*4 day work week, even lower wages

I've been noting the rise in the push for this from neolibs, generally proponents of Keynesianism.

  • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
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    2 years ago

    my chud filled workplace has actually started to demand 4 days, but in true American fashion they're asking for a negative thing to compensate for the good thing. They want a four day workweek, but increased hours (12 hour days) and reduced benefits. They strictly do not understand they can simply ask for something good.

    Big reason for why it's being demanded is their children. All the workers who have kids have an increasingly hard time taking care of their kids, often taking PTO just to go to the doctor or they simply can't afford daycare anymore. I don't have kids but some of that is hitting me too. We're always at work during the only available hours for various services. I can't go to the bank, doctor, can't talk to a realtor about a house, can't take my pets to a vet. Can't even go to a post office unless it's on my lunch break.

    I guess people used to have wider family units or something, or more friends who could do favors, because managing personal life stuff seems impossible when you're already at work 45 hours a week.

      • SerLava [he/him]
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        2 years ago

        Yes there's only been a short window where our society couldn't simply make women deal with managing the house, because a large number of them are working

        The 5x8 schedule was designed for single income families where the wife spent a shitload of time doing work at home, and new technology hasn't compensated for the difference.

      • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
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        edit-2
        2 years ago

        honestly I think American kids are more closely monitored than in other places too

        like when I've been to China and Japan I would see really young kids riding the train to school unsupervised and that would never fly here