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More Companies Are Trying a Four-Day Work Week (reuters.com)
Companies around the world have cut their work week down to just four days and found that it leads to higher productivity, more motivated staff and less burnout. Reuters highlights some of those companies: "It is much healthier and we do a better job if we're not working crazy hours," said Jan Schulz-Hofen, founder of Berlin-based project management software company Planio, who introduced a four-day week to the company's 10-member staff earlier this year. In New Zealand, trust company Perpetual Guardian reported a fall in stress and a jump in staff engagement after it tested a 32-hour week earlier this year. Lucie Greene, trends expert at consultancy J. Walter Thompson, said there was a growing backlash against overwork, underlined by a wave of criticism after Tesla boss Elon Musk tweeted that "nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week. People are starting to take a step back from the 24-hour digital life we have now and realize the mental health issues from being constantly connected to work," Greene said.
Schulz-Hofen, a 36-year-old software engineer, tested the four-day week on himself after realizing he needed to slow down following a decade of intense work launching Planio, whose tools allowed him to track his time in detail. "I didn't get less work done in four days than in five because in five days, you think you have more time, you take longer, you allow yourself to have more interruptions, you have your coffee a bit longer or chat with colleagues," Schulz-Hofen said. "I realized with four days, I have to be quick, I have to be focused if I want to have my free Friday." Schulz-Hofen and his team discussed various options before settling on everybody working Monday to Thursday. They rejected the idea of flexible hours because it adds administrative complexity, and were against a five-day week with shorter hours as it is too easy for overwork to creep back in.
Schulz-Hofen, a 36-year-old software engineer, tested the four-day week on himself after realizing he needed to slow down following a decade of intense work launching Planio, whose tools allowed him to track his time in detail. "I didn't get less work done in four days than in five because in five days, you think you have more time, you take longer, you allow yourself to have more interruptions, you have your coffee a bit longer or chat with colleagues," Schulz-Hofen said. "I realized with four days, I have to be quick, I have to be focused if I want to have my free Friday." Schulz-Hofen and his team discussed various options before settling on everybody working Monday to Thursday. They rejected the idea of flexible hours because it adds administrative complexity, and were against a five-day week with shorter hours as it is too easy for overwork to creep back in.
if costly benefits like healthcare and retirement savings are foisted onto employers, then having fewer employees that do the work of two or three is a savings. And hard working employees are simple to replace because "right to work" laws means no notice, no severance, and no reasons need to be given for termination.
We operate a highly efficient serfdom, and it boggles my American brain that Europeans aren't doing the same.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Let's be blunt cowardice always finds excuses for lack of action, whilst proudly proclaiming how brave they are. So badly are they beaten, rather than fight for what they should be provided in exchange for them doing all the work, they would attack other workers who are getting too much or maybe, just maybe, that could be paid US government and Corporate propagandists, you know workers should beg for their jobs, worship their bosses and be grateful for the crumbs they receive and cowardice just laps that stuff up, like the obedient dog it is.
American the reason working conditions are shitty, America - The land of the free and the home of the brave, well not true at all, the land of the minimum wage serf and the home of anti-union cowards to afraid to fight for what is theirs by right, the complete opposite of what the USA was a century ago.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Oh, hey!
It looks like you've dropped below 40 hours! That's great, it means we no longer have to offer you insurance, or a 401K, or matching?
Wow, this is a great idea!
--- Every CEO in America
[End Of Line]
UBI is in part a reaction to the right screeching about employer's rights to expect long hours, low pay, and unpaid vacation only when approved in triplicate.
UBI = fine, let the market decide, but the labor side won't be bent over a barrel when it does.
The capitol class hates it because they know that with the threat of homelessness and starvation removed, wages will drift up to the natural value of labor.
I think you're being a tad harsh on the US. First, let me be the first to acknowledge that the US has PLENTY of problems. However, it also has one of the most dynamic, healthy, advanced economies on the planet. One of the richer ones per-capita also, though not #1. I'm firmly against forcing our system on others, but the truth is that our economic system could make a TON of other countries a LOT better off, if they would just swallow their pride and adopt it (looking at you, South America).
If the 4-day work week actually improves productivity and competitiveness, you'll see it adopted in the US fairly quickly.
With regards to unions - there are places that could benefit from more unionization, and there are other places where unions are absolutely strangling progress.
The capitol class hates it because they know that with the threat of homelessness and starvation removed, wages will drift up to the natural value of labor.
This. There was a private conversion between CEOs recently in my area, told to me by my boss who was there. One guy complained loudly about not being able to find trained workers. Another CEO calmly corrected him saying that he would have no trouble at all finding them if he paid them proper salaries.
The brilliance of UBI is in this one thing: It removes fear of survival as a factor in wage negotiations. It allows people to walk away from jobs that are in the "are you kidding me?" category.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
I know many workers who stay late doing nothing simply because management tends to appreciate workers who stay late, even if they don't do much.
Avantgarde Hebrew science fiction