21 hour working week

careful_eugene · Post by **careful_eugene** » 13 Feb 2010, 08:24

The working week should be cut to 21 hours to help boost the economy and improve quality of life, a left-wing think tank has said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8513783.stm

This sounds like a great idea (The unfortunate irony is that it's a saturday and I'm typing this at work)

Quintus · Post by **Quintus** » 13 Feb 2010, 12:41

I heard the idea being ridiculed on the radio this morning. The UK doesn't even like the EU's Working Time Directive. It will take a major crisis before people are ready to change their mindsets.

If everyone did part-time paid work plus part-time voluntary work they’d be enough work for everybody. Well, I can dream.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 13 Feb 2010, 15:01

The working week should be cut to 21 hours to help boost the economy and improve quality of life, a left-wing think tank has said.

21 hours? Sheesh that's almost 'cruel & unusual punishment!

Someone I know working full-time for a local county council has a much more civilised 17 hour "core-time" week!

OK, I agree this does NOT mean that he has to work just 17 hours ... but strangely he seems to be able to take half days off to go to Ikea, or to do extensive work on his Sarah Beeny style house rebuild project.

No doubt he is starting very early and working very late some days to make up his hours.

< ducks behind sofa again .... INCOMING! >

jcw · Post by **jcw** » 14 Feb 2010, 00:01

Most people are indoctrinated into believing that "work" (any "work") is a good thing and you are bad and lazy if you don't "work hard".

I think most people would happily work fewer hours, in fact a lot of people seem to hate or at least resent their work.

The problem is that they don't want to reduce their consumption, which they express by saying that they don't want a reduction in pay.

2 As and a B · Post by **2 As and a B** » 14 Feb 2010, 21:12

First reduce consumption. Then reduce work hours to earn enough to pay for needs. Then spend saved time making stuff for yourself. Then reduce work hours some more until just earning enough for taxes, debts, insurances and the stuff you can't make for yourself. Spend saved time doing things with and for others. As you're now doing stuff that local and national government used to do, reduce your hours some more and stop paying those taxes and, because the locality is a whole lot friendlier now, most of those insurances.

What? This ISN'T the way an economy is supposed to function?