4 ms·

Six-day work week was standard like, what, 100 years ago? Now it just seems savage. And so will the five-day work week. I had the luck of getting a four month

by papito 5y ago

Six-day work week was standard like, what, 100 years ago? Now it just seems savage. And so will the five-day work week. I had the luck of getting a four month severance when a company closed, full salary, full benefits. I lined up a new job and just said I will start later. Let me tell you, going back into a tech job, 10 to 6-ish PM every day was no joke, after three months of not giving a fuck. It was torture. I could not understand how I did it until then. And there was that painful realization of "what am I doing here for eight hours a day? I am clearly not using all of it. Give me four hours and I will do the same amount of work and go live my life". And that's when I knew that I am not going to be the guy on his deathbed, realizing that he worked too hard and didn't live, after winning the cosmic lottery of being born on such a rare place as planet Earth.

californical 5y ago
Taking a month off of work (in between jobs) to travel and explore is what got me into the whole FIRE thing — similar ideas to you
- Cthulhu_ 5y ago
  I wanted to take a month off work between jobs last time, but the new employer was desperate for someone to pick up some maintenance work so it ended up being a 1 day/week thing. Not quite the same. Plus it was December and I have a family now so traveling or doing something silly wasn't an option unfortunately. Did finish a big lego piece though.
johncozen 5y ago
Tell me you live in a van without telling me you live in a van…but seriously congratulations or finding your passion.
porker 5y ago
> Let me tell you, going back into a tech job, 10 to 6-ish PM every day was no joke, after three months of not giving a fuck. It was torture. As a consultant, after a _very_ quiet year due to covid (I had travel and entertainment clients - yay me), I am finding the same. I have zero drive to go out and win business. I don't want to spend days building software to enrich the bosses and "streamline operations" so they don't have to re-hire the staff they laid off. Or work long days. Or have to kiss ass. It can't last because the money won't, but a break from work has challenged me.
- michaelt 5y ago
  Perhaps you could make a course adjustment, to work in an industry where you'd do work you see as more important? I decided years ago that I didn't want to work on adtech or fintech, and while it's meant passing over some opportunities, it hasn't limited my career much.
- papito 5y ago
  I think there are two issues here. One is - turning your brain back on after over a year of low-grade depression, as it was for me with COVID. But, I am talking specifically more about most of us going back to the office for 50-hour weeks. People have NO idea how jarring the experience will be. It will break you, it will ruin office work for you forever. And you know what? Perhaps that's not the way to live then.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Tade0 5y ago
> Six-day work week was standard like, what, 100 years ago? In communist states it was a standard as recently as in the early 70s.
- simtel20 5y ago
  And in a capitalist 3rd world society, they're still happening now. A lot of people I see here in brazil are at their doors selling stuff on their feet and doing whatever needs doing 6 days a week. The saving grace is that there are more holidays here than in most of the first world.
  - Tade0 5y ago
    Around here(Poland) we never really went off the 40h+ workweek. My parents both either worked some Saturdays or after hours. Looking at the statistics our countries have strikingly similar annual hours worked. That would make sense, because it's a public secret that we're actually a third-world country propped up by EU money.
  - huachimingo 5y ago
    Why is this being downvoted? This happens in 3rd world. Here in Chile we are not that different than Poland or Brazil in weekly working hours. At least we have more working holidays than Mexico.
    - Tade0 5y ago
      Also very curious why would anyone take issue with that comment.
- mnd999 5y ago
  9-9-6 (9am-9pm, 6 days a week) is common in China today.
dartharva 5y ago
Six-day week was a standard for the majority of firms and government offices in India till 2-3 years ago. It is still prevalent in some workplaces today.
snarf21 5y ago
It is interesting that Keynes predicted a 15 hour work week in the 1930s. There are many reasons why this didn't come to pass but part of it is our desire for a higher standard of living. The majority of people in the 1930s didn't have 4,000 sq foot houses. A lot of houses were multi-generational. But we wanted new cars and bigger houses and bigger vacations because we "deserve" it. This is fine but these things we deserve cost money and require even more work. I think our own selves would be incredulous if someone suggested in 2000 that we would be buying $50K "normal" cars and $1K phones every couple of years. This is the flip-side of next day shipping e-commerce, urgent cares on every corner, everything packaged for single use convenience, etc. Even something as silly as lunch, how many people pack versus go out in your workplace? We are part of the problem and we need to acknowledge our greed and its control of our choices.
- banannaise 5y ago
  In many cases, we're not being given the choice. Nobody builds 1,000sqft houses. When they build 1,000sqft apartments, the rent is mortgage-level. When they build 500sqft apartments, the rent is, at best, a couple hundred dollars cheaper. Few cheaper options exist, aside from co-living with other people/couples/families. I'm reminded of Innuendo Studios' statement about porn: what becomes standard is not often what the majority wants, but what a minority wants and the majority will tolerate. Developers optimize for developer profits. They know a bigger house will sell for more than a smaller one, so nobody builds smaller ones. And since "no housing" isn't an option, people will begrudgingly accept housing that is bigger and more expensive than they want, if it's the only realistic option. My choices aren't constrained by my own greed; they're constrained by that of people with far more capital than me.
- heavyset_go 5y ago
  > * The majority of people in the 1930s didn't have 4,000 sq foot houses.* The majority of people today don't have 4,000 sq. ft houses, don't buy new cars excessively, or take big vacations. You're describing how a small segment of the upper middle class lives.
toastal 5y ago
6-day weeks are still the norm in Thailand. A lot of businesses seem hellbent on not letting employees work remote if they can prevent it.
P_I_Staker 5y ago
Six day work week isn't even that uncommon anymore. Lots of people work 9-10 hours, including one weekend day (maybe a bit lighter that day).
- heavyset_go 5y ago
  Outside of a segment of white collar office workers, many people work more than 5 days a week or 8 hours a day, and they're still poor.

