A 14 hour shift is quite significant for anybody, I just came off a solid 20+ hour shift myself (long story - code needed to be pushed out for a deadline). I ca

A 14 hour shift is quite significant for anybody, I just came off a solid 20+ hour shift myself (long story - code needed to be pushed out for a deadline). I can certainly appreciate all the points raised. I still don't think that we can blanket say: "less time worked is beneficial to all the people". I think people need the ability to choose based on their goals and situation (and not be forced into a decision). This certainly gets quite complicated quite quickly. In the UK for example, we've had zero hour contracts and apprenticeships for quite some time. In some cases they've allowed people greater flexibility around their personal situation and in others they have been used as a tool to pay people below minimum wage. > [..] we as a society could most efficiently capture their > labor value, and then stating your own desires for > work-life-balance in more human terms. Sure. But this work-life balance is also reflective of a realistic input into society. If given the choice, I would accept full pay and work zero days (and some have chosen this life-style with a social support systems). As a society and a company we need to maximize productivity per hour - and part of that equation could be less hours worked, but it could also not be.