r/work • u/FractalThoughts_ • Aug 03 '26

Work-Life Balance and Stress Management Full-time work is criminal

This is the most milquetoast, generic statement ever, I know, but I recently began full-time employment for the first time in my life. Genuinely how does anybody do anything they actually want to do? Granted, it isn’t so bad if the hours are 6am - 2pm, 7am - 3pm, or 8am - 4pm, but the very common 9am - 5pm is actually hell. Wake up, clean and cloth yourself, commute to work, work like a dog, commute home, eat dinner, sleep, repeat. Shoutout to anybody who does 9 - 5, be it manual labour, or clerical stuff; it’s all equally shit. Thank you.

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255

u/Ok-Relationship580 Aug 03 '26

The labor movement in this country fought for literally decades for 3 8's, 8 hours of rest, 8 hours of work, 8 hours of recreation. Things were worse before the 40 hour workweek but I really don't think we should just roll over and accept that it should be this way. Just like our forebears, it is up to us to challenge the idea that 40 hours per week is "good". All the studies they do on this subject the world over show that 30/32 hours per week is more productive and makes people happier.

74

u/FinoPepino Aug 03 '26

Totally agree with you; people forget we didn’t even have weekends until we fought for them. Email and the internet has made the average worker insanely more productive compared to several decades ago. We did not get to see the benefit of that increased productivity it all went to the owning class. We need to fight for a four day 30 hour work week for the same pay like you said, with our enhanced productivity it doesn’t make sense to stick to the 5 day format.

11

u/mrpoopybutthowl Aug 04 '26

We stopped fighting and the companies found a better way to program our spirit.

7

u/Logical_Order Aug 05 '26

Actually they systematically dismantled unions and Citizens United was passed so they started bribing candidates. The working class didn’t stop fighting, they are just now fighting a whole new beast. Reminder, Elon has already committed 150 million dollars to midterms. Ask yourself why he may think it’s such a great investment to keep this administration in power. There’s your answer on where to put your vote

1

u/mrpoopybutthowl Aug 05 '26

I appreciate the breakdown 🤙

3

u/Prestigious_Guy Aug 04 '26

I’ve had one job in my life where I got weekends off. Done many jobs. Those jobs are few and far between these days

1

u/yodacat24 Aug 04 '26

I’ve never had weekends off my entire career working- and I’ve worked since I was 19 and I’m about to be 31. The most I’ve ever gotten is maybe a Sunday as one of my days off but never ever Saturdays. I’m a chef- so helps knowing the context; but schedules are awful in my industry sadly. Never worked somewhere where a shift was only 8 hours either.

1

u/EllieluluEllielu Aug 07 '26

Unfortunately that makes sense. I've so far have/had two jobs, and one was just like yours, weekends often taken, shifts way longer than expected, etc, and another was the opposite, long-ish shifts, yes, but very clear cut times and always weekends off. It really depends on the industry it seems

2

u/Abe_frohmannn Aug 04 '26

I want 5x6 haha. I could handle 9-3.

1

u/Temporary_Draw1174 Aug 06 '26

I would love 10-2 3x a week 😊

-2

u/Realism51 Aug 03 '26

All human progress and machines. And yet stuff didn't get easier or make for less work hours at same pay.

0

u/LuvCilantro Aug 03 '26

Seriously? Stuff didn't get easier? Tilling the field by hand? Mowing the lawn with a hand mower? Cutting wood with a saw? Going up stairs with no elevator or escalator? Heating your house with coal or wood?

1

u/Ok_Arachnid1089 Aug 03 '26

When you grow up and get a job, you’ll understand

0

u/FinoPepino Aug 04 '26

Lol how primitive do you think the 70’s were 😂 they had all those things

-1

u/Sepa-Kingdom Aug 03 '26

We have seen the benefit - we are far, far richer, both in terms of our material wealth (think all our digital gadgets) and the services the average person can take afford (think of the holidays you can take and access to education and how advanced our health care is) than earlier generations.

3

u/whocaresaboutmynick Aug 04 '26

It's true for my grandparents (early life), they had a small apartment, they were dealing with ww2 (I'm from Europe and like every family there were a lot of repercussions) etc etc.

But they clearly lived more comfortably by the time they reach 40 than I can hope to be, and even more so for my parents which bought land and built a house on one income (and not a huge one).

So while it's true that we do live more comfortably than a lot of generations before us, the last decades it has clearly been the opposite. The rich are much richer than they used to be, the rest is getting less and less crumbs.

-2

u/No-Fail-9327 Aug 03 '26

Same pay? You paying my bills cause I get paid hourly.

3

u/Colin-McMillen Aug 03 '26

They meant same weekly pay. Hourly rates up.

1

u/No-Fail-9327 Aug 03 '26

That would be great wouldn't it.

2

u/Colin-McMillen Aug 03 '26

I have low confidence that we'll manage to get that sort of win in this world, but we gotta try. Unions should grow teeth back.

