30 hour work week

dilbert2

With the election coming up, do you think any of the political parties should make the length of hours worked each work by the workforce an issue? Do you think we should stick with the legally mandated 40 hour/ 9-5 work week routine, or do you think we should bring in laws to bring down the amount of hours worked to 30 hours per week?

This wouldn’t necessarily be to suggest that people should stick to a 30 hour work week, and if anybody wanted to work 40/50/60 etc hours a week, they'd be perfectly entitled to do so. However do you think it would be a good idea to reduce the working week from 40 hours to 30 hours? Also would it be correct to say that this would not only allow more flexibility for workers in other areas of their lives - it would also open up jobs, and bring down unemployment not only in foreseeable future, but in the long-term.

Mr Benevolent

Also would it be correct to say that this would not only allow more flexibility for workers in other areas of their lives - it would also open up jobs, and bring down unemployment not only in foreseeable future, but in the long-term.

You're proposing to cut everyone's wages by 25% and calling it 'flexibility'? Hahaheehohoha. Ha.

That said, you've more brains than Enda Kenny.

Snakeblood

dilbert2 wrote: »

With the election coming up, do you think any of the political parties should make the length of hours worked each work by the workforce an issue? Do you think we should stick with the legally mandated 40 hour/ 9-5 work week routine, or do you think we should bring in laws to bring down the amount of hours worked to 30 hours per week?

This wouldn’t necessarily be to suggest that people should stick to a 30 hour work week, and if anybody wanted to work 40/50/60 etc hours a week, they'd be perfectly entitled to do so. However do you think it would be a good idea to reduce the working week from 40 hours to 30 hours? Also would it be correct to say that this would not only allow more flexibility for workers in other areas of their lives - it would also open up jobs, and bring down unemployment not only in foreseeable future, but in the long-term.

Would I earn as much money? If not, no. I've got things that need to be paid for.

Sandwlch

I doubt there's too many out there willing to vote for a 25% pay cut.
What we see is those who have jobs fighting to avoid pay reductions, and rather than share work around, hope its the other guy who gets hit by unemployment.

Skerries

double what?

TeddyTedson

Yes most definitely. Some EU members have been pushing for a 32 hour week for a long time now. It makes a lot of sense. There is enough work for people and enough time for people to have things called hobbies too where monies are circulated too.

hondasam

I have no problem working 30 hrs and getting paid for 40 hrs.

Aoifey!

Wouldn't work.

If only getting paid for 30 hours, the workers wouldn't do it.

If getting paid for 40 but only 30 work, the employers couldn't afford it.

marcbrophy

The working week is 37.5 hours right?

Mr Benevolent

marcbrophy wrote: »

The working week is 37.5 hours right?

The working week is defined by your contract.

Sandwlch

marcbrophy wrote: »

The working week is 37.5 hours right?

No. 39.

marcbrophy

Confab wrote: »

The working week is defined by your contract.

Ah, I see

dilbert2

Snakeblood wrote: »

Would I earn as much money? If not, no. I've got things that need to be paid for.

Did you actually read my post? I said that were there no problem with people working 40-50 hours etc a week, would people then support the amount of legally mandated work hours been reduced from 40 to 30 hours?

davyjose

You think the government can mandate that? You think Google, Accenture, Intel, etc etc, would be having that?

People in this country still see this "recession" as a fault of the government. When in reality it's all about Capitalism, and Big business. An excuse to make us work more for less. The situation is much worse because our government were more incompetent than most others', but ultimately we're still in this mess because companies have realised they can still make a profit without paying for it. The recession is over everywhere else. Jobs are still down though.

30 hour work week. No chance. Especially not here.

Bykobap

I blame Bono.

Agricola

There might have been a platform for this debate 4 or 5 years ago, but not now. Theres nearly half a million people who would bite your arm off for a 50 or 60 hour week, never mind talking about reducing it.
Its not practical anyway, employers wouldnt agree to it due to loss of productivity, people wouldnt accept a loss of 10 hours pay etc etc and so on and so forth.
I'd love a 3 day weekend. Maybe in some utopian future, Friday will be the first day of the weekend, or better still Monday could be the last.

Overheal

Its hard to understand this idea of limiting how much a person can contribute to the economy. It's a fun idea if you want to explore giving 2 people a 30 hour week or 1 person a 60 hour week but it's a rather socialist notion, one which opposes the free will of the types of workers who would gladly work that long or longer (the baby boomers, for instance)

Rabble Rabble

davyjose wrote: »

You think the government can mandate that? You think Google, Accenture, Intel, etc etc, would be having that?

