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Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#11

Post by girvo »

skrause wrote: post #7

If someone gave me the chance of a 30-hour work week, I would rather work 4 days of 7,5 hours than 5 days of 6 hours. Just the hassle of getting up early, dressing up for work, commuting etc. isn't really worth it when I'm only going to work 6 hours anyway. I'd rather take an extra day off.

I agree entirely. I don't care about saving an hour and a half a day, that doesn't help me much as I lose so much time commuting and getting ready/winding down each day.

Being able to work 4 days instead? A god-send. I couldn't think of anything I'd like more. Thankfully, my current job gets me part of the way there -- I work 4 days in the office and one day at home (where I do just as much work but either condensed or spread out during the day depending on the current project workload).

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#12

Post by stdbrouw »

dalek_cannes wrote: post #9
sportanova wrote: post #5

I hope we start seeing more things like this, especially in the US. Does 6 hours a day maximize happiness / productivity? I don't know. Does 8 hours? It's the custom, but I don't know. I think it's almost impossible that 8 hours is the best number across every industry => vertical => company. I'd love to see more experimentation

8 hours for work, 8 for leisure, 8 for sleep and 2 rest days a week seems reasonable, at least mathematically speaking. If it were up to me, I'd include commuting time in those 8 work hours as well, making the number no more than 7 hours.

You're basing your assessment of reasonableness on the aesthetically pleasing properties of symmetry? :-)

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#13

Post by showsover »

skrause wrote: post #7

If someone gave me the chance of a 30-hour work week, I would rather work 4 days of 7,5 hours than 5 days of 6 hours. Just the hassle of getting up early, dressing up for work, commuting etc. isn't really worth it when I'm only going to work 6 hours anyway. I'd rather take an extra day off.

Yes, but the article is about 6-hour days, not mix-and-match-hour days.

It will be interesting to see what differs from 8-hour days, both in free time, shopping, traffic, and more.

Imagine that the 6-hour day is successful, and we can make shifts. Some people go to work from 8 - 2, others from 12-6. That could lighten some traffic jams I venture.

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#14

Post by tonfa »

skrause wrote: post #7

If someone gave me the chance of a 30-hour work week, I would rather work 4 days of 7,5 hours than 5 days of 6 hours. Just the hassle of getting up early, dressing up for work, commuting etc. isn't really worth it when I'm only going to work 6 hours anyway. I'd rather take an extra day off.

For me would depend on a lot on how much commute there is.

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#15

Post by espennilsen »

showsover wrote: post #13
skrause wrote: post #7

If someone gave me the chance of a 30-hour work week, I would rather work 4 days of 7,5 hours than 5 days of 6 hours. Just the hassle of getting up early, dressing up for work, commuting etc. isn't really worth it when I'm only going to work 6 hours anyway. I'd rather take an extra day off.

Yes, but the article is about 6-hour days, not mix-and-match-hour days. It will be interesting to see what differs from 8-hour days, both in free time, shopping, traffic, and more. Imagine that the 6-hour day is successful, and we can make shifts. Some people go to work from 8 - 2, others from 12-6. That could lighten some traffic jams I venture.

Not only traffic jams. Everything will be open until 6, and if you get off at 2 you no longer need to take time off to visit dentist/tax office/bank/etc.

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#16

Post by iSnow »

sportanova wrote: post #5

I hope we start seeing more things like this, especially in the US. Does 6 hours a day maximize happiness / productivity? I don't know. Does 8 hours? It's the custom, but I don't know. I think it's almost impossible that 8 hours is the best number across every industry => vertical => company. I'd love to see more experimentation

As far as I know the 8h workday is purely the result of industrial three-shift work

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#17

Post by justnotsure »

The innovative US economy will make it all irrelevant anyway by introducing more and more work from home jobs. Work from home is almost common in the US and basically non-existent in Europe. I wouldn't trade Swedish 6-hour workday with my American-based 8-hour while working from my coach at home. Somehow socialists are always one step behind Mother Nature, i.e. free markets.

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#18

Post by iSnow »

bowlofpetunias wrote: post #4

And once again the Netherlands shows up on the bottom of that list, so I'll say it once more: we have a high participation of women in the work force, but most of those only work part-time, often in stereotypically "women's jobs" (receptionist, secretary, kindergarten). Makes the stats look much more progressive than reality, even though 32/36 hour work weeks are common.

It's even worse here in Germany where 37.5/40h work weeks are the norm but a lot of people, especially women, only find part-time jobs.

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#19

Post by vasquez »

bowlofpetunias wrote: post #4

And once again the Netherlands shows up on the bottom of that list, so I'll say it once more: we have a high participation of women in the work force, but most of those only work part-time, often in stereotypically "women's jobs" (receptionist, secretary, kindergarten). Makes the stats look much more progressive than reality, even though 32/36 hour work weeks are common.

Norway is the same.

The norm is 37.5 hour work weeks. We're entitled to a 0.5 hour lunch break every day, but that's unpaid unless you're required to spend it on-site.

Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday

#20

Post by tim333 »

I wonder how many hours people work naturally if you don't need the money and quite enjoy what you do. Say you're building some software project because you want to do it. I wouldn't mind betting most people would work more than 36 hours a week. I daresay you could make an argument that people should not be forced to work much longer than that just to make ends meet.
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