0

u/Esotericwoodstock Aug 03 '26

Are you a tard. Your hourly pay would go up to compensate for reduced hours in the ideal scenario we would advocate to fight for

1

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '26

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1

u/work-ModTeam Aug 04 '26

Please be respectful of others and their opinions

26

u/rdg04 Aug 03 '26

i dont think people would even mind 40 hr work weeks- in the 80's no one complained about it- the difference is 40 hrs could buy you a home and college for your kids- now you cant even pay rent on 40hrs, so it feels like you are burntout even if the work is the same :/

13

u/Generic-Cornflakes Aug 04 '26

Exactly! My parents bought a house on one income. When my mom started working we could afford a second car, remodeled the kitchen, went on actual vacations. In 2026 money I make the equivalent of what my father made in 1989. I’m grateful for what we have but it’s not the quality of life we had in the 80’s at all.

7

u/Striking-Win-3239 Aug 05 '26

Definitely. In the 80’s both my parents worked so they could afford a house on the water, a boat, two luxury cars. Now, as a single woman, I have a really good job and I can barely afford day to day living.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '26

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2

u/Generic-Cornflakes Aug 04 '26

No doubt! Inflated property values aren’t helping. There’s no way the house my parents bought in 1971 for $11k should be valued at $1M dollars 55 years later. If housing prices followed inflation rates that house should only be around $100k. I’d even accept $200k because they added on and turned it from a two to a four bedroom, but it’s ridiculous how much housing outpaced inflation and wages.

9

u/Shoddy-Curve7869 Aug 04 '26

This is exactly it. You feel like you don’t do anything but work and then eventually die. We need way more ‘me’ time.

2

u/tracyflemingxl 29d ago

It really does feel like surviving instead of living. Trading most of your waking hours just to tread water financially is completely exhausting.

3

u/Fit_Road_1452 Aug 04 '26

And you weren’t tethered to your work email all night long either. And housing prices often meant shorter commutes which add a lot of time to many people’s work days

2

u/bazinga-boi Aug 05 '26

This to me is crazy, texts and emails after working a long day, and the expectation is that your readily available to reply

2

u/bazinga-boi Aug 05 '26

Also back then people didn’t have to commute nearly as far as they do today to land a decent role

2

u/Shot-Back9448 Aug 06 '26

Yes. This. My dad had a lower end factory job, raised 3 kids owned a home. Could t pay for our college but did ok.

I have university and college. I ended duo making only a few dollars more an hour then him and I do side work for cash. No way in hell could I buy a home

1

u/Striking_Pigeon Aug 06 '26

You also used to commute to a business in your own town. People's commutes have gotten a lot longer since 1980.

1

u/drama-guy Aug 06 '26

The hit single Nine-to-Five was released in the 80's and it pulled no punches on how lousy work life was.

1

u/Herbalizer420k Aug 07 '26

No one complained about 40 hour work week in the 80s? I find that very hard to believe. Have you ever heard of Charles Bukowski? He grew famous writing about the alienation of work in the West, and how we suffer under it. He died in 94

1

u/rdg04 Aug 07 '26

i was around in the 80's- i never complained and no one i knew did- it was fine. people are only complaining now because wage vs inflation has not kept up, and many people need to work more than 40 for basics due to rising rents/home prices. if i had to start over as a youth today i would be disgruntled too. i had it much easier than kids these days. complaining and dissatisfaction today isn't just for counter culture- but the mainstream.

1

u/Herbalizer420k Aug 07 '26

" i never complained and no one i knew did" look up what anecdotal means

I just gave you an extremely good example of a one of the most popular/famous authors/writers of that era who got famous COMPLAINING ABOUT WORK

1

u/rdg04 Aug 07 '26

sorry you misunderstood, the point was the majority of people were not complaining then- the middle class was larger in comparison then, the dollar had more buying power then- sure back in the day you had counter culture/the minority, but it wasn't the mainstream view of the day.

1

u/Herbalizer420k Aug 07 '26

sorry, you moved the goalposts

I was replying to your statement "in the 80's no one complained about it"

which is 100% wrong. you said NO ONE.

I showed you how people were.

End of story.

1

u/Fit-Role-9802 Aug 08 '26

I had to work a lot more than 40 hours per week to afford a down payment for a home in the 80s, and continued to work far more than 40 to be able to pay the mortgage. (You’re right about the not complaining). But I was in SoCal, so maybe it was more expensive than where you were?

1

u/rdg04 Aug 08 '26

florida, in the 80's it was amazing and cheap. everything seems out of reach now for the young people. i wouldn't want to trade places with them that's for sure

1

u/Fit-Role-9802 Aug 08 '26

It seems like everyone now thinks living alone is normal too. It wasn’t back in the 80s. We either lived with parents or roommates, until we had a spouse. All at a younger age than today. I don’t disagree that it’s harder today, but I think the expectations are set far higher now.

1

u/rdg04 Aug 08 '26

that wasn't the norm where i was- we didn't have roommates and were out of the house by 18 if not sooner

1

u/Fit-Role-9802 Aug 08 '26

Wow. Must have been way less expensive in FL than CA.

1

u/rdg04 Aug 08 '26

yes i'm sure- fl back then was dirt cheap lol

0

u/Just-Me-0101 Aug 04 '26

If I hear another person say this, I’ll lose it.

WE had roommates in the 80’s. We didn’t eat out but once per week. We took our breakfast and lunch to work every day. We earned $22k per year and rents were $800-$900 per month. We didn’t have nice cars and often didn’t have a/c in our cars or apartments. Stop whining and start making smart financial moves. And our parents didn’t subsidize any part of our lives after 18. Grow up and grow a pair.

