> I ask because the current 40-hour schedule was fought for in the early 20th century specifically because it worked out to 50/50: 8 hours for work and 8 hours for “what we may,” each day (allowing the final 8 hours for sleep).
The employer is getting a hell of a deal with that arrangement.
They'll get their 8 hours a day. Sure, some might be chatter with fellow employees, a little screwing around on a phone, or using the restroom, but by and large it's 8 hours of being at work.
We all need 8 hours of sleep, most of us don't get it. If we wanted to actually get 8 hours of good sleep, we need to start getting to bed about an hour before we plan on falling asleep. So let's conservatively call that 9 hours needed for 8 hours of sleep.
Going to and from work isn't really "what we may" unless you're telling me I could or should consciously decide to live across the street from my workplace to maximize my me-time. So there's another hour stolen every day.
So what are we at - 9 hours requisite for sleep, an hour of commute - leaves us 14 hours split between work and "play," knowing that for most of us who can't afford to hire laborers to take care of our domiciles, much of that "play" becomes "chores."
In this scenario, even splitting the difference and affording capital 7 hours of your time each day is theft. We'd all be better off around 4.
No, I haven't overlooked that, it's just not really relevant. You'd still be paid if the norm for a salaried position were a 16-hour workday, it wouldn't make it any less exploitative.
In that scenario, you couldn't "choose" to go work for 8 hours instead and take a loss in pay - no firm is hiring "full-time" at 8 hours - which actually rounds right back to the issue brought up by this thread: you'd be looking for part-time work that doesn't exist.
The employer is getting a hell of a deal with that arrangement.
They'll get their 8 hours a day. Sure, some might be chatter with fellow employees, a little screwing around on a phone, or using the restroom, but by and large it's 8 hours of being at work.
We all need 8 hours of sleep, most of us don't get it. If we wanted to actually get 8 hours of good sleep, we need to start getting to bed about an hour before we plan on falling asleep. So let's conservatively call that 9 hours needed for 8 hours of sleep.
Going to and from work isn't really "what we may" unless you're telling me I could or should consciously decide to live across the street from my workplace to maximize my me-time. So there's another hour stolen every day.
So what are we at - 9 hours requisite for sleep, an hour of commute - leaves us 14 hours split between work and "play," knowing that for most of us who can't afford to hire laborers to take care of our domiciles, much of that "play" becomes "chores."
In this scenario, even splitting the difference and affording capital 7 hours of your time each day is theft. We'd all be better off around 4.