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Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

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101–110 of 179 posts

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#102

I am guilty of triaging emails on the underground train in on the morning. No one seems to have mentioned my perspective: Its not that I feel compelled to do this (far from it), its more that the commute is BORING AS HELL . At least for London, the wifi and network is only available during the 30 seconds you are in a station (i.e. not in the tunnels), so more productive things that need a persistent network connectio…

Duolingo? Netflix? Why aren't you replying e-mails? Tunnels are no excuse, mortal [1]

[1] http://www.offlineimap.org

(Wink)

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#104
post #90

If your employer tracks you by the hour, then of course email while commuting is work. Also thinking about a design while taking a shower in the evening is work. Also waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall asleep because work issues are bothering you is work. Why employers (in the knowledge business at least) track people by the hour is beyond my understanding.

From an employers point of view, tracking hours does not make sense. At least as long as we are talking about creative work, where people tend to stay longer than they would be required to, without even noticing how much time they were working.

At least in Germany, working unions are fighting against not counting working hours, because it is better for the employees and is also a saftey net against related health issues. Without counting, legal rules are not enforceable and people may even work on weekends without any compensation. This also leads to the fact that managers start to expect those extra hours from everyone, and consequently see it as an lack of motivation or dedication not doing them.

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#105

Commuting should count as work

Oh no, lets not reward people who do not value their time, and choose to live further from work than others.

Even living in the same city taking the subway + a bus, you can end up wasting up to 90 minutes in commute daily.

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#106

Well, obviously. Doing things which are part of work counts as work is hardly an innovative statement. The question is, how did companies persuade people that they should work for free on the way into the office?

It's not just "on the way into the office" it's at night, it's being on call without being paid to be (expecting one to read emails after hours)

Companies didn't persuade people, the tools (smart phones, laptops/home computers, fast residential network) just made it too easy and when all your peers do it it's hard for you not to.

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#107
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Women joining the workforce lead to a long term decrease in the labor supply. The only reason wages haven’t gone up is a massive influx of foreign born workers that keeps supply high.

From what I've read the birth rate has long been on a gradual decline as wealth has increased. That there was no sudden drop when women went back to work, just a continuation of the trend.

That doesn't appear to be true. Birth rates plummeted in the 60s and 70s[1], which is when women started to really join the work force in quantity.

Perhaps the people inclined to down vote think I'm advocating for banning women from work? Please realize I'm saying no such thing, I'm simply pointing out an obvious consequence for long term labor supply that simple reasoning can deduce and the data bears out.

[1]http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/18/is-u-s-ferti...

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#108
post #63
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nearly all companies "steal" from their employees. If the company makes any profit whatsoever, that is surplus value which has not been paid to the employees who generated it.

Then maybe those poor exploited employees should go and generate surplus value for themselves without the company.

They may not have the capital to do so. That doesn't mean they're not aggrieved. It just suggests they do not have the means to do anything about it.

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#109
post #79

Women joining the workforce increased the labor supply which decreased wages on the whole. This makes it so many women HAVE to work as opposed to GET to work. A double income for many families is required nowadays.

At the same time, it's also given women the ability to survive and exist in society without requiring them to be married or otherwise supported by a man.

If that is your argument, I would say men have done a commendable job. They supported women for centuries while building a society that would eventually let women not be dependent on men.

Re: Emails while commuting 'should count as work'

#110
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I've read the birth rate has long been on a gradual decline as wealth has increased. That there was no sudden drop when women went back to work, just a continuation of the trend.

That doesn't appear to be true. Birth rates plummeted in the 60s and 70s[1], which is when women started to really join the work force in quantity. Perhaps the people inclined to down vote think I'm advocating for banning women from work? Please realize I'm saying no such thing, I'm simply pointing out an obvious consequence for long term labor supply that simple reasoning can deduce and the data bears out. [1] http:…

Lower birthrates could as easily be attributed to lower infant mortality catching up to a new generation

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/figures/m4838a2f1....

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