A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
Our Goals
Lol. This country just voted to move in the opposite direction of this. We voted for less worker rights. Less power for the average person.
At this point, we'll need to start utilizing our 2nd amendment right if we want to get anything better than what we have. People died to give us the 40 hour work week. Looks like that's going to have to happen again for any further improvements.
Smarter countries did it without the bloodshed. America isn't that smart.
My dipshit coworkers think trump will actually be good for unions. Mfers.
I'd like to add that 32 hour weeks is pretty much purely something that works for white collar work. It's considerably harder to implement in blue collar settings.
Not true. The electricians in my area work 7 hour days and the sheet metal workers get every other Friday off.I know machinists who work 3 12s.
Lmao they don't want happier employees they want more money
Wait,you guys don't get that? Shit I'm.here in Northern Ireland and that would be less than standard. That's what we give teenagers,hell,most teens would not take that deal. When did America start treating the worker so bad? Like 1865?
America was built on treating the worker badly. Most of the first people that came here were either slaves or indentured servants. Chinese people got exploited to build the railroads, and then banned from being citizens in the country. Now we have prison slavery and wage servitude. There are a million and one examples, but exploiting the worker is as American as apple pie.
The only thing that has ever really improved in American labor is actual safety standards for work environments, equipment, etc. We do a great job of prioritizing that. But actual workers are viewed as expendable, and many of the largest employers are just meat grinders even if they offer half-decent benefits. Walmart is a good example of that
"But worker rights that is socialism! Socialism is evil because the soviets say they are that!"
we never stopped. One week vacation per year is considered a perk at most jobs that offer it.
Legally, I get 1 hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked. And this is a pro-worker state, most states don't mandate any sick leave at all.
4 weeks is still not on par with other civilised countries. Living here in the UK now, 5 weeks is standard. When I was in the Netherlands I was getting six.
Know what really hurts?
Running into foreigners in your own city who tell you about how they're on a multi-week vacation to America and they'll probably do it again to another country again next year. I've had that happen multiple times while out at bars in my city.
Meanwhile, I've barely crossed state lines in my entire adulthood because it's hard to even get a 3-4 day extended weekend.
America sucks y'all.
Join a union. I work part time in America. After just one year of working I had 3 weeks of vacation. After 3 I now have 4 weeks and am taking my 2nd international trip of the year and 3rd vacation trip of the year.
Or better yet, unionize your own workplace with vacations as the primary demand
Don't forget the healthy dose of salary and humane treatment.
Your premise is flawed in the first sentence - "Want happier employees?" No American employer cares about that in the least. Being happy at being allowed to keep their job and keep showing up to collect your meager pay is about all you can expect.
came in to comment effectively this., but you phrased it better than I would have.
"But happy employees naturally work harder" yeah, but so do desperate employees, and that also satisfies corpo desire for abusable slaves.
Also worth mentioning from the article,
I work fully in the office. But I think remote work is better for work-life balance. I don't have the option to work remote
Well, why not? Covid showed how great this can work .. but so many companies went back to 20th century norms as soon as the pandemic ended*
I would literally take a life for that work balance.
40-50hrs a week isn't a life worth living
Start paying people enough that they can actually live instead of struggling just to keep their heads above water.
4 weeks vacation is too small.
Make it 8. Rest is fine.
I deeply wish this would happen, but know it would never happen in my lifetime in my country.
I've been working full time, sometimes overtime, for almost five years out of college. I want to practice piano more. I'd love to volunteer. I want to go outside more. I've always wanted to spend a month backpacking in the Pacific Northwest. It's been my lifelong dream to write a book.
I'm so exhausted after work every single day that I can only get myself to play piano for a half an hour, and then play video games or read until I pass out before my bedtime.
Okay i agree now what
That goal is too modest. We shouldn't settle until Keynes prediction of a 15-hour workweek is fulfilled.
Unfortunately the leading point of view from employers
Is that if an employee is happy with their job... THEY ARE NOT WORKING HARD ENOUGH.
They feel that ONLY those who hate their jobs .. are efficient
i dont WANT happier employees i want MONEY!
Pay enough for them to afford two kids, a house and a car without dual-income and don't have them work so many hours they can't enjoy them.
No matter how valid the premise is, that headline kills this article. It should say, "Want More Productivity? Start with yada yada..."
32 hour workweeks AND lower the overtime threshold to match. And that's just using my office job as a basis.
The threshold from part-time to full-time will also need to be lowered accordingly for grocery store/fast food type jobs.
Only 4 weeks? For an entire year? That's brutal.