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Are 4-Day work weeks a generally good idea?
- Thread starter West Texas CEO
- Start date
lifa-cobex
Member
The whole idea of Money = Happiness is fine base idea but is taken wildly too far.
I was in a stable job with a great income for a few years and i felt very devoid of meaning or just a general joy.
I spent most of my life at work, getting general things that needed doing on Saturday and then relaxing on Sunday. Rinse and repeat.
It's fucking depressing.
I got to a point when I left my 12 year relationship, quit my job and up sticks and moved a month or so back. Completely self destructed.
It doesn't help that working in a funeral industry is a constant reminder that you could pop out of existence at any point.
Less work and more life please.
I was in a stable job with a great income for a few years and i felt very devoid of meaning or just a general joy.
I spent most of my life at work, getting general things that needed doing on Saturday and then relaxing on Sunday. Rinse and repeat.
It's fucking depressing.
I got to a point when I left my 12 year relationship, quit my job and up sticks and moved a month or so back. Completely self destructed.
It doesn't help that working in a funeral industry is a constant reminder that you could pop out of existence at any point.
Less work and more life please.
Platinumstorm
Member
I'm in medicine and work 4 days per week, typically 9 hour days. I am allowed admin time on my day off, but I work through my lunches daily so I don't have to do anything on "admin day".
I'm an advocate of going to 4 days per week 6 hours per day. We say 9-5, but really we're working 8-5 and then taking an hour to commute [commuting is something we should be destroying for environmental concerns too]. It leads to people living really imbalanced lifestyles.
We abide the archaic "8-8-8" which just doesn't apply in the modern world.
People either cut out exercise, social activities, cooking, sleep, or a combination. If you can say you don't count out one of those three, I would be impressed. I largely cut out social and sleep.
I'm also an advocate of returning to a one income household. The two income household has been damaging at devaluing what a worker is worth.
I'm an advocate of going to 4 days per week 6 hours per day. We say 9-5, but really we're working 8-5 and then taking an hour to commute [commuting is something we should be destroying for environmental concerns too]. It leads to people living really imbalanced lifestyles.
We abide the archaic "8-8-8" which just doesn't apply in the modern world.
People either cut out exercise, social activities, cooking, sleep, or a combination. If you can say you don't count out one of those three, I would be impressed. I largely cut out social and sleep.
I'm also an advocate of returning to a one income household. The two income household has been damaging at devaluing what a worker is worth.
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RoyalLaFlame
Banned
Me, in the IT field, in China? Hahahahahahahah good joke, never gonna happen
They love their 40 hours per week plus weekends work. Oh, you wanna rest? Fuck you. How about you come on the weekend just to show that you work?
I fucking hate this.
They love their 40 hours per week plus weekends work. Oh, you wanna rest? Fuck you. How about you come on the weekend just to show that you work?
I fucking hate this.
Omega Supreme Holopsicon
Banned
We automated enough for zero day work week. Let only those passionate for work to actually do the work, let the rest do whatever they want. Some even playing by working in simulated environments in games like arma3, iirc. Many willing to work for free if they can have food stamps and a roof at least, it is not just those that are after money looking to spend time working.(edit: licensing guilds-groups such as lawyers and medicine are to make it more expensive not just for safety but to gatekeep too many people from working as healers and lawyers, sure it keeps subpar out but also excludes many brilliant people. Think legal penalties would be enough to keep subpar in trouble.)
In any case not only have they printed an insane amount of money with government aid, but rumor is they can't increase interest to pull the genie back in the bag otherwise the interest would affect the massive-gargantuan national U.S. debt forcing austerity measures upon U.S. population.
Also another issue is cryptocurrency, if not outlawed that shit makes too much money, beating even gold. The boom bust cycle essentially create and destroy wealth rapidly out of thin air.
Hopefully we solve energy issue, because energy is the basis of the whole system, and with the money symbols going screwy, inevitable collapse would happen without adequate support energy for this unprecedented wave of wealth creation, big enough to finally abolish work(another word for slavery.) for real.
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In any case not only have they printed an insane amount of money with government aid, but rumor is they can't increase interest to pull the genie back in the bag otherwise the interest would affect the massive-gargantuan national U.S. debt forcing austerity measures upon U.S. population.
Also another issue is cryptocurrency, if not outlawed that shit makes too much money, beating even gold. The boom bust cycle essentially create and destroy wealth rapidly out of thin air.
Hopefully we solve energy issue, because energy is the basis of the whole system, and with the money symbols going screwy, inevitable collapse would happen without adequate support energy for this unprecedented wave of wealth creation, big enough to finally abolish work(another word for slavery.) for real.
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West Texas CEO
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
What?
Omega Supreme Holopsicon
Banned
you mean what I said? or something else?
I say we should abolish work, and it is essentially abolished if cryptos not dealt with. Crypto mining, and staking generates ridiculous sums without mentioning automated trading and interest payment. Meanwhile dollar on a straight road to Zimbabwe.
West Texas CEO
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
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Omega Supreme Holopsicon
Banned
Haven't heard about that I meant UBI, universal basic income, don't just give food stamps and meager sums or housing you have to negotiate with intense paper work annually. Give everyone basic income good enough to live with. Basically perpetual PUA. OR endless monthly government checks. checking video.
ed checked video,
I heard about a similar automation concept called manna by Marshal brain
Manna (novel) - Wikipedia
There also appears to be a UBI crypto called MANNA found while searching will investigate.
