In a modern society the need of work is (almost) the same all days - but employers do not demand work Saturdays and Sundays due to the extra pay for inconvenient working hour. The price of work (the salary cost) is too high Saturdays and Sundays. This enforcement of work to certain days will in a capital intense society give unreasonable high costs due to poor use of resources. In work with continuous operation it will give overstaffing Monday-Friday and understaffing Saturdays and Sundays. Both cause unnecessary costs.

3–3^® is a new way to organize work. You work three days and are free three days moving unregarding day of the week. The system includes - above the 160 (165 at continuous operation) scheduled working days - 20 (15) extra days for learning/training, internal substitutes and work peaks. The system also includes 10 feast holidays for work in non-continuous operation.

The working days are slightly longer - 8,5 hours - but fewer; 180 days a year incl extra days, compared to 225 in existing 5-2-system (work Monday-Friday). Annual hours (5 weeks holiday excluded) will decrease by 15%, from 1.800 to 1.530. Day time will never, besides major holidays, be regarded as inconvenient working time.

Another major principle of The Equal System^® is the idea that everybody doesn't have to, nor ought to, work - and be off duty - at the same time. The system could be 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 or 5-5. Efficiency and health matter suggest the 3-3-system. 4-4 could probably be an alternative if commuting longdistance (like commuting weekly).

Longer operating time - which gives lower operating and capital costs - and increased productivity gives that the reduction of working hours can be realized with unchanged salary (existing extra pay for daytime Saturdays and Sundays is included in the monthly salary). Less work related unhealth and more even flows (reduced peaks), less start-uptime, increased availability and less travelling days contribute to the financing.

This vision became real in April -98 when two hairdressers started working in 3-3. They have increased availability and service level and reduced costs among others by sharing the premises in time. Despite their annual working hours have been reduced by seven weeks their sales have increased. The increase of productivity is 25%. Besides this they are in much better health than during many years of working in the 5-2-system.

More than 5 000 people are working 3-3 in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, mainly within elderly care and health care. There the reduction of working hours is financed by increased produtivity and decreased absence owing to illness. A lot of communities and companies are investigating the 3-3-system and it has also been noticed in Belgium, England, Finland, Holland and Ireland.

Today about 1/3 are working at inconvenient working hour. Those 2/3 working "convenient" in 5-2 creates expensive peaks, stress and unnecessary costs. In a capital intense society weekends have a too high price as investments are not in use 30% of the time. In case of turnover to 3-3 the operating time will increase by 50 percent (in school by 75 percent). In many cases investments can be halved. A substantial working hour reduction can be financed by the 3-3-system.