Of all the bargaining goals set out by the United Auto Workers union in the just completed talks, none was more ambitious, or gained less traction in negotiations, than the idea of a four-day, 32-hour work week.
This right here, I get the bulk of my responsibility completed in about 20 hours, where the rest of the time my particular role is that I’m compensated for “being available”. As for completion of my duties and helping the mission of the company is concerned, 32 hours for the same pay would actually save the company money. The “optics” though is what companies fear, and they don’t want to lose their leverage and power over workers.
This right here, I get the bulk of my responsibility completed in about 20 hours, where the rest of the time my particular role is that I’m compensated for “being available”. As for completion of my duties and helping the mission of the company is concerned, 32 hours for the same pay would actually save the company money. The “optics” though is what companies fear, and they don’t want to lose their leverage and power over workers.