this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2023
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Work Reform

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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.

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[–] CylonBunny@lemmy.world 125 points 1 year ago (14 children)

Maybe at a cushy white collar office job. I work at a hospital. There is no down time when you are on the clock, that’s true for nurses, doctors, housekeeping, pharmacy, lab, food service - I’d imagine the same is also true for all sort of service industry workers, and also factory workers, farmers, construction, and so so many others. Let’s stop pretending that everyone just sits in front of a computer all day.

[–] DragonAce@lemmy.world 66 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Whats sad is that most of those jobs are just insanely and intentionally understaffed (and underpaid), which is precisely why they're so demanding.

[–] SpeakinTelnet@sh.itjust.works 26 points 1 year ago

It's almost like we should have started investing in better education and replacing manually repetitive tasks with automation.

Machines should have been a relief from the hardship of life, not a mean to gain more profit for a few individuals.

[–] boredtortoise@lemm.ee 49 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Those are the first jobs we need to change into 4 hours for 3 days shifts or something. It's dangerous for everyone to work without sufficient recovery

[–] Just_A_Human@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Exactly. I definitely would not want a nurse or a doctor to operate on me when there on the last stretches of a 12 hour shift, running on 5 hours of sleep. The only question I ask any doctor, nurse or dentist before they start any procedure on me is "how many hours of sleep did you get last night"... Anything less than 6-7 hours puts me in more risk than I'd accept!

[–] boredtortoise@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago

Even truck drivers etc. have mandatory work:rest-ratios. It should be a norm

[–] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's criminal how you are all treated because of purposeful under-staffing. Everyone needs downtime. The human mind does not go full throttle for 8-12 hours straight, and I'm well aware you often have longer shifts than that in a hospital! If medical staff had some downtime during their shifts, patient outcomes would improve, and not just by a little bit.

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[–] negativeyoda@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

I just posted the same thing. I used to be a bartender/ server and work in retail. You DON'T rest. Not on your own schedule at least

My work is hybrid these days and I have tasks to complete instead of just drink from the firehose of task garbage being thrown my way. I can control the ebb and flow of my workday and slack or be a champion as needed.

Oh, I work 4 9 hour day weeks too. My quality of life is better in every way and i STILL dick around certain days. You probably make a lot more than I do but it's not worth it to get home and have zero bandwidth

[–] Powerpoint@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

It would be better if you were 4 days instead of 5. You'd have better productivity and recovery.

[–] Erk@cdda.social 14 points 1 year ago

I'm a doctor and intentionally set my own hours to four day work weeks whenever I can, because I run my own practice and can do that. Let's not pretend it's a badge of honour to grind ourselves into a twitching mess.

[–] suspecm@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

To be fair, for those jobs the 5 day workweek, as it is known traditionally, has never been true. They were always either doing starnge shifts like 24 hours twice then 2 free days, repeat or working way more than 5 days a week, based on demand (which of course has been increasing since businesses hire less and less for some fuckin reason).

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 10 points 1 year ago

This is exactly my problem as well... We wanted to try a 4 day work week at my factory but they said no because we need to ship things 5 days a week... Except for the fact that we almost never ship more than 1 or 2 things in any given day and they are rarely things that need to go asap... One day wouldn't kill them but they're stuck in the past.

[–] Just_A_Human@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago

You're a human being, not a human doing. You need and deserve downtime. You are not a machine. You must find a way. If there's a will, there's a way.

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I assure you that "sitting in front of a computer" is less ideal than you seem to think it is

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[–] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 125 points 1 year ago (4 children)
[–] Lemmylefty@lemmy.world 68 points 1 year ago (1 children)

“This reply was sent during work hours.”

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[–] suspecm@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

I barely spend a workweek doing a day's worth of work, let alone 4.

[–] esgpi@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 year ago

Right?! Those are some rookie numbers

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[–] Drewsteau@lemmy.world 70 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I feel like this is something that everyone already knew but we had to do a study to prove it

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 53 points 1 year ago (3 children)

People have known it since at least 1999 when Office Space was released. If you're not slacking off at work, especially if you're salaried, you're being exploited even more than usual.

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[–] harsh3466@lemmy.world 52 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How is this a surprise? The detachment people have from the reality “on the ground” is infuriating. Try working a job you hate for shit pay for 71% of your entire fucking week and then just bounce into a weekend (assuming you even get two days off in a row) with all the energy to “do stuff”.

ffs. Assholes.

[–] metaStatic@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've put my foot down on Tuesday/Wednesday as my weekend. the past year I'd be lucky to get 2 in a row.

This gives me a functional 4 day week but if I get rostered on Sunday I'm perfectly happy with that kind of money.

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[–] kemsat@lemmy.world 48 points 1 year ago (3 children)

That’s besides the point. You have to be there so you don’t have enough time to achieve your hopes & dreams, ensuring you don’t build up any wealth, let alone generational wealth, and therefore can never challenge their dominance & authority.

[–] voidMainVoid@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

It's highly unlikely that any of my dreams would make me wealthy, because they all involve having fun, improving myself, and/or making the world a better place. I think most other people are the same way.

[–] Just_A_Human@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 year ago

I agree, this is more than whether we work more or less efficiently with 4 or 5 days in the office. The ruling class wants us in our white cages (office walls) for as long as possible so, as you said, they can ensure we can't work on other stuff that truly satisfies us and gives us a chance of generating actual wealth rather than depending on whatever measly income they want us to live paycheck to paycheck on...

