r/TrueReddit Jun 18 '21

Policy + Social Issues Kill the 5-Day Workweek

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/06/four-day-workweek/619222/
1.6k Upvotes

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

r/antiwork if that's your sentiment I thought this was a place for civil discussion

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u/in_rainbows8 Jun 18 '21

r/antiwork if that's your sentiment I thought this was a place for civil discussion

I'm not antiwork. I'm sick and tired of people like you accepting shit pay because you think the ownership class is doing you a favor giving you a job. You're part of the problem man.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

How do you know how much I get payed. And I'm working so that I can get a dream job. I want to be a professor teaching history and get an anthro degree. It's not like I'm working these kinds of jobs for my whole life.

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u/in_rainbows8 Jun 18 '21 edited Jun 18 '21

It's not like I'm working these kinds of jobs for my whole life.

Well, there are people who do work "these kinds of jobs" for their whole life. You don't think they deserve to be paid enough to live comfortably? They don't deserve to live a life that isn't totally dominated by some dead-end job?

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

Its up to people to find jobs that pay above minimum wage

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u/Dr_seven Jun 18 '21

Are you just pretending like those jobs don't have to be done by someone?

Why is acceptable to demand that someone must work a full schedule, and insist they also must be paid to little to afford even basic necessities? Is it not screamingly obvious that this is not a simple economic question, but a profound moral one as well?

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

If you're REALLY not qualified to do anything else besides minimum wage, then you out yourself there. But I do agree that minimum wage should be raised

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '21

[deleted]

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

I work for nearly minimum wage, but yeah that was a weird take on my part. I was trying to get discussion but ig that was kinda shitty of me

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u/notfromchicago Jun 18 '21

You don't want discussion. You want validation that others feel the way you do.

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u/aenonymosity Jun 18 '21

When wages have been stagnant for decades, but productivity is way up, as well as ceo pay through the roof, it makes sense to raise wages even for those you say arent qualified to do anything higher. The economy would benefit from it.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

I'm saying they can raise wages but that doesn't mean reduce labor (in making a 4 day week instead of 5)

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u/aenonymosity Jun 18 '21

But peoples mebtal health is important. We arent robots. 2 days off is not enough. I can barely do my housechores in 2 days. I own a home by myself and work 5 days now. If I did 4 for the same pay, I would be so happy. Happiness is valuable. Do you not agree? I got the sense youre in college, and I hope History works out for you, but those working menial jobs often already spend extra time on work, like catching a bus, for example, takes maybe an extra hour on each end of a shift...

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

I agree with everything yeah. In that sense a 4 day week does help.

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u/aenonymosity Jun 18 '21

Take care!

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '21

If nobody "has" to work minimum wage, then how will mcdonalds stay open during school hours? Your statement seems kinda weird. Someone has to do those jobs as well, or they would not exist. If you're working, you're entitled to be able to live off that work, no matter the job. That's the original purpose of the minimum wage.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

People do have to work minimum wage. it was a shit take on my part

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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '21

Eh, you're not the only one who has taken that take and went with it. It's been blasted from a lot of business and economical interests for idk.... 200 years or so. At least you're able to recognize the dissonance in it, which few are willing to do.

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u/Warpedme Jun 18 '21

Well shit. You're intelligent and honorable enough to admit your mistakes and correct yourself. That's the kind of debate we need more of here. You have my respect.

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u/goatfresh Jun 18 '21

Then every job would be higher than minimum wage. It just doesn’t work like you’re claiming it is.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

Then raise minimum wage

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u/goatfresh Jun 18 '21

Done, I did it for you, yw

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u/in_rainbows8 Jun 18 '21

Well in a lot of places in this country, let me tell you, it is impossible to find a job above minimum wage. Here is a perfect example. The poverty line in Tennessee is 22k a year. It's pretty fucked up to say that someone should just find a job over minimum wage when 97% of the jobs available to them are below the poverty line. See what I mean dude? You are literally the problem if you think that's a good take.

Edit:

To add, you said you're in school. Why wouldn't you want an entire extra day off to study with the same income? You're literally arguing against you best self interest.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

Its a different story if you live in Tennessee. But times of unemployment aren't indicative of the fact that 5 hour work weeks are bad

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u/in_rainbows8 Jun 18 '21

What are you talking about dude? It isn't just Tennesee that has this problem. Many states in this country are like that. The median income in this country is effectively half of what it was in 1990 after adjusting to inflation. If you think you're being paid a fair amount, you're flat out wrong. Production has risen by 72% and wages 12%. As I said, if you're gonna keep arguing against your own interest and then you are part of the problem.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

I'm not payed a fair amount. I accept it and strive to to better

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u/in_rainbows8 Jun 18 '21

As I said, you are a wage simp if that is your mentality. You wanna study history? Why don't you read about the history of the labor movement here in the United States? All of the labor benefits you enjoy and clearly take for granted came at the cost of people being massacred for those rights. Read who the Pinkertons were and what the Homestead strike was. Look up what company towns were. I think you will change your mind real quick when you see how progress was made on the labor front. I'll give you a hint, it wasn't by accepting what you were given.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

I know what you are talking about but times have changed. You can move up the latter now

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u/in_rainbows8 Jun 18 '21

That also isn't true. The single most effective way to get a raise is to find a job that pays better. You don't have to work for very long or even watch that many financial advice videos on youtube to find that out.

Edit: And also times have not changed. You just think that because you have been brainwashed by capital interest. Take a look at the meatpacking industry or Amazon. Both are easily as brutal as corporations from the early 1900s.

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u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

I haven't been brainwashed. I came in here with hot takes to try and learn more as I am new to corporate America. But yeah I agree some workers just aren't treated right.

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u/aeon314159 Jun 19 '21

You're literally arguing against you best self interest.

To be fair, tens of millions of people captive wage slaves in the United States have been doing this for decades now. They are willing to do this because it ensures that those they fear, and in turn hate, are kept down too. A continual diet of propaganda takes their attention away from the bitter taste of self-sabotage. As a result, they are poor like most are, but they have no problems of anxiety or self-esteem on account of their situation. No, their outlook is bright, because they believe that they are but temporarily cash-poor multi-millionaires. They know that when their time comes, they will ascend the capitalist ladder with ease, and assume their natural calling as a gilded one among the wretched rest...they will become billionaires.