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Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

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Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#51
post #46

Meanwhile in China... Excerpts below taken from the website https://996.icu/#/en_US What is "996"? 996 working, ICU waiting. A "996" work schedule refers to an unofficial work schedule (9a.m. ~ 9p.m., 6 days a week) that has been gaining in popularity. Serving a company that encourages the "996" work schedule usually means working for at least 60 hours a week. In early September 2016, it was said that 58.com (58同城, a…

Let’s be honest, if you ever worked in East Asian countries with these work ethic culture, you’d know they just sit around the office doing absolutely nothing. It’s bullshit.

Even on this very forum you people will consistently brag that they only work a couple hours a week at their 500k job.

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#52

Meanwhile in China... Excerpts below taken from the website https://996.icu/#/en_US What is "996"? 996 working, ICU waiting. A "996" work schedule refers to an unofficial work schedule (9a.m. ~ 9p.m., 6 days a week) that has been gaining in popularity. Serving a company that encourages the "996" work schedule usually means working for at least 60 hours a week. In early September 2016, it was said that 58.com (58同城, a…

That does exist in _some_ companies but it's not "the norm".

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#53
post #30
post #24

Why not both? 4 days, 6 hours each. Hey employers reading this. Having a hard time finding software engineers? Offer me this and I will come running. I’ll be banging on your door with my resume. Think about it.

Are you willing to get paid 24/37 = 64% of a fulltime positions salary? If so, I think plenty of smaller employers would be happy to do this.

I like how these proposals never get raised when it's the companies that suppress wages or hoard more wealth generated by their employees.

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#54

I would take 3 day weekend. Needs to be a clear delineation between work and weekend or some companies will take the p*ss. If you have 6 hour days you might find yourself still working more. For me its no contest.

I am in the same situation. I tend to get messages on Slack after hours on work days due to the different work hours, but almost never on weekends and holidays. I assume that an extra long weekend would be more beneficial.

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#55
So I am seeing more and more of ideas like this; but I feel the need to challenge them a bit.

Not the ideal; work less, have more fulfilling lives - I am all in.

But all of these initiatives are focused on the wealthier office workers and sometimes factory/shift workers who are non-customer facing. But it totally ignores the service industry which is a huge part of our society (and arguably even more so if we end up working less!).

You will still want an Uber after 5pm, or a shop or restaurant to be open on a public holiday. 4 Day work weeks, shorter hours - all great ideas but all ideas that either negatively impact the poorest portion of our society. Even universal basic income, which ostensibly would have a positive impact there would still not allow those individuals to work less.

Which is why my challenge is always; first we need to automate out the poorest roles in society (and then give them UBI obviously) before we solve our own lengthy work weeks.

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#56
post #30
post #24

Why not both? 4 days, 6 hours each. Hey employers reading this. Having a hard time finding software engineers? Offer me this and I will come running. I’ll be banging on your door with my resume. Think about it.

Are you willing to get paid 24/37 = 64% of a fulltime positions salary? If so, I think plenty of smaller employers would be happy to do this.

Your calculation assumes that all working hours create equal value. I can say for me that on most jobs I had, I got like 80% done in the first 4 hours and 20% in the other half of the day. I regularly stop working when I can’t concentrate anymore and do some hours on weekend mornings instead.

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#57
post #30
post #24

Why not both? 4 days, 6 hours each. Hey employers reading this. Having a hard time finding software engineers? Offer me this and I will come running. I’ll be banging on your door with my resume. Think about it.

Are you willing to get paid 24/37 = 64% of a fulltime positions salary? If so, I think plenty of smaller employers would be happy to do this.

Yes. In a heartbeat. Don't even have to think about it.

And by the standards of HN users I make a poverty wage already. Cutting my salary to 64% would put me well under the median household income for the my state and the nation as a whole.

And I promise I won't be less productive, because I'd be surprised if I did that amount of actual work as it is.

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#58
post #24

Why not both? 4 days, 6 hours each. Hey employers reading this. Having a hard time finding software engineers? Offer me this and I will come running. I’ll be banging on your door with my resume. Think about it.

You can already find this. It’s called a “part -time job”. :)

Re: Ask HN: 6-hour workdays more important than 4-day workweeks IMO

#59
post #30
post #24

Why not both? 4 days, 6 hours each. Hey employers reading this. Having a hard time finding software engineers? Offer me this and I will come running. I’ll be banging on your door with my resume. Think about it.

Are you willing to get paid 24/37 = 64% of a fulltime positions salary? If so, I think plenty of smaller employers would be happy to do this.

Hilariously, I have literally asked companies to give me a 4 day week and take away the salary for the last day. I don't care. I just want a free day, but nope, no-one bit .. even the "smaller" employers.
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