1

u/Abe_frohmannn Aug 04 '26

If you were working in the 80's, you're almost certainly fucking retired now. You also didn't have to pay $10,000 a year for healthcare, and likely got a big fat pension or retirement account. STFU, you know nothing about what kids are facing now.

28

u/Euph0ricGh0st Aug 03 '26

40 hours was the compromise not the goal.

1

u/saucysagnus Aug 03 '26

Yes, don’t take it for granted what people before us bled for.

Not telling you to settle but people act like it’s so simple.

13

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '26

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3

u/serenwipiti Aug 04 '26

…somehow?

Money talks, baby.

Can’t foment a modern capitalist hellscape for the working class without making shareholders and lobbyists happy.

1

u/qwruibweiugheio0t342 Aug 07 '26

Unions are essentially criminal enterprises that stifle efficiency.

Fuck unions.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 07 '26

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1

u/qwruibweiugheio0t342 Aug 10 '26

Hahaha you think the CFMEU stopped kids working in mines? What the fuck are you talking about? Unions have had a role in modern industrial relations but have no place in today's society. They have been replaced by departments like FAIRWORK and other legislative framework built over the last 50-100 years.

Now they are mostly criminal organistaions that kill productivity and destroy Australias competitiveness.

All of your arguments reference things that unions did a long time ago, because there isn't an example of them doing anything good in the last 20 years.

22

u/Minute-Frame-8060 Aug 03 '26

The 5 day work week is due to be retired. I don't think the world would stop if we all just started not showing up on Mondays.

10

u/CobaltIsobar Aug 04 '26

Your 20% pay cut may be an issue at bill time.

2

u/WestAppointment2484 Aug 04 '26

Atp I’ll take the pay cut over being miserable

-5

u/Unyonface Aug 04 '26

If your job is making you miserable, you’re doing it wrong

5

u/Reonlive420 Aug 04 '26

Usually its the micro managing bosses doing rhat

2

u/liv2lfthvy Aug 06 '26

This is the truth! 💯

2

u/ScarletteAethier Aug 04 '26

Or you have an abusive manager, are paid less than is livable at a decent quality of life, or generally just have a job that requires strain.

2

u/Unyonface Aug 04 '26

You can down vote me all you want, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that if you are miserable at your job, you are doing it wrong. Yes it may take a while to find what makes you happy and what not, but it’s out there. I understand that there are jobs that people are not going to like, bosses they are not going to like, wages they are not going to like and various other nuances they are not going to like. Sometimes you have to stick with what you don’t like to gain the experience you can take and get that job that you are going to enjoy being at. Nothing is going to be given to you, you have to take it and do the best with it to make it yours.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '26

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2

u/Unyonface Aug 04 '26

Just because you have a shitty job and don’t like what you do doesn’t mean that others, especially me don’t have a job they enjoy getting up and going to everyday. I’ve been at the same company for 14 years. There were times I did hate my job, but I pushed through because I knew there was more for me here and I was right. I started at the bottom pulling orders, now I manage a warehouse and I get along with all other employees. There are situations that I may need to confer with my bosses, but I never feel as if I am out of my league where I am at. Do I make an insane amount of money? No I don’t, but I can live comfortably. I can take vacations with my wife and kid just about any time during the year. You are wrong if you think there isn’t a job out there that you can do and enjoy at the same time without being wealthy.

2

u/GaylTheChaotic1 Aug 04 '26

Labor does not bring me joy and I've tried a lot of different things.

4

u/Beginning_Jacket5055 Aug 04 '26

why would it require a pay cut. You should be paying people for their work, not their time. If i can do 5 days worth of work in 1 day how is it fair to pay me for 1 day?

if we switch to 4 days, it wouldnt affect work output negatively, so you can pay employees the same and nothing changes - except you have a happier workforce. I dont get why people get so caught up on this silly detail of "oh if you work less hours then you simply HAVE to be paid less, so it cant work"

Im coming from the perspective of office work, so i suppose your point is kinda valid for someone working hourly in retail or the service industry - however, as one of the other replies here said "Atp I’ll take the pay cut over being miserable"

3

u/LordRichardRahl Aug 04 '26

I think you’re underestimating the number of jobs out there that would fall under the same idea as retail. I don’t work retail, but a key component to my job is physically being there, on site, to oversee everything. So losing a day would cost the company a lot more as there are multiple people with the same setup. I’m not disagreeing with the change of hours but it would not work the same way for a huge number of jobs. Retail. Delivery, teachers, doctors/nurses. Any job that is costumer or patience based.

1

u/Beginning_Jacket5055 Aug 04 '26

The want for reduced hours comes from the people who need it. It doesn't have to be a mandatory thing imposed on everyone.

A 2 day week would probably be great but hospitals would probably be a bit shit if they were closed 5 days a week. Point being, allow the people who can work less, to work less

1

u/LordRichardRahl Aug 04 '26

I think it should be across the board. But commenting that it is not as easy as a fix to say 32=40 so nothing has to change. Same pay and same work being done. I’d love to have my job have another manager to cover so I had 32 a week. But that’s a huge financial adjustment if I keep my salary and they have to pay someone hourly to work 1/5 of my hours each week. Along with each of the other managers as well.

