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'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

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Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#12
post #6

Searching the very title on Google give me these: (2023) Is the 4-day work week closer than we think? - Nearly half of Aussies think it will happen within five years. https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2023/is-the-4-day-work-week-cl... (2021) Four-Day Workweeks Are Closer To Reality Than You Think https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeswigunski/2021/05/03/four-d... (2018) Why the 4-day workweek might be closer than you think —…

Richard Nixon was hyping the 4 day work week in 1956!

Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#13
post #10

I wonder if productivity is ever going to increase to the point where we work one day a week.

No, we're not going to reach that point outside of sci-fi utopias. I don't believe even the 4-day workweek is going to become a thing. Any increase in productivity will be captured by the owners, it makes no sense to give it back to the workers in the form of free time.

Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#14

> great as a retention tool. Until it becomes standard then its 3 days a week. Im all for it, if you can increase productivity, but it's likely too many people won't be able to.

well how long ago was the 5 day work week established as the standard?

how long do you reckon it'll be before a 4 day work week is standard?

do you think an additional day off takes less time than the prior one took to get? the same time as the prior one? more time than the prior one?

i feel like you're getting way ahead of yourself and remarking on events that have only taken place in your mind.

Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#16
post #15

I’m curious what the logical extreme of this is. Why 4 days? Why not 3 days? 2 days? 1 day? No days? When do we hit the equilibrium level between less work resulting in meaningfully less output? Were these jobs ever needed?

Equilibrium is where people are most productive. Otherwise we can go to 6 days and no vacations. It may work for some jobs and short term.

Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#17
The ai leaders should come out and say… “Ai advancement is so powerful (as we have been saying and hyping for our shareholders) we now will offer our beloved employees - 4 day workweeks, as the productivity gain has removed 1 days worth of work for the work week” And so will begin our fever dream tech utopia

Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#18
post #10

I wonder if productivity is ever going to increase to the point where we work one day a week.

No, we're not going to reach that point outside of sci-fi utopias. I don't believe even the 4-day workweek is going to become a thing. Any increase in productivity will be captured by the owners, it makes no sense to give it back to the workers in the form of free time.

Comrade, what about the A.I. already doing some of our work? I recently read only the title of an article here that pointed out that drawing leaves less of a carbon footprint when it is done by the A.I. It is not a long way from there to getting paid for not going to work. This is how A.I. kills you (3x), not with a laser gun, but with a lullaby.

Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#19
post #15

I’m curious what the logical extreme of this is. Why 4 days? Why not 3 days? 2 days? 1 day? No days? When do we hit the equilibrium level between less work resulting in meaningfully less output? Were these jobs ever needed?

What happens to the economy when the contract janitor and the coffee cart lady have their hours cut and now can no longer afford rent. They only have one free day a week so they can't find a second job.

Re: 'It's better for humans in general': The 4-day workweek is closer than you think

#20
Kind of wish employers would use this to hire more people to get additional productivity. But they probably won't do that, which shows how strong their inclination is to only retain employees that meet established preferences.

Treating healthcare as a benefit (as in the US) also works against expanding employment, as its a large fixed cost per employee that can't really be reduced.

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