People in this country still see this "recession" as a fault of the government. When in reality it's all about Capitalism, and Big business. An excuse to make us work more for less. The situation is much worse because our government were more incompetent than most others', but ultimately we're still in this mess because companies have realised they can still make a profit without paying for it. The recession is over everywhere else. Jobs are still down though.

30 hour work week. No chance. Especially not here.

Google was responsible for the recession?

mawk

Agricola wrote: »

There might have been a platform for this debate 4 or 5 years ago, but not now. Theres nearly half a million people who would bite your arm off for a 50 or 60 hour week, never mind talking about reducing it.
Its not practical anyway, employers wouldnt agree to it due to loss of productivity, people wouldnt accept a loss of 10 hours pay etc etc and so on and so forth.
I'd love a 3 day weekend. Maybe in some utopian future, Friday will be the first day of the weekend, or better still Monday could be the last.

I work 4 ten hour shifts. Friday is the start of my weekend

ejmaztec

davyjose wrote: »

You think the government can mandate that?

The government's been actively involved in reducing the working week to zero hours. It will be universally achieved shortly.

Tigger

the teachers would never agree to doubling their hours

Sticky_Fingers

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Yes most definitely. Some EU members have been pushing for a 32 hour week for a long time now. It makes a lot of sense. There is enough work for people and enough time for people to have things called hobbies too where monies are circulated too.

And would you expect to be paid time and half for anything worked over the 32 hour week, drastically increasing overtime costs? Many SME's in this country have their backs to the wall, many employees know this and thus decide it is in their own interest to work longer hours without pay.

Reducing the working week to 30 or 32 hours will just put more pressure on employers (they are not all big rich multinationals) and would more than likely cost jobs in the long run.

starbelgrade

When I was in school, I remember seeing videos of "What it will be like in the future".

In that future, the advancements of technology meant that most of the menial work would be done for us & as a result, people would have lots more leisure time, we'd be a lot happier than previous generations & would spend time taking walks in cool, futuristic cities & parks.

None of that shit ever happened.... I work harder & longer hours than my father did & there's not one cool, futuristic city in the whole of Ireland.

And if you listen to the news, things are just as bad as they were on the 80s.

SV

I work a 32 hour week.
It's the best.

ArtSmart

an economist suggested as much on rte a few months ago - i've never seen or heard of him since.

i assume he was shot by IBEC or similar

Amhran Nua

dilbert2 wrote: »

it would also open up jobs, and bring down unemployment not only in foreseeable future, but in the long-term.

This is known as the lump of labour fallacy.

Lumen

dilbert2 wrote: »

Did you actually read my post? I said that were there no problem with people working 40-50 hours etc a week, would people then support the amount of legally mandated work hours been reduced from 40 to 30 hours?

There are no "legally mandated work hours", unless you're referring to things like the Working Time Directive which do not specify minimum hours.

Dravokivich

OP, I don't see the point in your post, if you want a shorter working week, why not just work part time?

kingtut

65 hour week most weeks these days. You and your petty 39 hour weeks. To think you call that 'work' I call it a holiday camp :pac:

BizzyC

My contract specifies a 45 hour working week.
Government has no control over the hours in your contract except for setting the maximum, which is 48 afaik.

Nonoperational

What a stupid thread.

Kasabian

30 hour weeks.
That's half what I do most weeks.
This country won't ruin itself you know.

JimmyCrackCorn

dilbert2 wrote: »

With the election coming up, do you think any of the political parties should make the length of hours worked each work by the workforce an issue? Do you think we should stick with the legally mandated 40 hour/ 9-5 work week routine, or do you think we should bring in laws to bring down the amount of hours worked to 30 hours per week?

This wouldn’t necessarily be to suggest that people should stick to a 30 hour work week, and if anybody wanted to work 40/50/60 etc hours a week, they'd be perfectly entitled to do so. However do you think it would be a good idea to reduce the working week from 40 hours to 30 hours? Also would it be correct to say that this would not only allow more flexibility for workers in other areas of their lives - it would also open up jobs, and bring down unemployment not only in foreseeable future, but in the long-term.

I genuinely cant remember the last time i worked 9-5 or 40 hours a week

ScumLord

In relation to 3 day weeks and stamps I think there's a problem there.

It should be possible to do a 30 hour week, it would help some businesses that don't have allot of work on now and help those on less days get proper credit for the work they do.

We need to be very flexible in todays economy and workers are getting punished by the current setup.