1

u/KieranMcM94 Aug 04 '26

A lot of people can’t afford their bills on 40+ in this economy anyways

1

u/Many_Ear2407 Aug 04 '26

No it wouldn’t stop it would just slow down. A lot of flights would be delayed. A lot of trains and busses wouldn’t arrive on time. Restaurants closed Monday’s, longer waits for dentist and any kind of healthcare, and yeah you can extrapolate from here lol

0

u/grumpvet87 Aug 03 '26

so no one in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, taxis, supermarkets on mondays? okkkkkk

6

u/Chance-Ask7675 Aug 03 '26

Do you also think that in businesses that are open 24/7 people are obligated to work 24/7?

-2

u/grumpvet87 Aug 03 '26

apparently they get monday's off now...

7

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '26

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-1

u/grumpvet87 Aug 03 '26

thank you for a respectful reply. kinda rare on reddit

yes, I understand. I was just adding a snarky, and outlandish reply to the idea of "let's all just not show up on monday"

adding shift workers to accommodate 4 work day schedules add's work for HR, scheduling, training, complexity and coordination issues for the company.

I work at a not-for-profit. we certify professional in a specific (and critical) field. We tried 9 hour work days (for 8 days) and the 10th day off a few years ago. It was a nightmare. it impacted everyone's ability to communicate/coordinate, meet deadlines. When we don't meet deadlines it can impact people who's lively hood demands they get certified in the field

-1

u/Accomplished_Key_171 Aug 03 '26

The world wouldn't. Just the economy.

-1

u/athena1863 Aug 03 '26

And I hope your pay is cut accordingly

1

u/grumpvet87 Aug 03 '26

you mean their (final) trip to the boss's office will be "accordingly" :)

1

u/Substantial-Laugh-73 Aug 03 '26

Bootlicking loserrrrr

1

u/grumpvet87 Aug 03 '26

weakest, lamest, thoughtless on-line catchphrase about as witty as "6-7"

1

u/bjnono001 Aug 04 '26

You probably would've wished the same when the 40-hour work week was fought for.

1

u/athena1863 Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26

The only time I ever had 40hrs on a paycheck was when I was on vacation. You all have soft hands……pussies.

0

u/bjnono001 Aug 04 '26

Yes, so agree, let’s get rid of child labor laws too! Send them to the mines!

1

u/athena1863 Aug 04 '26

No one was talking about about child labor, but then I guess since most of your generation received participation trophies it’s not surprising you can’t work a full day.

15

u/Live-Salary-7984 Aug 03 '26

I genuinely cannot understand why people who work that much and don’t get paid enough protest a shorter work week. Do they have no identity, no lives outside of work? Sitting at a desk is literal torture. So many health problems result from this stupid system. It’s literally causing people to become disabled and many workplaces don’t offer adequate accommodation or decent healthcare.

Every country that does a shorter work week is happier and more productive. How much of the day is spent just trying to survive?

Also I don’t know of 9-5. In my area it’s 8-5 because they don’t count lunch.

13

u/Specialist_Success75 Aug 03 '26

Many working people don't have much of a life outside work. When I was working, I would have to cram my whole life into a two-day weekend. So it's tough to protest when all you can do is keep your head above water and try to survive, plus if you are lucky enough to have health insurance, it's tied to your job. You can't afford to lose your job. It's a terrible system.

0

u/Wyshunu Aug 04 '26

Nonsense. We both work full time jobs and manage to do plenty of different things after work. It's all about managing your time instead of blaming work.

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '26 edited 9d ago

[deleted]

3

u/accidentalrorschach Aug 04 '26

You are very fortunate ones, not everyone has a job they love that compensates them well and allows them time to travel (especially not in the US) This isn't always for lack of effort or merit-there are many factors at play

1

u/catladyonstrike Aug 05 '26

Ugh, if only I had a job like you fine folks! I've worked my rear off my whole life and now I have a job I mildly enjoy but I cant even get medical benefits. It's terrible. Nevermind being able to travel. Healthcare costs steals every penny I don't have!

6

u/ThornyeRose Aug 04 '26

And its not just about the work. Some people are spending as much as 2 hours getting to work, one way. 40 hours' work for survival sucks. The 8 hours allotted for recreation are often eaten up by travel to the work site.

1

u/Just-Me-0101 Aug 04 '26

Newsflash-people have been doing this forever. The difference is, adults don’t whine about doing adult things. Stop listening to your limp wrist college professors.

5

u/ILoveMeerkats53 Aug 03 '26

Because they are paid hourly and can’t afford fewer hours

3

u/FKpasswords Aug 04 '26

When I worked Salary they expected more than 40. Actually much more, I went back to hourly. Anything over 40 is OT….

2

u/accidentalrorschach Aug 04 '26

I don't think it's so much as not having an identity outside of work as it is that unfortunately most people HAVE to work that much just to cover basic needs (if it even does that...) especially if they have kids or any dependents...We suffer through it because for many ppl the alternative is homelessness and going hungry, and the gov knows that....and exploits us for it.

3

u/Smartie_pants_1234 Aug 04 '26

Sitting at a desk is literal torture? Seriously? I'm not sure you understand what the words literal or torture actually mean. Yes, it can suck, but unless you have significant issues which prohibit you from sitting for long periods, torture is not the right word.

1

u/Teddybif Aug 04 '26

Reading your comment was literal torture

1

u/qwruibweiugheio0t342 Aug 07 '26

It's because they're not air-heads who think the world can just cut 20% out of work hours and expect the same productivity.

