> Instead, the factory owner will opt to keep half the workers on the same hours and lay off the rest. People are the hardest resource to manage for a business

> Instead, the factory owner will opt to keep half the workers on the same hours and lay off the rest. People are the hardest resource to manage for a business. Finding them. Keeping them. Motivating them. Training them. Etc. Double the workers with half the working time is a lot more expensive. So business will never choose to do this. If this would be better for society (emphasis on IF) then only regulation will make it happen.