As for unlimited free time it always helps geniuses reshape the world like genies
central planning doesn't work, cities organically grow and evolve like living systems
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-Minsc-
Member
What is work? Is that the job a person goes to or does that include household chores/maintenance and personal hygiene? Entertainment, such as video games, can become a form of unpaid work. I wonder if the biggest detriment is the mindset of trying to get X amount of things done in a span of time rather than the amount of hours worked.
For me, making a post such as this is a lot of work. It takes me a lot of time to post short messages.
For me, making a post such as this is a lot of work. It takes me a lot of time to post short messages.
Think the clearest line is that you're getting paid for work.
But yeah, to your point I think the attitude towards life has resulted in people working more in the non-traditional sense. To me, I look at it completely from the perspective of maximizing my enjoyment. There's a lot of factors that go into that though, it's not as simple as x activity is the most enjoyable so I'll just do that all the time. Chores/maintenance for example, they just seem like things that need to be done, but to me they do contribute to my enjoyment by way of removing stress...I get stressed out when shit is dirty/broken so I take care of it and it allows me to get more enjoyment out of other activities such as golfing or video games.
Similar concept for me applies to work. Work is for the most part strictly a means to an end, I have no ambitions tied to work outside of it facilitating the best (most enjoyable) life possible outside of it. Now obviously there's a sort of minimum amount of money I can make, to fund the activities I want to do but also other necessities such as a home, food, etc (ie. stuff that would stress me out not to have/be able to pay for). So my first goal with work has always been to make that minimum amount needed while putting in the absolute least time/effort on my part, leaving me the most energy to do things that actually matter (obviously work matters, but only indirectly by way of the things it enables). I think it gets a bit more complicated after that, since the value of money has diminishing returns once I've funded everything I need to. Obviously there's always more shit I can buy, and there's early retirement, but once I've fulfilled those goals the investment vs. return has to weigh much more heavily in my favour. Let's say I work 20 hour weeks right now for 120k a year. If someone said I'll give you 150k but it'll be a 30 hour week, it's probably a hard pass...I'd rather the time than that money, which isn't gonna move a needle. Now if you say 200k, well maybe I give up the time for a few years, that extra money could go a long way and pay off time/enjoyment wise down the line.
niveaformen
Banned
Though it wasn't mentioned in the original post, the Icelandic 4 day week trial was reduced hours and not actually 4 days of work. A point was also made that productivity may have been the same because of the observer effect. Maybe they could just get shit done in less time? Original report
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Why not 3 days or 2 days then? Why stop at 4?
Omega Supreme Holopsicon
Banned
that's the spirit
here's a video on the topic of automated trading, some say it's a scam others say it ain't
I think companies like celsius which pay you high interest on your cryptos work in part through automated trading though I could be mistaken, could be just smart lending
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Video on celsius(connected to voyager crypto app interest means iirc too.)
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greencoder
Member
Office jobs should be 6*5.
Trogdor1123
Gold Member
I have found this to be especially true recently and it drives me nuts. Since covid has occured my productivity has gone, I'm working from home so less travel due to digital meetings and working from home allows me to do more at different times. I got a big raise out of it as well as the change was clear to my boss and my boss' boss.
Other people though, they seem to always be busy and never produce anything. It is super frustrating as it shouldn't be at all.
I'd take 4, 9 hour, days though. An extra day with my kids would be great.
Flash Junkins
Member
In my experience is kills productivity for 10-20% of my tech's shifts. 10 hours days are longer than you tulips imagine.
I mean look above at the number of people who don't even work their full shifts now.
Protip: These are the same people who can't believe they get passed over for a promotion and make a thread bitching about it.
I mean look above at the number of people who don't even work their full shifts now.
Protip: These are the same people who can't believe they get passed over for a promotion and make a thread bitching about it.
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QuantumZebra
Member
Agreed.
My weekends are a decision fest of yardwork/family time/me time/rest/recreation.
/shrug
IT Director here and I've been working 9 hourish days without taking lunch for a majority of my time in my current position. Still no 3 day weekend. And I'm definitely not a "workaholic".
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Flash Junkins
Member
I deal with CIO's/CSO's directly and I can't think of one who would say the above. I'm guessing you're not working for Verizon or any hospital system.
Droxcy
Member
I've been trying to convince my management to go 4-10 route forever now, 5 days a week is so pointless and a energy draining experience (in my field). I have worked 12hrs 4 on then 3 on, the 4 10s & then 8hrs 5 days. I prefer the 10 hours...
Employees will miss less work/call off due to the extra day off so it really solves a lot of problems for most places.
Employees will miss less work/call off due to the extra day off so it really solves a lot of problems for most places.
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BadBurger
Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
An oddly aggressive response.
Anyways, productivity increased for us a great deal for every tech and management role. Mobility within the company remains high, turnover very low, employee satisfaction remains high, and my company still pays about 10% more for all tech roles than other companies in the area. Healthcare IT by the way. One of the largest networks in the nation.
No offense but it merely sounds like you're a poor manager. You might want to do some reflection, sign yourself up for some management training courses.