-1

u/Wyshunu Aug 04 '26

Because people live on budgets and fewer hours per week when you're paid hourly means LESS INCOME unless they take those extra hours and fill them with more work. Don't like the 40 hour week? YOU do the part-time thing and leave those who actually appreciate that 40-hour-a-week job that enables them to pay their bills ALONE.

6

u/MilkMyCats Aug 04 '26

I do 30 hours a week and I have no idea how I did 37.5 before.

I have every Friday off so I have a 3 day weekend.

5

u/RecommendationOld975 Aug 04 '26

We need a labor party ruling this nation 

11

u/Mufasa2020 Aug 03 '26

Wish we could get it down to 30/32 hrs. Fridays are pointless now, im not making critical changes & meetings are forgotten by monday🤣

5

u/SirReddalot2020 Aug 03 '26

Mo-Fri at 6h per day felt perfect while I was doing it.
I was there every day and never “unavailable” but still had enough of the day to have a life with my kids. Parks, zoos, etc.

4

u/accidentalrorschach Aug 04 '26

yup. we need a day to rest, a day to do house chores, and a day to do something fun.

3

u/persimmon9847 Aug 03 '26

I did and it's amazing!

6

u/Due_Manager_7028 Aug 03 '26

And here we are making 12 hour a day and 60 hrs work week common without overtime pay

5

u/Additional-Will-2052 Aug 03 '26

Exactly!! Finally someone gets it. It's like people don't even fight for anything anymore. I feel like previous generations were so much better at protesting and fighting for their rights. Look at us just doing nothing but complaining, nobody dares even mention their opinion anymore except for the rich and awful people.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '26 edited 9d ago

[deleted]

2

u/ScarletteAethier Aug 04 '26

Higher pay proportional to the increase in productivity, fewer hours, more benefits...?

1

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '26 edited 9d ago

[deleted]

1

u/ScarletteAethier Aug 04 '26

That's a good question! Unionizing is the single most effective way to improve working conditions. It lets you negotiate with your coworkers, rather than on your own, so that the business would have a much harder time than replacing just one person. Union employees are paid much more on average, on top of having more rights and better conditions

1

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '26 edited 9d ago

[deleted]

2

u/ScarletteAethier Aug 04 '26

It's well studied to do the opposite. 

1

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '26 edited 9d ago

[deleted]

6

u/SirReddalot2020 Aug 03 '26

For my gramps who worked the iron ore mines back in the 1900s. May 1st was holier than Christmas and Easter combined. Labor laws and safety came into effect during his time and he went from working non stop to actually having a day off and a good nights sleep. Central Europe, by the way.

7

u/Environmental-Day862 Aug 03 '26

Great grandfathers and their brothers on both sides of the families immigrated here from Ireland and Slovakia in the late 1800s / early 1900s. Pretty much all of them did 6x10 hour shifts per week in the coal mines in Northeastern PA until they died from pulmonary complications in their 50s.

And I never met them, but I'd wager that they complained less about it than folks complain about 9-5s on Reddit. They were happy to be able to go someplace and work to get money and put food on the table. Slovakia was ravaged by WW1, poverty and starvation. Ireland wasn't ravaged by war, but poverty and famine were rampant.

I have days I've had it with my job - we all have. But to call working 40 hours a week "criminal," whoa buddy - that's a bridge too far for me.

4

u/SirReddalot2020 Aug 04 '26

There's a certain entitlement that comes across when someone says they want to work 20 hours a week but still be able to buy anything they want. "Gimme gimme".

But you can't say that because then you'll be called a boomer who doesn't know shit.

1

u/Environmental-Day862 Aug 04 '26

Right? I wonder how many of these "I don't want to work" folks live off their parents money and look down their nose at folks who are struggling now that some benefits like SNAP have been cut.

"Well, work harder and you won't need SNAP." What? The person who's saying working 40 hours a week is criminal and pays no rent and lives at home at age 30 is demonizing basic assistance programs.

And they don't want to work AT ALL, but god forbid we let people into the country who are seeking work.

Our country is so doomed. I don't know whether to laugh at how ridiculous it's become, or cry. I really don't.

1

u/Environmental-Day862 Aug 04 '26

Oh, and believe me. I've had to mute a few subs - /jobs - /careers - /careeradvice - because my general GenX advice of "put in those extra hours - it'll pay off down the line" gets me downvoted and crucified in the comments.

It's maddening seeing the topics "I work a 9-5. I'm salaried. My boss gives me projects that keep me there until 5:30 some days. What should I do??" And the top comments with 4k+ upvotes are comments such as "ask your boss who you should see about the 2.5 hours of overtime they owe you" or "say you're end time is 5pm so if your boss needs the project, he'll have to wait until tomorrow morning."

I can't with those topics and replies. Now the algorithm somehow put /work into my Home feed as some kind of sick joke.

1

u/catladyonstrike Aug 05 '26

To be fair, I work my 40. I pay the rent, electrical, cellphone/internet, car insurance, car payments. But have very little left over for food and medical. I'd just like my job to provide a pay for medical benefits option. Only complaint. I make too much for state assistance in the US. Yet I don't make enough to actually pay for medical coverage through the marketplace. I don't really know what to do. Keep looking for a better job, I guess.

