Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

fisherphillips.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 228 posts

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#101

Post by newaccount2021 »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #11
88913527 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't necessarily share the sentiment, but I am curious to hear the case for the consequences. California is basically its own economy: the state can make its own rules, so from my perspective, the state has more power to set the rules. Other states, at best, can market themselves as "not California"-- something to run from, but not necessarily something to run to.

Indeed, California is the fifth largest economy in the world, ahead of the UK and India (based on GDP).

No post body was provided.

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#102

Post by jcpst »

dizzant wrote: post #86
kleiba wrote: post #66

If I subtract the time I spend checking my social media while pretending to work, I'm probably already doing a 32 hour work week...

This grinds my gears. I'm a part time at my office (govt contractor), and do more work in 20 hours than some others on my team do in 40. Restrictions on firing underperformers put us in the position of "needing" 40 hours in the workweek.

Let’s give them the benefit and say they get all their expected tasks done in that 32 hours.

What’s disappointing is wasting that time on social media, when those extra 8 hours could be to improve a process, do some self-learning, mentoring, research… at least, that’s what I do if what I need to get done doesn’t fill the week.

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#103

Post by EMM_386 »

t0mas88 wrote: post #73
throwawayboise wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consider that people used to work every day. Farming, hunting, subsisting. When organized religion and cities started to spread, you had one day a week as the day of rest. The industrial age and unionization brought us 5 days, which is now "suffocating." So if 4 days is the norm, that would start to feel suffocating also. Then it would be 3 days. Then, when work is the thing you spend the minority of your time on, yo…

Maybe that becomes possible at some point? A long time ago we needed 7 days a week to farm or hunt enough food to survive. With technological advancements we may be at a point where we need near 0 work days to feed everyone and create a comfortable life. Then doing work isn't needed to survive anymore but instead only because you want to achieve something. That could be many different things for many people.

> With technological advancements we may be at a point where we need near 0 work days to feed everyone and create a comfortable life.

Who builds the houses? Who handles the power generation? Who maintains the roads?

Who builds, and who flies, the airplanes in case people would like to travel?

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. A lot of work goes into a functioning society.

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#104

Post by marricks »

Animats wrote: post #35

What we need is more enforcement of existing labor laws. A 40-hour work week with teeth. No "unpaid overtime". No "time shaving". Out of hours phone calls count as work time, with a minimum time for a call. (3 hours in the movie industry).

We need a slew of things to change but not much will with the current power imbalances. Courts still won't/aren't going to hold companies accountable when million dollar lawyers and well priced bribes can save their assess.

Arguing about which band aid is best feels a bit like a distraction.

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#105

Post by jeffbee »

Animats wrote: post #35

What we need is more enforcement of existing labor laws. A 40-hour work week with teeth. No "unpaid overtime". No "time shaving". Out of hours phone calls count as work time, with a minimum time for a call. (3 hours in the movie industry).

Real enforcement with teeth would help a lot with several issues. One of the biggest is that construction projects in California drag on and on because an inspector will show up at a non-union job site to stop work and survey the labor to make sure they are getting paid and have fair working conditions. By "frequently" I mean weekly or more. This has massive productivity impacts, but they have to keep doing it because wage theft is endemic. If wage theft convictions came with decades-long prison sentences, this would stop. Unfortunately the public does not have an appetite for punishing white-collar crime, they only want long prison sentences for homeless guys who steal shampoo.

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#106

Post by micromacrofoot »

tlogan wrote: post #61

This bill affects only hourly workers, which means that Walmarts and other companies will just cut their work week and pay employees less. They are not going to pay them overtime if they work more. And poor people will need to find an extra job to keep up with bills. The only poeple who might benefit are hourly gov employees - but that depends on budget constrains.

if walmart employees unionize it could go a long way to prevent that

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#107

Post by jeffbee »

ceeplusplus wrote: post #22
iso1210 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So demand massivley outstrips supply. If people aren't living in such horrible circumstances (crime, homelessness, drug abuse), why is demand so high that houses are unaffordable?

I don't know if you've been in California recently, but in the East Bay at least a large number of small businesses have closed down and formerly vibrant places now look like homeless encampments. I used to feel comfortable taking out my phone even after dark on BART, now I don't. The economy might still be chugging along but it's not chugging along on the back of the big cities with ultra liberal takes on crime/home…

I ate dinner at Co Nam on the corner nearest MacArthur BART last night and it was absolutely jumping with a huge wait. On my way there I rode down Telegraph through Temescal and there were ridiculous crowds of people on every block. On my way home after East Bay Bike Party (1000+ people easily) there was still a big line of people waiting to get into Marufuku Rame even at 10PM. And there was the typical crowd at Kingfish Pub.

The idea that the East Bay somehow died in the last two years is ridiculous.

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#108

Post by bombcar »

camdat wrote: post #71
artificialLimbs wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately. People should be able to negotiate between themselves without interference from the government.

As should children! Why should the pesky government step in the way of my child working in a factory.

Child labor should be reserved for the Girl Scouts as God intended!

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#109

Post by lwhalen »

hollasch wrote: post #28
me_me_mu_mu wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think from a politics standpoint yeah I’m kind of a doomer. I identify as liberal but the people running on liberal platform are really dumb and their opponents are insane/dumb in other ways. There’s no good options to vote for. Idk how we will manage to wade through that.

Hah! I identify as [Republican] but the people running on [Republican] platform are really dumb and their opponents are insane/dumb in other ways. There’s no good options to vote for.

The Libertarian party welcomes you both.

Re: Proposed bill would shorten California workweek to 32 hours

#110

Post by jayski »

holoduke wrote: post #54
jayski wrote: post #48

I've worked for 6 different employers in my life, Ive also employed people. 100% of my experience is that its rare for someone to ping me out of work hours, and if they do, I completely understand that its an emergency. Since I also care about the company's well being, (that's where I get my paycheck from), Im happy to help. In 20 years as an employee or employer this has happened maybe 5 times. I don't know where pe…

I guess you work in IT like 90% of the people here. For those (and me) fixed working hours are non existent. But if you work in a factory , shop etc like 90% of the other people then a 32 hour work week would very much help getting a happier life. Maybe this won't work in the US. But in Europe I think it certainly does.

I do work in IT. You make good points, my job involves a lot of sitting down and honestly slacking.

If I worked standing up at a factory Im sure I would want 32 hours

Post reply on HN