As someone in their early(ish) career. I would love to, but I can't afford the 20% pay-cut.
Also, due to French regulations, working 80% will lose you 35%+ of your paid holidays. So that's something to keep in mind.
Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
91–100 of 123 posts
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone who is actively hiring, can you elaborate a bit? What are the worst aspects of this monoculture that a company that is just now establishing its culture can focus on avoiding?
Leet code challenges - you are not Google. Offices in super expensive locations (get out of cities and provide WFH for those who wish to stay!). Uber cosmopolitan politics shoved down everyone's throats. Many things
> Uber cosmopolitan politics shoved down everyone's throats.
What’s a specific example of this?
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone who is actively hiring, can you elaborate a bit? What are the worst aspects of this monoculture that a company that is just now establishing its culture can focus on avoiding?
Leet code challenges - you are not Google. Offices in super expensive locations (get out of cities and provide WFH for those who wish to stay!). Uber cosmopolitan politics shoved down everyone's throats. Many things
The offices are usually based in the areas where the founders live. The founders typically live in expensive locations because that’s where the funding is.
You’re setting yourself up to be a second class citizen from the get go unless the founders move.
You may as well just ask for people founding businesses to be remote first to begin with. That’s an easier ask than asking people who are founding businesses to setup remote offices and treat those people nicely. I’ve never seen it done.
I haven’t experienced any politics being shoved down my throat. But, idk, I am accepting of people and somewhat tolerant of others beliefs (white supremacy isn’t one I am tolerant of though...). So, there is that.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#94I grew up going to four day a week schools because our school district was too poor to afford the fifth day.
I’d like to go back. For 80% of the pay? Hard to say. Honestly, my costs are a bit fixed. The problem I have is that even at the ~400k/yr I make, I don’t have enough still. I need closer to 500-600k to feel comfortable. Slice that down by 20% and it’s getting me back where I’m at (uncomfortable).
I think I’d have to move and live in an entirely different area where giving up 20% of my income would have no sizable effect on my life. (Including retirement and so forth)
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#951. You should try this in Europe. It's more common to work part time.
2. You should try with non startups. Lifestyle businesses often have a better work life balance that this provides.
As for would I do it? Yes, I've done it.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#96This probably would mainly work well with A) highly talented software engineers who want to make much less than they could make for easier lifestyle or B) low productivity companies. The reason is that companies that employ software engineers are engines for transforming labor to value. They get a multiple in dollars in revenue out of their labor cost to you. Suppose this multiple is 3x. Then if an software engineer…
I don’t understand your argument. If 8 engineers work for $100 each, work 40 hours per week and output 320 hrs of work a week, or 10 engineers work for $80 each, 32 hours per week and output 320 hrs of work… there is overhead of managing more people, yes, but the people will likely be more productive per hour than the 40 hr per week people. Why does it matter if the company is making 3x or 30x on the hours per employ…
That's a good point.
It depends on whether the company's production function really is just 3x the cost of each employee.
Clearly, on average, it has to be a high multiple, but on the margin it probably does drop to 1x.
I concede that the argument for sublinear would have to be something about overhead or n-choose-2 communication costs.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#97No. Why would I do that?
I'm not a factory line worker were my output is correlated to the number of hours I spend at work.
I'm paid because I add value, how and at which times I add such value is mostly up to me.
Yes, there are deadlines and incidents, there's coordination with others, but if I'm available at weird hours when really needed (i.e. value again), I expect freedom to choose when I do what's needed and take downtime even if it's the middle of a typical workday.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
Leet code challenges - you are not Google. Offices in super expensive locations (get out of cities and provide WFH for those who wish to stay!). Uber cosmopolitan politics shoved down everyone's throats. Many things
> Uber cosmopolitan politics shoved down everyone's throats. What’s a specific example of this?
- Management proselytizing Black Lives Matter.
- Official company polls asking if I have been vaccinated. Particulars of my health status are none of their business.
- Mandated diversity, inclusion, and equity training.
- Statements from the C-Suite about the Derek Chauvin trial.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
Leet code challenges - you are not Google. Offices in super expensive locations (get out of cities and provide WFH for those who wish to stay!). Uber cosmopolitan politics shoved down everyone's throats. Many things
The offices are usually based in the areas where the founders live. The founders typically live in expensive locations because that’s where the funding is. You’re setting yourself up to be a second class citizen from the get go unless the founders move. You may as well just ask for people founding businesses to be remote first to begin with. That’s an easier ask than asking people who are founding businesses to setup…
Do you support the All Lives Matter movement?
Frankly, so much is thrown into the "white supremacy" tent these days, the fact that you mention that outs you as an intolerant leftist.
Re: Ask HN: Would you rather work 4 days per week for 80% salary?
#100[deleted]