[–] andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm pretty convinced these days that generational wealth as a goal leads to exactly this problem. Not that I disagree that we could be using that time in more fulfilling ways, but generational wealth as a construct probably inherently means significant inequality, unless it's some utopian wealth where it's equally shared.

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[–] bilb@lem.monster 34 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A five day work week gives your employer more control over your life though. They will not give that up willingly.

[–] Just_A_Human@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago

That's why my main goal is to accumulate 'fuck you money'. Right now, I get my tasks done asap and gtfo and if they don't like that, they can fire me if they'd like. If they don't like that all my work flow is smooth and efficient but I leave early or come in late, they can frankly fuck right off... So far I got 5 years worth of living expenses stashed away (my fuck you money stash) but I'm trying to put it in places that it can generate me income in alternative ways so I can flip the script on them and remove any remaining leverage they have on me.

[–] overzeetop@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

we spend one doing basically nothing

Browsing Lemmy is not doing nothing. I'm , um, keeping my head in tune with the global marketplace and honing my remote interpersonal skillset. Yeah, that's what it is.

I'm just looking at cats.

[–] ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 30 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Office Space knew this all the way back in 1999.

I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work

[–] Powerpoint@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They knew this in the 70's along with ubi. Milton Friedman is an asshole.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Only one day? You guys are slacking.

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[–] ultratiem@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah no shit lol. On my last job which gave you about as much power as a 3 year old, I got real good with making it look like I was doing work.

Most businesses think “process” is critical but all process did was make me do 90% bullshit and 10% real work.

I could have done my last job in 2 days if it was just me doing things.

The problem is most of the idiots in charge think if we moved to a 4 day work week we’d do the work of 3 days.

I for one hope the next generations don’t die behind a desk while the guy you work for is off on a yacht living life like it was 1999.

[–] KzadBhat@feddit.de 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I for one hope the next generations don’t die behind a desk while the guy you work for is off on a yacht living life like it was 1999.

We been spending most our lives
Livin' in an exploiter's paradise

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'll be happy to do a 4-day week, but don't you dare take away my fucking around and not doing anything at work time!

[–] donut4ever@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You think corporations in the US won't put a twist on it? I can see them making it a 4 10s week. They just hate people and want them to suffer as much as possible.

[–] Scew@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Pardon, I think that's pronounced "Increase value for shareholders." >.>

Edit: was supposed to be funny... it's not

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[–] june@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

More than that for me.

[–] negativeyoda@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This really only applies to office/clerical type gigs. I can tell you that the service sector never gets to rest

[–] Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I know what you mean. I spent 10 years as a chef. But i dont fully agree.

Sure, some weeks you would work 6 or 7 days, but others only 4. And when you did work 6 or 7 you often only work a morning or an evening. If i was doing 4 days i would work 3 afd's (all fucking day) and then one morning or evening. Sometimes your days off were split up so you get a few little breaks throughout the week.

If im working evenings i get my whole morning and afternoon to do what i want when i feel my most fresh and energetic. If i work mornings i get all afternoon and evening to do what i want. If im working afd's i get an extra day off to to what i want. Plus early week, monday, tuesday, wednesday was always less busy so you could be cleaned up and out of the kitchen by close (10pm) and alot of the shift could be spent in prep, cleaning, organising and having a laugh with the other chefs and smoking. Lots of smoking.

I work in an office now and i realise that the two are completely different beasts.

My 9 to 5 leaves me with zero energy mentally which affects me physically by making me not want to do anything with my evenings knowing i need to be up early so in bed early. I get my weekends but i spend them doing housework or something else responsible :(

Both job types could benefit from a 4 day work week. We need time to recharge and relax. We are just humans.

Edit: just to add. Life as a chef was hard. Lack of social life, working crazy hours. Bad diet and no discernable sleeping pattern.

Like i said above. They are different but equally exhasting.

[–] sudneo@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I think it's really important to acknowledge the way an office job can completely destroy your day just due to mental exhaustion, boredom and lack of purpose (or a combination of 3). Thanks for your comment because that was an interesting perspective for someone who only ever worked "office jobs".

The fact that you are sit in front of a computer doesn't mean that when you are finished you have all your energy left to do what you want, because even if you are not physically tired, if you are exhausted mentally, all you want to do is being passively entertained.

We could argue at length which job is worse or more tiring, etc. Or we could simply agree on the general principle that everyone should have more time to do what we like.

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[–] bananaw@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 year ago

I almost feel like this is basically Fridays at my place of work. Since it's not formalized that means I don't have to worry about anyone looking to adjust my salary or PTO or whatever corporate america would do to validate the savings of a 4 day work week. Selfishly I like where it's at, but I do think overall the 4 day work week would benefit us all as long as pay doesn't decrease

[–] Tarkcanis@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I work an 8/6, and I gotta be honest, I don't do much the first and last day unless it's an emergency.

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[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 6 points 1 year ago

Some of you got me wanting to watch OfficeSpace for the first time in years.

Damn it feels good to be a gangster.

[–] tillimarleen@feddit.de 6 points 1 year ago

Ah, seems like we pay the peasants for one day just slacking off.

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