5 ms·

I've said this before, but I find the belief that 4-day work weeks are broadly supported / feasible to be a bit of the typical tech-world conceit or the bubble

I've said this before, but I find the belief that 4-day work weeks are broadly supported / feasible to be a bit of the typical tech-world conceit or the bubble tech people live in. Or maybe it's just in advanced heavily intangible-services-based economies. If you imagine this being applied to everything in the corporate/services world (and work is not "divisible"), would you be happy to have businesses closed 1 additional day per week? The DMV closed on Mondays -- but the fees and pay of employees remain the same? How about if prices go up by 20% to pay for the cost of having a 4 day week? Your plumber or car mechanic or doctor having 20% fewer available times to see you? The idea of the 4 day work week where people can do all that they do now, but be more efficient about it in 4 days instead, is something exclusively a privilege that white collar workers can even consider.

nicoburns 5y ago
People said all the same things about the 5 day work week before it was introduced. And the 8 hour day. IMO the economy absolutely can support it, but it may require some wealth distribution to make it work.
- BuckRogers 5y ago
  If it's not doable in the age of fiat and 10-20% of the workforce actually producing things we actually need (food, housing), and doing it at extreme scale.. then it'll never happen. What I mean to say is that it is doable. Most of us are doing work that serves no real need other than contrived needs. It's absurd to think that given no one dies if I don't do my job, that we can't go to 4-10s. I could die tomorrow myself, and nothing changes. That's how inconsequential many employees and thus businesses are today.
tayo42 5y ago
Why would business be closed? The workers just get scheduled less often. Part of the 4 day workweek idea is that we're not actually realizing the benefits of technological advances, instead of having the same output but working less were working more and outputting more. Self employed contractors like plumbers are free to do what ever they want

nicoburns 5y ago

People said all the same things about the 5 day work week before it was introduced. And the 8 hour day. IMO the economy absolutely can support it, but it may require some wealth distribution to make it work.

BuckRogers 5y ago
If it's not doable in the age of fiat and 10-20% of the workforce actually producing things we actually need (food, housing), and doing it at extreme scale.. then it'll never happen. What I mean to say is that it is doable. Most of us are doing work that serves no real need other than contrived needs. It's absurd to think that given no one dies if I don't do my job, that we can't go to 4-10s. I could die tomorrow myself, and nothing changes. That's how inconsequential many employees and thus businesses are today.

tayo42 5y ago

Why would business be closed? The workers just get scheduled less often. Part of the 4 day workweek idea is that we're not actually realizing the benefits of technological advances, instead of having the same output but working less were working more and outputting more. Self employed contractors like plumbers are free to do what ever they want