Shorter working week

[JFKvsNixon]

Its a matter of personal opinion.

 

I managed to work that work myself, what I wanted to know is what is your personal opinion?

[TJC1]

No, employee's wouldn't be happy with working less and being paid appropriately for the less.

 

I'm sure a vast majority of people would be very happy with working less for the same money, or indeed winning the lottery. But meanwhile, in the real world...

 

Your talking about acceptance not happiness.

Id rather get killed by hanging then drowning. Not happy about hanging though!

[Cyclone]

My assertion is the work week was created for corporations, capitalism and consumerism only.

It bears no relation to productivity or happiness. Its a mechanism of enslavement.

 

Don't be ridiculous.

 

Before we had corporations or large companies, when people were farmers, or butchers, or candlestick makers. Or you know, all the things that society needs to function. Do you imagine that they worked 4 days a week or less.

Do you imagine that a smallhold farmer today could work even a 5 day week? I think they'd be very lucky not to be working a 7 day week.

 

We have more leisure time today than we (as a species) have ever had in history before.

 

---------- Post added 06-08-2015 at 13:21 ----------

 

Wage slavery is actual dependence or a state of mind. Consumer driven and perpetuated by corporations.

 

Not stating preference here. Just the truth how i see it.

 

---------- Post added 06-08-2015 at 12:44 ----------

 

That if you work hard enough you can achieve anything etc. On the whole its a lie. Not the words - to work hard is admirable.

But stuff like that is aspirational BS, perpuated by companies that want us to buy mortgages, better cars, upgrade phones...and so on.

 

The work week feeds into these lies. It leaves us just enough time to eat convenience foods, drive cars and enjoy a social life by spending money. Often that we dont have. And to pay taxes that funds more consumerism.

 

---------- Post added 06-08-2015 at 12:45 ----------

 

Its what the system wants and expects of you.

 

As opposed to growing and hunting your own food, in some lapsarkian fantasy of the past.

Which includes just enough leisure time to die from starvation if you take a weeks holiday...

[TJC1]

I managed to work that work myself, what I wanted to know is what is your personal opinion?

 

It depends...ive been in jobs where ive loved going to work. Others where ive despised every minute of it.

 

If you ask me for a specific answer id say 30 hours is more optimal for the average employee and productivity for the business.

[Cyclone]

 

It depends. If a lot of travel and expected over time involved it can be.

 

I was in an office like that, where it was expected you would eat lunch at desk and put in overtime. The contracted hours were 37.5.

Its quite normal.

 

That's trying to answer an entirely different question.

 

Is working 37.5 hrs a week working long hours?

 

---------- Post added 06-08-2015 at 13:23 ----------

 

Does more money make you happy?

Or does more freedom make you happy?

 

Clearly people are happy with the money from working 5 days a week, or there'd be a lot more people requesting to work 4...

[TJC1]

 

As opposed to growing and hunting your own food, in some lapsarkian fantasy of the past.

Which includes just enough leisure time to die from starvation if you take a weeks holiday...

 

People go off grid dude! Includes growing own food. Also you ever heard of self employment?

[Cyclone]

Your talking about acceptance not happiness.

Id rather get killed by hanging then drowning. Not happy about hanging though!

 

No, I'm talking about choosing a position on a scale of paid time vs free time that suits them. The positions chosen is the one they are the happiest with, otherwise they'd change it.

 

---------- Post added 06-08-2015 at 13:25 ----------

 

People go off grid dude! Includes growing own food. Also you ever heard of self employment?

 

Well since I'm self employed I'd have to say yes.

 

And the ones who go 'off grid' don't suddenly have more leisure time, they almost certainly have less. So how is that freedom from the imagined slavery of working for money?

[TJC1]

That's trying to answer an entirely different question.

 

Is working 37.5 hrs a week long hours

 

Ive answered that question. I believe people are happier working less hours than a standard work week.

I believe people are more happier with more freedom.

 

---------- Post added 06-08-2015 at 13:29 ----------

 

No, I'm talking about choosing a position on a scale of paid time vs free time that suits them. The positions chosen is the one they are the happiest with

 

People dont often have that choice, even though you are suggesting everyone does.

[L00b]

The issue of whether a 4-day week could work better at least as well as a 5-day week is entirely context-dependent and a matter of personal opinion.

 

As there is roughly 38 million people working in this country, you've got a job reconciling a consensus out of 38 million contexts and personal opinions. You better crack on, me thinks

[TJC1]

 

Clearly people are happy with the money from working 5 days a week, or there'd be a lot more people requesting to work 4...

 

Flimsy argument based on assumptions.