Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees • Hacker News Board

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#291

Post by carlosjobim » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 1:46 PM UTC

thinkingtoilet wrote: post #208

nemo44x wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I enjoyed the DINK life for some time but eventually we decided to start a family and my only regret in life is we didn't start it sooner and have more kids. In the end all the fancy restaurants, nights out, fancy vacations with first class airfare, etc were nice in some ways but pretty vapid and unimportant when looking back. I won't value those years very much compared to the years with children in the house. The e…

Just to provide a counter point you don't hear. I have two kids and very much wish I didn't. I love my kids. I sacrifice for them. There are many moments of great joy. However, I don't really have a life any more. I would rather spend my time traveling, visiting friends, playing music. I would rather have more money. I would rather be healthier. I would rather have time for my hobbies. Being a good parent is a lot an…

You're just using your kids as an excuse for your own short comings. People do done all those things you listed while having more than two kids. Seriously, blaming your health problems on your children?

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#292

Post by carlosjobim » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 2:18 PM UTC

lotsofpulp wrote: post #142

orangecat wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually that life is too good for childless people, especially when they're wealthier. Take a DINK couple with high paying jobs, say an engineer and an attorney. Without kids they can have a nice house or condo, regularly take great vacations, and still be saving enough to have the option of retiring in their 40s or 50s. But with kids, that mostly goes out the window. The societal expectation is that you should…

Excellent comment. All the evidences suggests to me that removing Social Security/Medicare and other wealth transfers from young to old are actually the only thing that might incentivize sufficient people to have sufficient kids to meet replacement TFR AND raise the kids into the type of adults you want. The reasoning behind this is even with the best quality of life, many women will have 2 children, but insufficient…

Humanity has never seen such an extreme wealth transfer from young to old as what is going on in the industrialized world right now.

Pensions: Wealth transfer from young to old.

Taxes: Wealth transfer from young to old.

Socialized health care: Wealth transfer from young to old.

Rent: Wealth transfer from young to old.

Inflation: Wealth transfer from young to old (who owns the real estate?)

Capitalism: Wealth transfer from young to old (who owns the stocks?)

National debt: Wealth transfer from young to old.

It seems like all different systems at work in industrialized nations has the single goal of extracting all productivity from young workers and giving it to the current generation of elderly. Even the ideologies who on the face are against each other (socialism vs capitalism) both work mainly to reap everything form the young to give to the old.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#293

Post by thinkingtoilet » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 2:31 PM UTC

insane_dreamer wrote: post #225

thinkingtoilet wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to provide a counter point you don't hear. I have two kids and very much wish I didn't. I love my kids. I sacrifice for them. There are many moments of great joy. However, I don't really have a life any more. I would rather spend my time traveling, visiting friends, playing music. I would rather have more money. I would rather be healthier. I would rather have time for my hobbies. Being a good parent is a lot an…

that's sad (I don't mean that in a mean way) yeah, there are times when I've felt like that, but they're pretty fleeting at what age did you start a family? I think one of the reasons people should start a family a bit later (early thirties maybe) is so that they have the opportunity to experience/enjoy those things without kids (and not have to wait until the kids are all grown up and then they're in their 50s and i…

First and 35 and second at 37.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#294

Post by Cumpiler69 » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 2:34 PM UTC

viraptor wrote: post #247

7thaccount wrote: post #2

That sounds....huge. I know many working couples where one would probably take that in a heartbeat. You lose some money, but gain more family time and sanity. Having Friday to finish chores and being able to enjoy the weekend unstressed is huge, not to mention clocking out early each day to be able to pick up your kid and not have to get back to work or whatever.

I took that option 4 years ago and wouldn't go back now. It's not worth the increase in money vs the life improvement.

That's only because you have enough money.

There's plenty of people who are still financially short after a 40h job.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#295

Post by Cumpiler69 » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 2:38 PM UTC

askonomm wrote: post #236

anigbrowl wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a mistake to project changes in US society onto that in Japan. Kids there are still largely free range.

Yeah, also in Northern Europe. Here in Estonia kids as young as 5 years old even go to kindergarten on their own. They take a bus and are just fine. Seems to me the helicopter parenting is mostly a thing in the U.S.

Because in the US parents can get arrested if their children go out alone. It's a failure on their laws.

And of their infrastructure where everyone wants to have their own suburban kingdom with large back yard, swimming pool, garage for two SUVs and workshop.

