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Forum Post: Legislation Idea to Boost Employment

Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 4, 2012, 8:18 a.m. EST by anonymous696987 (1)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

This idea came to me from a graphic designer, but what if there was a law that capped the number of days a worker could work during the week at 4. To fill the 5th day companies would hopefully hire an additional worker. To ensure each additional worker got sufficient hours to support herself/himself there could be a law that set a floor of 3-days minimum that a worker must work during the week. Ideally, companies would then stay open 7-days/week. An increase in minimum wages could be implemented to offset lost hours, or deflation in prices from lower wages could compensate for lost hours.

35 Comments

35 Comments


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[-] 2 points by vats (107) 12 years ago

first ban out sourcing

[-] 1 points by TechJunkie (3029) from Miami Beach, FL 12 years ago

This proposal assumes that workers are interchangeable. They aren't. A good employer doesn't treat employees like modular Lego blocks that can just be swapped out and replaced. I work with graphic designers, and one guy specifically is very capable. He's a "closer", who can finish projects while other people are still dreaming. This proposal would force our company to cut his time and give it to dreamers, which would cut our output and cost everybody money. The fundamental flaw in the thinking is that people are just interchangeable, cookie-cutter copies of each other. That idea doesn't respect either the worker or the enterprise. People are not identical, interchangeable blocks. If you respect individuals and you give them more responsibility, then you might end up depending heavily on certain people. That should not be illegal. It doesn't help workers to make it illegal to reward strong workers.

[-] 1 points by bensdad (8977) 12 years ago

At first glance, this may seem reasonable
but if you are earning $2000 / week and not subject to minimum wage, for 5 days work, how are you going to pay your bills at $1600 for for four days?

[-] 1 points by sato (148) 12 years ago

this is a terrible idea

less than 5 days means an employer can use you at any given time without extra compensation. Some of the employment benefits depend on hours worked too. For example sick and vacation days.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

They wouldn't hire additional workers. They'd just crack the whip more during the 4 days. Your idea is a humane one, however, and one that would make the economy work for the people instead of vice versa.

[-] 0 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

The economy is designed to favor the person that works hard not the one on welfare

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

How does your comment relate to this thread?

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

It doesn't really I was replying to your comment. As to the thread this is a terrible idea. There are some jobs such as the ones at Raytheon where they are very regulated and have people they can trust work. If they only had to work four days then what would more than likely happen is that their products would be pushed back.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

Your reply was so strange, I'm glad you clarified.

Anyway, what he's saying is to have job sharing. The manufacturing or whatever business it is would be open for the 7 days. It would just be a way to get more people employed. Not such a bad idea.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

More employment is good but I don't think this is the way to do it.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

I'm not 100% sure either, but we need to think about new ways of doing things. It's not a terrible idea. People need jobs. People can share jobs. They'd have more free time. Might work.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

People also lose out on getting paid for a day of work. You can't do what most people want to do with their free time with less coin in your purse.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

That is definitely something to think about. But, more people working is good too.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

Yes I do agree. I guess in this system people would have to back down a little bit on spending but convincing people to do so would be difficult seeing is at the moment a good portion don't live within their means.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

We can all get there if we try.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

Well I won't lie I need a job but I don't think if I had one I would want to give anything up about it.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

There's a lot of us in that situation. Good luck. It would have to be an across the board kind of thing where wages go up overall to absorb the shorter work week. Who knows? It might work.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

Thank you. You're right it could but I personally don't have the information to make this kind of decision but to me there are good ideas and bad ideas in this post.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

True that.

[-] 1 points by anonymous696987 (1) 12 years ago

Selective professions that are of grave importance to society and where there is a shortage of professionals, such as medicine and dentistry could be exempted from work limits.

[-] 1 points by hidden (430) from Los Angeles, CA 12 years ago

No exemptions. Everyone or no one. And no multi-jobs. Otherwise it will fail.

[-] 0 points by betuadollar (-313) 12 years ago

In light of the fact that most states in the US have no mandatory work day, meaning they can force you to work as long as they like, within "reason," I think it's a brilliant idea.

[-] 0 points by JohnMarsden (47) 12 years ago

Here's a better idea, don't major in something like Graphic Design that everyone and their mom can do.

[-] 0 points by NightShade (163) 12 years ago

How about taxing the shit out of foreign companies or US companies that have labor bases outside the US, perhaps legislate all these assholes who work 2 to 3 jobs at once.

[-] 0 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

Why would you legislate the guy with more than one job? It shows a strong work ethic and the want to be more.

[-] -1 points by NightShade (163) 12 years ago

Because others need jobs and the man is monopolizing on the job market.

[-] 0 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

By having more than one job? Give me a break. Everyone does not have the ability to do the work. If there is a guy without the skills to do a job and a job at all and the guy with 2 jobs has all the required skills who would you hire?

[-] -2 points by NightShade (163) 12 years ago

Before the greed in this country like lets say back in the 1950's the employer would look at the man's family, if the man not as skilled had a family he would get the job other than the single man who had all the skills.

If the man who has the skills get hired for that job he should drop the other two jobs he has and live within his means.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

And which companies are those because I haven't heard of them. If a man wants to make as much money as he wants he is entitled to do so. There is no law against more money or more jobs.

[-] 0 points by NightShade (163) 12 years ago

More money yes, more jobs no. The typical business man in corporate level would rather make the money but cares less about his fellow man by ridding the job market to lower end countries who are paid much less for the same labor.

These days the employer doesn't give the skilled job to the family man nor the single man but the foreign man who is willing to work for much less with lesser skill.

[-] 0 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

That is also a factor in who to choose. If I can pay a guy 1 dollar and another guy 5 I would choose the guy I only have to pay 1 dollar because the expenses involved in training would quickly be overshadowed by the savings

[-] 1 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

"If I can pay a guy 1 dollar and another guy 5 I would choose the guy I only have to pay 1 dollar because I am greedy and want the extra money for myself."

I fixed your comment...you are welcome.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

Yeah you can call it greedy but it all depends on what you think. If you want to call it greed fine. If you want to call it smart fine. Whatever, just get off my ass.

[-] 1 points by jimmycrackerson (940) from Blackfoot, ID 12 years ago

You may think you're smart now, glaring down upon your collection of mistreated sweat-shop slave workers; but the people are not going to put up with this shit for much longer. The seeds of change have been planted all around the world, and you're either going to fix the problems you have created or you're going to be crushed by the ones you have used and abused for so long.

[-] 1 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

To that I reply bringeth it forward and all I shall deign to it is my shit.

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