Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split • Hacker News Board

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#411

Post by bellyfullofbac » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 1:56 PM UTC

ant6n wrote: post #387

bellyfullofbac wrote: post #353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought I'd rather watch the video than read your long transcript, I clicked it, it's Wendover with his weird speech pattern (some syllables loud, some syllables he runs through, but some vowels he drawls on...). > Just IN tiime, is such a SIMple principlee, but the purSUIT of the ELIMination of waste... Tab closed, thanks for the transcript.

Did the speaker on wendover change like 1~2 years ago? I feel like the voice used to be more, uh, geeky sounding.

He probably got some sort of speech coaching because he didn't like the way he sounded. A bad one, I would say. I looked up a video from 2017, he sounded ok, I could hear some long syllables but they weren't as long as they are now. It also sounds like he got a different mic.

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#412

Post by brigandish » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 1:57 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #390

brigandish wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The Japanese government isn't saying "Let's get rid of pointless meetings and busy work!" Maybe, but if you've worked in Japan, or even just living here, you know about the long, pointless meetings, desk warming and busy work. Thus, it's highly possible the government is saying "let's get rid of pointless meetings and busy work". Things are that top-down here that often companies won't do anything unless the govern…

> Western principles such as truth, innocence and self-reliance aren't foundational here ... nor in the West, to be fair. Lies and cheats are commonplace in any Western workplace. I think you are over-generalizing. Self-reliance is big in Japan too, even while egoism is not - it's drilled into people basically from birth, with things like students cleaning their own schools. Innocence is always politely expected unti…

Perhaps I should've used the word ideals instead of principles, as you're right, plenty of liars and cheats around (we're all human). Aside from that I'm happy with what I wrote. You can't have innocence and truth as fundamental ideals of a shame culture.

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#413

Post by brigandish » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 1:59 PM UTC

vict00ms wrote: post #385

qwerty456127 wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Western principles such as truth, innocence and self-reliance aren't foundational here Then what is?

I'm 4th generation Japanese-American, and in no way whatsoever qualified to answer your question, but I'll gladly do it nonetheless: they prioritize the collective over the individual.

This is entirely correct, it seems you are displaying the kind of humility that would make your ancestors proud!

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#414

Post by toomanybeersies » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 2:01 PM UTC

hn8788 wrote: post #28

reidjs wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it makes sense to have people available for regular hours, just so that if I ask someone a question I can expect a response today-ish. But, I agree that a lot of meetings should be emails, teambuilding events are usually poorly done, and procrastination is hard to avoid when you've got access to the internet. Minor nitpick: Is an hour long lunch really that bad?

Yeah, and hour long lunch is pretty long. Most people I know take less time than that to eat at a restaurant, let alone just grabbing your sandwich from the fridge.

Lunch isn't just about refuelling, I can eat at my desk and keep working if that was the case. It's about taking a break.

Also, for some of us it's normal to go to a restaurant or to the pub for lunch. It's been years since I've eaten a packed lunch.

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#415

Post by toomanybeersies » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 2:04 PM UTC

failwhaleshark wrote: post #105

isatty wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s wrong with an hour long lunch? Isn’t that normal?

If and when companies stop treating employees like children and more like adults who can decide for themselves when to take breaks, work, and take vacations, they might just watch productivity and morale soar. Netflix generally has the right idea on this.

These kinds of rules are usually put in place because without them, companies treat their employees like slaves.

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#416

Post by mnky9800n » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 2:07 PM UTC

franciscop wrote: post #235

onion2k wrote: post #213

I think a lot of the replies in the thread so far have focused on tech (understandably, this is HN after all) but that's missing something obvious - the 4 day week would apply to everyone. In tech it's very likely someone going from 5 days to 4 days could still achieve the same amount of actual work. As other commenters have said, many tech workers don't do productive work all the time they're present. Retail workers…

I fully agree with your comment overall, but as someone who lives in Japan I'd like to point out that specifically "people who fill in the holes in roads" is a running joke in Japan since small street constructions always seem way over-staffed. It's amazing because they do finish a lot faster than in western countries, but you can definitely remove 20% of the people in street-level construction and would see little d…

They even have signs that look like people that day watch out for the sidewalk that stand next to the guy that says watch out for the sidewalk. But everyone who wants to work should have a job.

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#417

Post by skinpop » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 2:07 PM UTC

here in japan where I live 5 day work weeks are unheard of. everyone is working monday to saturday.

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#418

Post by kevstev » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 2:08 PM UTC

lehi wrote: post #79

isatty wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s wrong with an hour long lunch? Isn’t that normal?

If I ate lunch I was expected to stay from 9 to 6.

I have never ever worked a job where 9-6 was not the standard, and I don't really know anyone who took an entire hour for lunch either, at least not as a regular thing. This is in NYC. Do 9-5 jobs really exist these days?

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#419

Post by Workaccount2 » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 2:08 PM UTC

Twisol wrote: post #399

Kiro wrote: post #361

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Sure you could fully automate fuel stations Where are you from? I thought fuel stations in most Western countries were fully automated already. In Sweden there are loads with no people at all but even the ones with a store you just pay at the pump. You only go inside if you need to buy something else. Very strange example to use and kind of invalidates your whole point.

Apparently, it's illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. [0] [0] https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/74549/why-cant-you-pump-...

From NJ, wouldn't change it.

No need to get out of your car and deal with a dirty pump. You can also get out to go in the store while they fill your tank, or some smaller places you can buy stuff right from the attendant. Gas doesn't cost any extra because of it either. We used to have some of the cheapest gas in the country before a recent tax hike. Basically a free service, no tipping either.

One downside is that if it is busy you might have to wait, but the guys are usually pretty quick.

Re: Japan's government plans to encourage 4-day workweek, but experts split

#420

Post by ratww » Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 2:10 PM UTC

MomoXenosaga wrote: post #357

SilverRed wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I can see. These front desk jobs exist as theft/crime deterrent and to handle edge cases. Sure you could fully automate fuel stations but who is going to call the police when kids start spray painting the windows unless you have someone sitting at a desk watching cctv all day. And who is going to deal with customers who are trying to report something is wrong with a pump. These jobs have already been automa…

I kinda feel some countries care a lot about full employment. How they can afford it is beyond me though.

It's quite simple: they can afford it by having full employment.

Full employment means lots of good things: a population that's richer per-capita and spends more, less expenses on welfare, less poverty, less crime, less billionaires, etc.