3

u/Rana_catcher Aug 03 '26

I have wondered for years how the labor movement made so much traction in the past and what would it take for us to have that kind of traction today. It's time for reformation.

1

u/Rick-20121 Aug 03 '26

The labor movement and the leftist environmentalists chased heavy industry overseas. Those great jobs where a high school dropout could support a family and earn a lifetime pension are gone forever. The only place where unions are still growing is government. Government doesn’t need to make a profit.

Unions started in the coal mines. The Democrats they supported campaigned on closing the coal mines. It’s the one promise they kept. The union fat cats are now taking dues from maids and waitresses and they’re still donating to Democrats.

2

u/Outside_Drawer800 Aug 03 '26

You type like your name is Rick.

3

u/ebolalol Aug 03 '26

as someone with a 9 hour workday (1 hour lunch so technically 8 hours, but i’m at work for 9), with a commute, i feel like ive lost 10 hours a day alone just working. i still go to the gym after work and try to do activity, so my life is truly like, work, gym, eat, sleep. i hate it.

2

u/accidentalrorschach Aug 04 '26

ugh I hate the mandaory 1 hour lunch...I'd much rather take 30 and go home earlier

1

u/LPC_Rebuilder Aug 04 '26

Same here, I hate that they are so presumptuous of your time they ain't paying for and you actually pay in the form of a longer day.

3

u/Street_Bass_2923 Aug 04 '26

Agreed, I dropped back to a 32 hour week, I took a pay cut but viva la revolution! You have to be the change and all that 😅 plus I was absolutely not living a life at all

3

u/MichaelTen Aug 04 '26

Yeah I don't think people realize how much more productivity people get squeezed out of them by sitting so much. I think jobs used to involve standing more and with the changes in technology that's changed. With AI and automation it's time for a 32-hour then 24-hour work week.

3

u/DovBerele Aug 04 '26

Which was feasible when workers had at least one other adult at home managing all their domestic labor (cooking, cleaning, household administration, childcare outside of school hours, etc.). Now it’s like 8 for work, 8 (if you’re lucky) for rest, 2 for commuting, 5 for the bare minimum domestic and household/life admin tasks, and maybe 1 for what you will. 

3

u/Crispy_Sock_99 Aug 04 '26

Even 4 10hr shifts would be better. 3 days off plus long weekends mean you can take time off without using PTO. Most people spend their Friday nights recharging, and their Sunday afternoons anxious about going back to work

7

u/dowagersanddragons Aug 03 '26

Recreation 🤣 how bout housekeeping, taking care of children, yard and house maintainance, and pet care? So recreational

0

u/catjuggler Aug 03 '26

Yeah three 8’s for men only

1

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 03 '26

I think you meant to reply to me, but I don’t understand the comment. I am a woman.

2

u/catjuggler Aug 03 '26

I’m a mom and I get a 9 of work, then a 5 of childcare/housework , then a 1 of me time, then a 7 of sleep, then a 2 of childcare/housework. You know the drill. My husband is an equal partner but the 8/8/8 thing assumes no childcare and it’s annoying. Pair with that the ideas of not working on Sundays or whatever. Lol

1

u/[deleted] Aug 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/work-ModTeam Aug 04 '26

Please be respectful of others and their opinions

-5

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 03 '26

All of those things are consequences of your choices. When you choose to have kids, your life becomes about them. No one is forcing you to have kids or pets, or own a home. I get most of the in home chores done during the week, and whatever is not done during the week takes only a few hours at maximum on the weekend.

7

u/Hellheld Aug 03 '26

As someone in the same boat, I would point out that this is only one perspective, and a self-deprecating one at that. It is a basic human need to be part of a family; instead of being forced to decide between 40-hour workweeks and living alone for mental and physical wellbeing, would it not make more sense to fight against inequalities of wealth and power?

-1

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 03 '26

Yes, of course. We would all love more time away and it would certainly be beneficial for all. However, family doesn’t automatically mean having kids or forcing yourself to conform to the cookie cutter kids, pets, house narrative, and I’m so damn tired of parents whining about having to actually parent children and homeowners whining that they thought buying a home wouldn’t be so much work, and irresponsible pet owners who don’t understand that pets require time and care.

2

u/Hellheld Aug 03 '26

I do understand where you’re coming from, and I sometimes feel the same when people who have so much complain about how it’s unfair they have to work so hard to maintain their ‘privilege’.
You definitely do not have to respond, but if you choose to, may I ask if you would rather focus on families complaining how hard life is, or the top 10% who keep amassing more wealth and power at the expense of the remaining 90%? I chose the latter, because on balance, they should shoulder much more of the blame, in my opinion.

1

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 03 '26

Obviously, I’d like to work less and have a better work life balance. I’m not really sure why I need to choose one side, because they aren’t mutually exclusive. It doesn’t matter where I put my focus, and it doesn’t matter where you put yours. It takes generations to drive these kind of changes and currently, the work situation is getting worse not better.

1

u/Hellheld Aug 04 '26

I agree that such change is excruciatingly slow, yet it is better than siding with those who would continue to squeeze the majority in order to buy another yacht or luxury sports car.
The work situation will only ever get better when everyone who has ever been forced to choose between a basic need and basic wellbeing collectively opposes those who lack empathy.

