Poll of the Day > Bernie Sanders introduces legislation for 32 hour work week

(+) Yeah! (+)

Thanks Bernie

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5ea2ef6d.jpg

I don't mind the hours, I would rather companies and employees care about each other more. Like how about better pay, better insurance/benefits, better management, etc. and in return employees work harder? I already bust my ass, it would be nice to have some harder working coworkers and better pay to go along with it.

Colonel_Lingus posted...

I don't think a 32-hour work week would work as a truck driver.

Reducing truck driver hours would probably necessitate a paradigm shift in how we ship things (namely, moar trains for long hauls, shift to using drivers primarily for shorter trips), but that's still an example of a field where reducing individuals' hours worked will reduce individual productivity because there's no real way to increase productivity per hour by being less tired.

Jen0125 posted...

Thanks Bernie

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5ea2ef6d.jpg

I wonder what that's going to do globally. I've been on Symbicort since I was like 12 and that costs $120 (CAD) for a two-month supply. I fortunately have 80% of that paid by insurance, but many aren't so lucky. Either way, good for the US.

Fun fact: Because the "Turbuhaler" design A-Z uses for so many of their puffers is considered a piece of machinery, it's protected by a standard patent instead of a drug patent. Drug patents usually run out after 20 years, allowing generic alternatives to be produced and sold (this typically leaves 7-9 years of sale without competition, during which companies try to recover the money it cost to produce the drug), but the patent on the delivery mechanism for those puffers lasts for 75 years. This means they've got another 50-odd years of having no competition on any drugs they sell using that design, since producing a generic alternative doesn't amount to anything if they can't deliver it.

adjl posted...

Reducing truck driver hours would probably necessitate a paradigm shift in how we ship things (namely, moar trains for long hauls, shift to using drivers primarily for shorter trips), but that's still an example of a field where reducing individuals' hours worked will reduce individual productivity because there's no real way to increase productivity per hour by being less tired.

Agreed. Truck driving hours are already heavily regulated. I would welcome a reduction in those hours as long as it allowed for me to still do my job and go home every night. Right now if I go over my regulated allowed hours I have to shut my truck down and get a hotel, or jump in the sleeper berth if my truck is equipped with one. Much rather be able to go home and sleep in my own bed and bang my own wife for a change

More trains would help. It wouldn't necessarily impact my job in the short-term. There would need to be substantial infrastructure improvements, specifically with rail travel, to have any great effect on my job. Even then, what I do is somewhat specialized in moving people's cars around so I imagine I'd go from picking up and dropping off at dealerships to picking up and dropping off at rail yards and dealerships.

But I'd be happy to change careers if it meant the US was moving away from truck-centric freight movement and fossil fuels. The US needs a drastic increase in rail-support to address both freight and commuter needs. Hopefully it occurs in my lifetime. Until then it's easy money for me

I don't think a "32 hour work week" means everyone starts working only 32 hours a week. It means the definition of "full time" becomes 32 hours, so if you only work 32 hours, you still get all the benefits you currently have to work 40 hours to get.

It might also change the definition of "overtime" to anything over 32 hours, instead of anything over 40 hours. So you may still have to work 40 hours, but you'll get time-and-a-half for 8 of those.

That makes sense. My wife's hospital considers 36 hours full time for benefits but 32 hours is considered part time

captpackrat posted...

I don't think a "32 hour work week" means everyone starts working only 32 hours a week. It means the definition of "full time" becomes 32 hours, so if you only work 32 hours, you still get all the benefits you currently have to work 40 hours to get.

It might also change the definition of "overtime" to anything over 32 hours, instead of anything over 40 hours. So you may still have to work 40 hours, but you'll get time-and-a-half for 8 of those.

My job gives benefits for "full time" which is 32 hours but they don't start ot until 40

the senator of Florida is a crazy person, he thought people were being lazy for not wanting health insurance after 32 hours..

Jen0125 posted...

Thanks Bernie

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5ea2ef6d.jpg

What a goddamned saint

Do epinephrine next it's criminal what the charge for that shit

Colonel_Lingus posted...

What a goddamned saint

Do epinephrine next it's criminal what the charge for that shit

Indeed. I believe Epipens are another example of exploiting the longer patent duration for mechanisms than for drugs. Epinephrine is dirt cheap and anyone can produce it, but the actual delivery mechanism is patented and sold at a massive markup because there's no meaningful competition for it.

My son has a peanut allergy and we typically have at least 6 on hand so we can keep one at his school with the nurse, one in his school bag, a couple at home and a couple to travel with. On top of replacing them as they expire, if we accidentally leave one in a car or something on a hot or cold day we have to replace it because extreme temps can impact their effectiveness. It's thousands of dollars a year.

I remember when they were trying to cap insulin that diabetic people were like "we just wanna live, damn whys it gotta cost so much?" And it feels similar with epi injectors

Some companies actually experimented with this and found that, not only did revenue either stay the same or increase, but employee productivity went up and resignations decreased

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/02/21/four-day-work-week-results-uk/

But corporate America will never go for it. We don't even offer 40+ hour employees a decent amount of sick days, vacation days, or maternity leave, and healthcare is just hit-or-miss. Hard work is only rewarded with more work in this capitalist hellscape where we somehow find a way to make a business out of absolutely everything. The so-called "American dream" only exists for the wealthy, which is bullshit in a country with so much wealth inequality to begin with. Bernie maybe would have helped us, but the fact that we have a two-party system (aka the quadrennial American pissing contest) only allows the corrupt to prosper. One of the many reasons I hope to leave this country some day.

That is MY president. Idgaf!

Flappers posted...

Some companies actually experimented with this and found that, not only did revenue either stay the same or increase, but employee productivity went up and resignations decreased

While there are some fields where that won't be the case and that makes legislation kind of tricky, I'm pretty comfortable saying that the only reason this hasn't become standardized by legislation is that it would be unpopular among older and/or conservative voters that refuse to accept the idea of people not having to "work as hard" as they currently do. There are probably a few other factors, like commercial real estate investors not wanting companies to downsize their offices (also playing a major role in the pushback against remote work) and downtown businesses being concerned about having fewer days to make their money (again, also a factor working against remote work, even to the extent of many cities offering tax incentives to companies that force employees back into the office), but the biggest obstacle is almost certainly political backlash from people who don't want life to be easier for future generations.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240315-ghost-jobs-digital-job-boards

They aren't even posting real jobs, either.

Flappers posted...

Some companies actually experimented with this and found that, not only did revenue either stay the same or increase, but employee productivity went up and resignations decreased

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/02/21/four-day-work-week-results-uk/

But corporate America will never go for it. We don't even offer 40+ hour employees a decent amount of sick days, vacation days, or maternity leave, and healthcare is just hit-or-miss. Hard work is only rewarded with more work in this capitalist hellscape where we somehow find a way to make a business out of absolutely everything. The so-called "American dream" only exists for the wealthy, which is bullshit in a country with so much wealth inequality to begin with. Bernie maybe would have helped us, but the fact that we have a two-party system (aka the quadrennial American pissing contest) only allows the corrupt to prosper. One of the many reasons I hope to leave this country some day.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3e68d409.jpg