Scotland is planning a transition to a 4-day workweek for civil servants and wants the private sector to follow suit
Scotland is planning a transition to a 4-day workweek for civil servants and wants the private sector to follow suit
The four-day workweek pilot could kick off by the end of this year, and is set to last about 12 months.
I'm a member of the much maligned boomer generation. I was a highschooler before microwaves and personal computers. We were promised those things, also personal flying cars, because technology was going to bring us so many benefits. Well we got most of the things, tho not flying cars. But to many of us, much more importantly we were led to expect a shorter work week. I never needed more things; I wanted more time to enjoy my own life. It's time and past time for the 32 hour work week.
I'm gen x, was at school when the first personal computers were becoming a thing, they started a computing class and IT stuff as I was going through secondary. Was told how technology would free up time for us once we reached the work force. Haven't seen that, what I have seen is where there used to be an office of dozens, there is now a couple of people with computers and great software, producing the same output, the company kept all the benefit.
Half of the crew works Mon-thurs Other half tues to fri Pay everyone for 40 and give them a raise Let’s sneak single payer healthcare in there too
Scotland has the NHS. So no sneaking required
How do 4 day work weeks work for healthcare employees? Drop to 32 hours? Still 40+ but overtime after 32?
Healthcare and similar industries that can't really complete more work in less time are interesting when we think about 4 day work weeks.
The same as every other industry, hire more people
But, that would lower profits. Profits can never be lowered. Profits can only go up.
Overtime after 32 would be the best feasible solution, since they already tend to get overscheduled at 40+ and this would reward them even more for their extra time spent working.
The real solution would be increasing the number of healthcare workers so they did not need to work so much overtime, and setting a shorter expectation for them to exceed might push for that outcome.
If technology has freed up so much time overall, then the people overall should not have to work so many hours. Instead, capitalism has ensured that rather than more time, we have more things to buy so we must continue to work 40 hours or more a week.
Yeah, the possibility of working and getting paid extra for the extra day really exploits the way our brain works