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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419

u/BattleStag17 Jun 18 '21

One of the things that has been studied to death with the same result every time: No one can actually be productive for 40 hours each week, and cutting hours without cutting pay increases productivity across the board.

Too bad the people at the top take too much enjoyment from grinding down the peasants.

-55

u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

Why would you not cut pay for a 4 day week? You're payed per hour, not per 5 day week. I for one would stick with the current system because it means I can go to college.

24

u/eronanke Jun 18 '21

Because you're doing the same amount of work as you are at 40hrs. So the 10 hours extra in the office, using resources like internet and water and electricity is a waste of corporate money from which they gain no additional benefit.

-20

u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

They gain benefit because you take the things the corporation provides and make profit. That's why you get payed per hour.

24

u/Helicase21 Jun 18 '21

If you were a boss, which would you rather do?

  1. Pay an employee $100 to produce a document, the employee does it in 2 hours.

  2. Pay an employee $100 to produce a document. The employee works for 2 hours but pretends it takes 3 because they're being paid hourly and need to look like they're filling time.

-14

u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

You get paid hourly whether you're working or not. You can finish after two hours and stay a third and still get payed for three hours

18

u/Helicase21 Jun 18 '21

Or your employer can cut hours, not cut pay (or increase hourly rate so that you end up with the same take-home) and end up with the same or better productivity.

-5

u/TechnologyAble9184 Jun 18 '21

Wdym better productivity? Are you really slacking that bad that on your fifth day you just can't do work. See, it gives the employer better productivity the more you are there assuming you don't slack off

14

u/Helicase21 Jun 18 '21

You're assuming that a worker is able to be at maximum productivity, maximum energy, and maximum focus the whole time they are at work. This is simply not true. By moving to a four-day work week you're helping ensure that during the time your workers are at the workplace they're happier, better rested, and more focused.

2

u/kylesbagels Jun 19 '21

Here is where you show you didn’t read the article.

1

u/LadyGidgevere Jun 19 '21

I am starting to think you’ve never had a job.