lowered overhead, labour costs and accidents. Wartime shortages pushed the plant back to eight-hour days in 1943, unions restored six-hour days after the war, a 1947 decision let departments set their own hours, and the last workers on six-hour shifts gave them up in 1985.
InformationWeek reported that in 1930 Kellogg changed its Battle Creek, Michigan, cereal plant from three eight-hour shifts to four six-hour shifts and hired about 300 unemployed workers, with existing employees taking a slight pay cut. The shorter days reportedly lowered overhead, labour costs and accidents. Wartime shortages pushed the plant back to eight-hour days in 1943, unions restored six-hour days after the war, a 1947 decision let departments set their own hours, and the last workers on six-hour shifts gave them up in 1985.
Written from the informationWeek report, read 2026-10-27.
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News report. https://www.informationweek.com/six-hour-shifts-satisfied-kelloggs-appetite-for-productivity/d/d-id/1014546