The 35-hour workweek

[Jason McCullough]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/magazine/03WWLN.html

Neat little backgrounder about the history of working hours and cross-cultural differences. It's rather strange that it's so difficult to get a "real job" at anything less than 40. Maybe rather than mandatory caps we need flexiliblity with teeth.

[Ben]

The next article is an interview with Chuck Hagel. See what he is saying? Kerry needed to say that shit about 8 months ago.

[Jack Black]

The more work we do, apparently, the more we're able to do, and though Fogel himself takes a sort of Toffler-like view of the 21st century, predicting that leisure will become the next great growth industry, there's little evidence of that right now.

I don't happen to agree with the last half of the last sentence. In only the last 5 years I have seen only massive piles of profit from the leisure industries. So much that companies are trying to reign in (and ultimately phase out) the massive salaries that mid-level management and rookie execs are making disproportionate to other industries.

Though it might be said that most of the industry works on a commision mentality in which you tend to suffer from regular turnover.

Seems like the people who you don't see conservatives whining about horrible work conditions (Wal-Mart) or filthy welfare recipients are working their lives away for the new plasma screen and their 300M's.

Edit: Stupid quote tags.

[shift6]

I'm working two jobs right now and both of them offer great benefits, are realtively easy to get in the door, etc. Both places consider "full time" to be 37.5 hours, meaning they give all the benefits if you work like 35. Both places are basically trying to avoid overtime like the plague. Just my anecdote.

I should mention the places: top three mutual fund company and a major office supply retail chain, both are publicly traded, etc.

[playingwithknives]

I average 40 hours a week, that can jump to high 50s if its busy and there's overtime/weekend work. The 40 i usually do is both very low and highly unusual for investment banking culture. 12 hour days are the norm.