We tend to think what we know is normal and how things were always done.
In the business world, the 5 day workweek is the norm. Most are conditioned to embrace the 40 hour week.
The result of this is that we are spending most of our lives exchanging our time for a measly sum of money. With so many struggling, seeing as wages tend to be basically flat, this makes for a dismal existence.
Most, if they are lucky, get two days off on the weekend. The first day is spent trying to unwind from the stressful week. Then we have Sunday which is filled with the dread of starting it all over again.
Consider how much we relish those 3 day weekends when they arrive. Sunday is no longer the day of dread since we have another 24 hours before we have to return to work. The extra day allows us to enjoy time with those important to us.
There was a time when the norm was not 5 days. Instead, up to the Great Depression, a week that went from Monday-Saturday was commonplace. In fact, it was not uncommon for workers to fight for, not wages or benefits, but time off.
Like most things, anything new seems a little strange until it becomes the norm. In the late 1960s, the New York Mets implemented the 5 man rotation. At that time, it was lunacy. Here we are 50 years later, and teams utilize a 5 man rotation at a minimum, sometimes 6.
Therefore, as much as the 4 day workweek seems a bit odd to us now, it is no different than what the thoughts were in the 1930s as the 40 hour week became more popular.
Of course, there were many of the same questions. How would productivity be kept up? Would the economy recover if this was adopted? Would workers get lazy and slack off even more at work?
All of this was overcome simply because this shift was seen as an answer to the unemployment issue of the time. The Great Depression was weighing heavily on everything. Something had to be done to try and remedy it.
Whether this change had any impact on that situation is not relevant. What is important is that it changed the world of business for the next 90 years.
Now it is time to change it again.
It is actually absurd that people work so much. We know that productivity is going through the roof. Not only is this reflected in GDP numbers, we see in it wealth, manufacturing output, and technological advancements. Where we do not see this is in overall benefits for employees.
Technology is changing everything. It is the main reason for the increase in productivity. After all, the manufacturing output in the United States is at an all-time high yet we see 1.5 million less workers in the manufacturing sector. This highlights how technology is allowing us to do a lot more with less.
This should translate into time. There is no reason for people to have to work 40 hour weeks. In the office environment, there is little doubt large segments of time that are wasted. People show up and meet around the proverbial water cooler. The chitchat coupled with online social media activities and other nonsense means we truly are not working 40 hours anyway.
Yet companies require it. Thus, we will fill up the time because it is there.
This is a recent movement that could impact this idea. However, there is a danger it will make things worse for workers. Many employees at Goldman Sachs reports they were putting in between 80-100 hours per week during the lockdown. Working from home meant they never we able to escape work.
Here we see another situation whereby the approach to these companies needs to change. If someone is wants to work 100 hours a week, knock yourself out. Freedom of choice should always be applauded. However, outside the isolated masochist, most don't fall into this category.
The idea of the work from home movement should be get your work done. If one can do it in 20 hours, so be it. There is no need to mess with office politics, long commutes, endless meetings to make managers feel important, or any of the other nonsense that is so typical of corporate life.
It is time to kill the 5 day workweek. We have the ability to keep pushing economic productivity higher with less time spent to achieve that end. We need to embrace this concept for all involved. Companies that want to keep sucking all they can out of employees while getting record profits can suffer the consequences as their best performers leave for companies that value their time more.
This is something that all need to push for.
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