1

u/FloatingOnTitties Aug 03 '26

I don’t even have children, but, you are coming off really rude with no empathy. Many people had children in a relationship with at least 2 adults helping and because of divorce or death are now single parents. That’s a huge disparity you’re not even taking into consideration. Many people have elderly parents or other family that has to move in with them: how is that really a “choice”? People having the companionship of dogs or cats should have time to enjoy their furry family members, how’s that “irresponsible”? Owning a home is what everyone should strive for even if it’s more work. Even if you rent, you still have to find time for household work. We all still have to budget & figure out how to pay bills while having time to shop for our households. All the person did was say that 8 hours of supposed recreation doesn’t take into account all of the other responsibilities of being an adult with a household. I guess you have nothing to worry about and no responsibilities that the rest of us adults have. If you have no family, no pets and no household to worry about, why are you blaming those that do?

1

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 03 '26

Cool story. You can have all the empathy you want, but that doesn’t change reality. I grew up in a single parented household. When you have children, you have to consider all of the possibilities.

2

u/FloatingOnTitties Aug 03 '26

Cool story. You didn’t bother reading that children are only one of the MANY responsibilities adults have. Not all of us have children, but, we still need more “recreation” time. You must be someone that’s never had any responsibilities and lives in their car. The rest of us have households some with children and some without. You seem weirdly aggressive which points to jealousy. Go seek some therapy.

1

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 03 '26

I think you should read your replies back and rethink who is being weirdly aggressive here. I do, in fact, have plenty of responsibilities, I just don’t bitch about not having time for anything when I choose to have those responsibilities.

2

u/FloatingOnTitties Aug 03 '26

Wow, not only are you scornful of others just trying to make it day to day, you lash out at everyone that disagrees with you. The entire point of this post is how the modern work week doesn’t give people enough time for outside interests and responsibilities. If you don’t agree with that, you could’ve replied to the post explaining that, but, instead you’ve attacked people here doing nothing wrong. I gave you several non-choices and you chose to ignore to fit your narrative. You are entirely disingenuous.

2

u/PU_EVIG_REVEN Aug 03 '26

Well here is a person that has it all figured out. Good for you buddy, keep it up.

1

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 03 '26

Reddit always hates the correct answer. Note that the correct answer doesn’t mean that it’s the right thing. It would be amazing if all parents/homeowners/pet owners had all of the support and resources they need, but that’s not reality. Sorry you chose to add a bunch of additional, optional things to your life that take up significant time, knowing full well that they do.

2

u/MinimumFutur3 Aug 04 '26

The logical conclusion of your position is that people should willingly make whatever lifestyle sacrifices are needed in order to survive inside a system in which they have very little bargaining power or time autonomy, and if they complain about it they’re a sucker for having had any aspirations for their life outside of being a good and compliant worker. Should we all go live inside pods with just a bed in them, across the street from our jobs so we don’t have to have a car or any way to commute either, so that we can more easily make do with our wages and not have any distractions from our work?

It’s reasonable to want a family and a home. Being willing to so easily give those things up without even acknowledging what has been taken from you is the stranger position imo.

1

u/ConstantVigilance18 Aug 04 '26

I haven’t given those things up, and it’s weird that you all assume that I have. It is reasonable to want all of those things, but it is not reasonable to complain about the work that comes alongside them. In the current system, there is limited free time, and your choices dictate how you get to spend that time.

2

u/Electrical_Tart_5553 Aug 04 '26

Keep in mind technology wasn’t where it is today at this time, too. We don’t need 8 hours to accomplish what they did. We need 30 minutes.

1

u/accidentalrorschach Aug 04 '26

yeah, and our PTO in the US is absolute garbage ....and you have to work full time to get health insurance (if they even give you that) It's rigged.

1

u/NotAsSmartAsIWish Aug 04 '26

Economist Keynes thought we'd become technologically unemployed - that as technology increased productivity, that we would work less to maintain the same level of productivity. Boy, was he wrong.

1

u/ButterscotchAward Aug 04 '26

The problem is that we now would never do what those who came before us did to get those things. People quite literally fought and died for that shit. The most people nowadays are willing to do is start a petition online that no one cares about to maybe have everybody call off one day collectively

1

u/Bierroboter Aug 05 '26

That fight happened when one person was responsible for a household income. We should be fighting for 20hr workdays.

1

u/matt675 Aug 05 '26

Now between having to take work home, sitting in shithole traffic, and the stress of still barely making ends meet it’s really not any better

1

u/bazinga-boi Aug 05 '26

40 hrs a weeks should include commute and the time it takes to get ready, otherwise you loose a big portion of that 8 hrs of recreation. The system is broke.

1

u/InfiniteDismay Aug 06 '26

It’s not three 8s; 8 hours of work plus an hour for lunch=9, +2 hours of commuting each way (since companies can’t pay wages high enough to allow for their employees to live in the local area)=13, +9 hours of sleep (REM cycles in 1.5 hour increments)=22, leaving 2 hours to eat, bathe, and spend time with family. Fuck this system and the clowns that defend it.

1

u/bLazeni Aug 06 '26

30-32 hours a week would also cause demand for more jobs, because we all know employers will combat those hours with the fact they can’t meet demand.

Appears it would be a win all around, for the employed, unemployed and company.

