The list of countries is so strange to look at with so many countries that have low GDP / capita or recent depressions / austerity forced on them and . . . The US near the top
Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
101–110 of 272 posts
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#102> "though the United States is an outlier here, working both long and hard" The article conflates productivity with 'working hard'. Productivity is a measure of how much value is produced ('money is made') per hour of work. A bulldozer operator working an 8 hour day to move a few tons of dirt is more productive than a worker who needs many 12 hour work days to move the same amount of dirt with a shovel and wheelbarro…
They probably chose a poor word ("hard") for high productivity, but apart from that the point is sound: The US works a long longer hours with fewer holidays than many European countries. And there's good reason to believe that the results/hour coefficient is lower for each individual worker regardless, when the "hour" part of the equation is higher.
In general, the poor work both 'harder' (physically) and longer hours than the rich. It's just the way it is. Time off is a luxury.
The supposedly lazy Greeks and Italians work far more hours per year than the supposedly industrious Germans and Dutch, but not as much as sweatshop workers in Bangladesh.
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#103A 6-hour workday would be 30 hours/week. If we're going to reduce the working week, then instead of spreading that over 5 days, why not work a 4-day week (7.5 hours/day)? That would reduce commuting congestion by 20%, and make everyone who doesn't like spending an hour a day in a traffic jam happy.
The purpose is not to diminish time wasted by commuting.
In many European cities and regions one does not commute for hours every day. For instance, my brother lives in a 2000 year-old city and walks to work -- it takes him 2 minutes. When I lived in London it took me 15-20 minutes to get to work, with the tube. In a Swiss city before that, 15 minutes driving. And for my job before that, 4 minutes biking.
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe it simply is not possible for us swedes to work from home like that because of our smaller houses? I certainly wouldn't know where to put the chemistry lab or the industrial robots. I barely have room for the mine-shaft.
I thought you must have bigger houses? no? I mean how can you claim to have better standard of living and live happier life in a small house without any space?
So, I guess you made your account solely to trot out American stereotypes?
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#105The problem is not six or eight hours working day, the problem is funding. What I understand the red-green ruling alliance has not put away any funding for this reform, so as usual Göteborg flush their public economy down the toilet and which of course hurts the smaller cities in the same region where they share public programs with Göteborg. Same old story with this city.
And is going to be required to hire more employees because of regulations on how many available workers per shift on typical government job.
Göteborg has of 2013 a debt of 37,5 billion SEK. On top of that it has 13,5 billions SEK in unfunded penions debts.
There is a reason why Göteborg, or Röteborg (Rottenburg) in "folkmun", has one of the highest taxes in Sweden - poor management.
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#106> "though the United States is an outlier here, working both long and hard" The article conflates productivity with 'working hard'. Productivity is a measure of how much value is produced ('money is made') per hour of work. A bulldozer operator working an 8 hour day to move a few tons of dirt is more productive than a worker who needs many 12 hour work days to move the same amount of dirt with a shovel and wheelbarro…
I fear you're also conflating two things: money made and actual value produced. Suppose the trader is selling credit default swaps and helping cause a big financial crash, or the bulldozer operator is destroying acres of forest to clear the way for a tobacco plantation. What they do may be very valuable to the people paying them (and hence, if they're lucky, lucrative for them personally) but have substantially negat…
So can the guy with the shovel.
Ultimately, the concept of "actual value" can be defined as one of two things: money (for things that have value for an individual) and laws (for things that have value for the society, e.g. externalities). Simply said, the society values certain things (short-term profit, growth, cars, cheap food, human lives) more than others (long-term stability, the environment, clean air, rainforest, empty space). These sentiments change, but they change slowly, because we live in a democracy (and because people value social/cultural stability and safety).
As far as the financial crisis is concerned, it's easy to say after the fact. Was Einstein's research net-negatively-valuable, because it resulted in the atomic bomb, or was it net-negatively-valuable, because it ended the war? Whenever there is innovation, there is a risk of the innovation resulting in something "bad". That doesn't mean that the value of research is negative. People are simply short-sighted and/or not smart enough to foresee bad consequences. Btw, I'm sure you're doing the same thing - consuming cheap electronic devices produced using non-recyclable rare resources by workers whose raising wages will (1) significantly increase pollution and (2) significantly increase their quality of life. Is that "good" or "bad"?
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#107Currently there is not much discussion about a general reduction of the work day to 6 hours in Sweden. If anything politicians are pushing for more work (though not longer days). Lower sick pay, later retirement and conversion of part time jobs to full time have been implemented or proposed. (Also, it is not Volvo Cars that is downsizing, it is Volvo Group).
MP just decided to go into the election with a 35 hour work day proposal. I also believe V and F! are in support of a work hour reduction to varying degrees. So there is definitely a push to reduce the work day (Though possibly not to 6 hours).
Forgot about the recent (mp) proposal. Maybe there will be a new debate on the length of a work day/week in time for the election then.
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#108In other words, government workers. People not truly beholden to anyone. An entity that cannot lose money can make stupid decisions and generally get by with them because apathy of the public is an exploitable resource. So the title is wholly misleading. I guess politicians of a certain style in Sweden need to lock in the public employee vote? Call me when innovation starts and not grand standing and vote buying
Ignorant comment, trying to apply one's own bias or perspective of government work in his country to that in a completely different (social/cultural/economic) entity..
Imagine if your Stanford grads picked government work to better their local society rather then a profit-driven startup then you begin to see another viewpoint
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#109It is not the duty of the lawmaker but of the contracting parties (= employer and employee) to define the amount of work hours per day.
There are many variables in the process:
- Demand for money of the employee (poor father of five vs. rich single)
- Demand for work of the employer (company needs a helping hand vs company needs to recruit a new team)
- Scale effect of product (does one additional hour or man lead to one additional unit produced?, compare laying bricks vs programming)
These variables are unknown to the lawmaker for each specific instance, so any a-priori determination of the amount of work hours per week cannot be optimal.
Re: Sweden’s proposed six-hour workday
#110Why does government set N hours at all ? It's must be up to business! E.g., if I have a software company, I want my employees to work 20 hours a week. Isn't it obviously better way for everyone?
No, because business and employees are not in equal barguaining position. Business always have an advantage and in unregulated markets they are more than happy to take advantage of their power position. On the other hand, you can see these regulations as a collective bargaining between employees and business. Individual employees have no negotiating power against any corporation, but they all together can elect a gov…
Perhaps people who rely upon centralised political power to protect them from competition in the supply of their chosen labour services should seek to differentiate themselves by developing more valuable skills. Yes, I know, it's a terribly radical idea, not blaming evil businesses and all.