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Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

theatlantic.com

11–20 of 113 posts

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#11
I live & work in Stockholm, Sweden. I start work at 8:00 & leave at sharp 15:00 to pick my son from day care. And these are the most beautiful days of my life. I play with my son every day, I'm doing hobby projects, preparing for summer marathon, read HN & CS papers on cutting edge & getting full 8 hrs sleep.

Now tell me how can I do that all with working like donkeys?

Human side of life is much more than living in a Software bubble.

EDIT: corrected some typos.

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#14

Six-hour days may be more productive, but this won't prove it one way or the other because: - The people working six hour days have been told that this may improve productivity so the excitement of being part of the experiment may indeed encourage them to be more effective in the short term - They have a strong incentive to work harder because if the experiment concludes that six hour days are more effective, they wi…

The first of your points is the Hawthorne effect, and I agree that we should not conclude anything from short term productivity increases.

But your second point is just absurd. If wanting to keep your shorter working hours turns out to be such a good incentive to work harder and smarter that it improves productivity on the long run, then how does this not prove that shorter hours improve productivity?

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#15
post #7

> It's unclear how, or if, a lunch break will factor into the scheme. It's a common misconception that eight-hour work day means 9-17 everywhere. In Sweden, the common work day is from 8-17, meaning 8 hours paid time and 1 hour non-paid lunch hour. To my understanding, it's more or less required by law. So if you look on how many hours we will be "at work", we will go from working one hour more than Americans to one…

My experience in the US is the same. 9-5 is just a saying. More typically a work day is 9-6 or 8-5 to account for a 1 hour non-paid lunch.

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#16

Six-hour days may be more productive, but this won't prove it one way or the other because: - The people working six hour days have been told that this may improve productivity so the excitement of being part of the experiment may indeed encourage them to be more effective in the short term - They have a strong incentive to work harder because if the experiment concludes that six hour days are more effective, they wi…

The first of your points is the Hawthorne effect, and I agree that we should not conclude anything from short term productivity increases. But your second point is just absurd. If wanting to keep your shorter working hours turns out to be such a good incentive to work harder and smarter that it improves productivity on the long run, then how does this not prove that shorter hours improve productivity?

Becsuse you'll only do it while you're being measured.

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#17

How about four 8-hour days per week? Could they schedule this as the next experiment the following year?

Indeed, I'd value a day off in the week more than just fewer hours per work day. In fact, personally, I'd work longer hours on the days I do work in order to compensate--that's how much I'd value a four day work week.

At least in the US, having, say, a Friday off means you can easily run to the bank or do other personal business that is much easier to do during the week than the weekend.

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#18
post #5

"[...]a year-long trial that would divide some municipal workers into a test and control group" We should need more scientific approaches like this to decision making in politics.

Absolutely. There is a political problem here. Nobody wants to be in the control group. The fairness of the experiment doesn't lend itself well to the social-democratic thinking of the Nordics (everyone is supposed to be treated equally).

i'd also have to imagine the control group is going to perform worse because of the demoralizing nature of being in that group. and the experiment will be self-fulfilling.

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#19
post #7

> It's unclear how, or if, a lunch break will factor into the scheme. It's a common misconception that eight-hour work day means 9-17 everywhere. In Sweden, the common work day is from 8-17, meaning 8 hours paid time and 1 hour non-paid lunch hour. To my understanding, it's more or less required by law. So if you look on how many hours we will be "at work", we will go from working one hour more than Americans to one…

The "typical" 9 to 5 workday typically only applies to blue collar workers who get two paid 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute paid lunch, with each break coming after 1.75 hours of work.

Most office workers go 9 to 6 or 8 to 5.

Re: Sweden: The New Laboratory for a Six-Hour Work Day

#20
post #11

I live & work in Stockholm, Sweden. I start work at 8:00 & leave at sharp 15:00 to pick my son from day care. And these are the most beautiful days of my life. I play with my son every day, I'm doing hobby projects, preparing for summer marathon, read HN & CS papers on cutting edge & getting full 8 hrs sleep. Now tell me how can I do that all with working like donkeys? Human side of life is much more than living in a…

At what company do you work, and as what?
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