Americans don't like living in small apartments like Europeans and Asians so this is what they get.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#296

Post by RiverCrochet » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 2:40 PM UTC

pnut wrote: post #122

RiverCrochet wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had an interesting discussion with my nephew about this post. He angers me with the way he talks about stuff, but I consider it an exercise in mental fortitude. Allow me to share his absolutely crazy and unreasonable thoughts on this: "Nobody really wants more people except certain religious sects, and that is only because it allows them to use sexuality to control people. Most modern capitalists would favor automa…

You might should read up on postmodern philosophy before you serve up your relative to the system, for deviating from your "one true narrative of history". So arrogant. Someone should have you committed for your personal opinions, which are also wrong, and see how you like it.

To be clear, I'm not saying he should be committed for his opinions, but he does do some other very strange things and I think he really does need help. Unfortunately the medical bills would bankrupt him.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#297

Post by LightBug1 » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 2:41 PM UTC

MBCook wrote: post #3

I wish these stories would say if the hours are changing or not. 32 hours, 4 days a week seems better to me. But if all you do is take 40 hours and make it 10 hour days I’m not that much happier.

Yeah, just implementing a 4 day week without clarity is horseshit

We've just implemented it for the winter and, while kind of good, the expectation is that you'll just get your work done with no conversation about capacity or differences between employees and departments and workloads.

I've actually said it ... I'd prefer 5 days with hybrid than a 4 day week

Who thought everyone wants a 4 day week? ... I just want the freedom to choose a balanced life and get a job done ... effectively giving the employer a day back!

I feel like we've learned nothing from Covid.

Having ranted that. For those implementing this properly. Kudos.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#298

Post by Gareth321 » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 2:49 PM UTC

bamboozled wrote: post #219

orangecat wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually that life is too good for childless people, especially when they're wealthier. Take a DINK couple with high paying jobs, say an engineer and an attorney. Without kids they can have a nice house or condo, regularly take great vacations, and still be saving enough to have the option of retiring in their 40s or 50s. But with kids, that mostly goes out the window. The societal expectation is that you should…

Many young people I know see nothing being done about climate change and make their choice right there. These are also smart, educated well-off types. The level of suffering we can expect isn't something they want to introduce children into. I find it surprising this is somehow difficult for governments to grok.

I doubt it will make a difference but climate change isn't expected to cause great suffering. Compared to great filter events, climate change doesn't even register. Estimates are of a rise of [2-4 degrees centigrade by 2100.](https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/climatechange/science#:~:text=Glob....) This will likely result in an [increase](https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/6/1/014....) of arable land. [Global mean sea-level rise is expected to be between 0.30 and 0.65 m by 2100,](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-020-0121-5) which might affect some Dutch towns during storms but is negligible. [As the number of storms are estimated to decrease, the threat vector is slightly increasing storm intensity.](https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3184/a-force-of-nature-hurrica....) Humans can handle storms. We can rebuild homes, change where we settle and live, build with better materials and practises, and improve storm infrastructure and protections. In fact, as the temperature rises slightly, fewer people will die due to temperature extremes. This is because at present, many more people die due to exposure to low temperatures than high temperatures.

We really have done a great disservice to a generation which believes the planet will be dead in a few decades.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#299

Post by djha-skin » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 3:02 PM UTC

UBI in the 2010s, 4 10s in the late 2000s. These things never stick. 5 8s is a great compromise between employers and employees. Every time someone tries something different they decide they don't like it, either the employer or the employee.

My employer hired me for 4 tens. I felt like a zombie during the week. I'd much rather have a few extra hours every day than a Friday to myself, especially since I need to go into the office on Friday's occasional anyways. I moved back to 5 8s.

Re: Tokyo is set to introduce a four-day workweek for government employees

#300

Post by CapeTheory » Sat, Dec 07, 2024, 3:11 PM UTC

djha-skin wrote: post #299

UBI in the 2010s, 4 10s in the late 2000s. These things never stick. 5 8s is a great compromise between employers and employees. Every time someone tries something different they decide they don't like it, either the employer or the employee. My employer hired me for 4 tens. I felt like a zombie during the week. I'd much rather have a few extra hours every day than a Friday to myself, especially since I need to go in…

The problem is that so many people being paid for 5x8 are actually working 5x9 or 5x10.

At least for myself, I was raised with the notion that working harder would be recognised and eventually rewarded. That has not turned out to be the case, so I am seeking a rebalance.