by papito 5y ago

californical 5y ago

Taking a month off of work (in between jobs) to travel and explore is what got me into the whole FIRE thing — similar ideas to you

Cthulhu_ 5y ago
I wanted to take a month off work between jobs last time, but the new employer was desperate for someone to pick up some maintenance work so it ended up being a 1 day/week thing. Not quite the same. Plus it was December and I have a family now so traveling or doing something silly wasn't an option unfortunately. Did finish a big lego piece though.

johncozen 5y ago

Tell me you live in a van without telling me you live in a van…but seriously congratulations or finding your passion.

porker 5y ago

> Let me tell you, going back into a tech job, 10 to 6-ish PM every day was no joke, after three months of not giving a fuck. It was torture. As a consultant, after a _very_ quiet year due to covid (I had travel and entertainment clients - yay me), I am finding the same. I have zero drive to go out and win business. I don't want to spend days building software to enrich the bosses and "streamline operations" so they don't have to re-hire the staff they laid off. Or work long days. Or have to kiss ass. It can't last because the money won't, but a break from work has challenged me.

michaelt 5y ago
Perhaps you could make a course adjustment, to work in an industry where you'd do work you see as more important? I decided years ago that I didn't want to work on adtech or fintech, and while it's meant passing over some opportunities, it hasn't limited my career much.
papito 5y ago
I think there are two issues here. One is - turning your brain back on after over a year of low-grade depression, as it was for me with COVID. But, I am talking specifically more about most of us going back to the office for 50-hour weeks. People have NO idea how jarring the experience will be. It will break you, it will ruin office work for you forever. And you know what? Perhaps that's not the way to live then.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Tade0 5y ago

> Six-day work week was standard like, what, 100 years ago? In communist states it was a standard as recently as in the early 70s.

simtel20 5y ago
And in a capitalist 3rd world society, they're still happening now. A lot of people I see here in brazil are at their doors selling stuff on their feet and doing whatever needs doing 6 days a week. The saving grace is that there are more holidays here than in most of the first world.
- Tade0 5y ago
  Around here(Poland) we never really went off the 40h+ workweek. My parents both either worked some Saturdays or after hours. Looking at the statistics our countries have strikingly similar annual hours worked. That would make sense, because it's a public secret that we're actually a third-world country propped up by EU money.
- huachimingo 5y ago
  Why is this being downvoted? This happens in 3rd world. Here in Chile we are not that different than Poland or Brazil in weekly working hours. At least we have more working holidays than Mexico.
  - Tade0 5y ago
    Also very curious why would anyone take issue with that comment.
mnd999 5y ago
9-9-6 (9am-9pm, 6 days a week) is common in China today.

dartharva 5y ago

Six-day week was a standard for the majority of firms and government offices in India till 2-3 years ago. It is still prevalent in some workplaces today.

snarf21 5y ago

It is interesting that Keynes predicted a 15 hour work week in the 1930s. There are many reasons why this didn't come to pass but part of it is our desire for a higher standard of living. The majority of people in the 1930s didn't have 4,000 sq foot houses. A lot of houses were multi-generational. But we wanted new cars and bigger houses and bigger vacations because we "deserve" it. This is fine but these things we deserve cost money and require even more work. I think our own selves would be incredulous if someone suggested in 2000 that we would be buying $50K "normal" cars and $1K phones every couple of years. This is the flip-side of next day shipping e-commerce, urgent cares on every corner, everything packaged for single use convenience, etc. Even something as silly as lunch, how many people pack versus go out in your workplace? We are part of the problem and we need to acknowledge our greed and its control of our choices.

banannaise 5y ago
In many cases, we're not being given the choice. Nobody builds 1,000sqft houses. When they build 1,000sqft apartments, the rent is mortgage-level. When they build 500sqft apartments, the rent is, at best, a couple hundred dollars cheaper. Few cheaper options exist, aside from co-living with other people/couples/families. I'm reminded of Innuendo Studios' statement about porn: what becomes standard is not often what the majority wants, but what a minority wants and the majority will tolerate. Developers optimize for developer profits. They know a bigger house will sell for more than a smaller one, so nobody builds smaller ones. And since "no housing" isn't an option, people will begrudgingly accept housing that is bigger and more expensive than they want, if it's the only realistic option. My choices aren't constrained by my own greed; they're constrained by that of people with far more capital than me.
heavyset_go 5y ago
> * The majority of people in the 1930s didn't have 4,000 sq foot houses.* The majority of people today don't have 4,000 sq. ft houses, don't buy new cars excessively, or take big vacations. You're describing how a small segment of the upper middle class lives.

toastal 5y ago

6-day weeks are still the norm in Thailand. A lot of businesses seem hellbent on not letting employees work remote if they can prevent it.

P_I_Staker 5y ago

Six day work week isn't even that uncommon anymore. Lots of people work 9-10 hours, including one weekend day (maybe a bit lighter that day).

heavyset_go 5y ago
Outside of a segment of white collar office workers, many people work more than 5 days a week or 8 hours a day, and they're still poor.