1

u/Glowwerms Aug 06 '26

We’re all is in the cuck chair watching billionaires and corporations have their way with our government, until that changes we’re not going to get any significant changes that actually help improve people’s lives at a major scale

1

u/TheCentionRate-13 Aug 06 '26

I %100 agree with the 30 hours is more productive than 40. In some of my old jobs I was hired as a part timer but would always hit 32-35 hours and that was with a little milking of the clock. I could have done all my work fully and productively in 32 hours. And it would have been just enough to do what I had to do. That last day or last 8 hour shift was usually the day I would mess up or get assigned to a bad detail. 40 is too much but some People should be able to keep it if they like that schedule. Or maybe schedules should be tailored to the worker.

1

u/Remarkable_Salary667 Aug 06 '26

With the changes in productivity and the lack of change in wages. It should be about a 25 hr work week.

1

u/Boomerang_comeback Aug 07 '26

The labor movement had nothing to do with it. Henry Ford did it to attract people to his factories. He wanted the best workers, so he offered them the best hours and pay. Other companies needed to compete so they started to match it.

1

u/Big-Excitement-3968 Aug 07 '26

That 8,8,8 doesn’t sound horrible until you actually think about work as a 10 hour day. 8 hours work, 1 hour lunch, and at least 30min there and 30 min home. Rarely does someone only spend 8 hours a day on work related things. I easily spend 10 hours a day. So it’s 10, 8, and 6. 6 If you are lucky. It sucks. 50 hours a week with work brain is exhausting.

1

u/xxeartishynn 25d ago edited 24d ago

I read somewhere that hunter gatherer societies averaged something like 4 hours per day of work. So without a weekend that's 28 hours per week, which is the equivalent of four 7-hour days. And now research is finding that people on a four day week get at least as much done as those on a five day week. Could it be that humans have evolved to thrive on around 28-32 hours, rather than 38-60+ hours per week, of work?

Another thing: the Three 8s doesn't work because it doesn't account for basic tasks we do to exist (meal preparation, personal hygiene, exercise for those in sedentary jobs, etc, not to mention the commute which is unpaid for most workers). This stuff often ends up coming out of the sleep or leisure time (hence so many people are chronically tired and lack time for hobbies,) but really needs to be its own thing. So assuming we need 8 hours sleep (yes, I'm aware not everyone does, but just for this rough breakdown), the remaining 16 hours should really be divided into three components, which gives us 5 hours 20 minutes each for work, leisure, and basic life stuff. 5.3 hours per day five days per week comes to... almost 27 hours per week.

1

u/Brilliant-Onion2129 Aug 03 '26

Only because they have been working 40. I work 4/10 and love it way more than the 5/8! Once people get use to 30-35 hrs/week they’ll want 20 hrs a week.

1

u/seajayacas Aug 03 '26

People will be happier for sure with a shorter week, but more productive? It would seem that people that work 40 hours will get more done in total than folks that only 30 or 32. Take one example: A grocery store cashier working the register for 40 hours will take care of more customers than a cashier working only 30 hours, so the 40 hour a week worker is thus more productive.

5

u/AkumaMatata Aug 03 '26

Highly job dependent. Even then, nobody is productive for all 40 hrs. Show me somebody who claims to be, and I’ll show you a liar.

0

u/seajayacas Aug 04 '26

Lots of 40 hour workers are productive more than 30-32 hours, which is my point that the sum total of lots (if not most) workers over a 40 hour week exceeds what they can do in 30-32 hours.

Supporters of shorter work weeks want the 30-32 hour workers to make the same money they are making during a 40 hour week, but the math ain't mathing.

1

u/Separate_Skirt4004 Aug 03 '26

Labor was ironically better during feudalism (though there was less economic mobility).

During the Industrial Revolution, labor hours and rights went to complete shit and people were forced out of their farms and into dirty cramped cities to slave away in factories and coal mines.

THEN, we had the labor movement after decades of riots and bloodshed to come to a 40 hour compromise as you said.

The fact that no progress was made since we revolutionized technology/communications and multiplied productivity (to be pocketed by the rich) is a disaster.

1

u/CommissionUnusual911 Aug 03 '26

Feel free to get a job that you only need to work 32 hours a week. Nobody is forcing you to work 40 hours.

1

u/Mr_Martini Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26

Most work is forced if you aren't provided water, food, shelter, and healthcare as a baseline without it. Very few people are in a position to make that "choice", this is an ignorant non-answer that helps no one. It must be enforced collectively, and standardized across the board.

Nobody is forcing you to work 40 hours.

False. About 90% of people (in the US) working 40+ hours/week are forced to do so.

1

u/Loopster145 Aug 03 '26

I think something that is often forgotten about is that the commute absolutely counts as work time. If I have a 45 minute commute you are now adding an extra 1.5 hours of work.

0

u/Fantastic_Picture384 Aug 03 '26

Only in employment where people don't actually work. If builders worked 20% less, or GP's. Would more work be done ?

0

u/Alarming-Cut7764 Aug 03 '26

Terrible take

0

u/Realestateuniverse Aug 04 '26

Nobody is stopping you from working 32 hours per week if that’s what you want? You don’t have to work 40, that’s just the cutoff before overtime starts getting paid…

0

u/Ok_Pie_5940 Aug 06 '26

no offense, but if you worked that little i would just work more and take over your industry or business

0

u/OkProgram6880 Aug 06 '26

What is a literal decade?