21 Hour Work Week Article

**JanieD** · 01-13-2012, 04:52 PM

Thought this was an interesting article.

The Case for a 21-Hour Work Week - Yahoo! Finance

Having more time for family & other interests would be great. However, I really couldn't see this becoming common place. How many could actually make ends meet on half of their current salary? So, what do you think about a 21 hour work week?

**hmcart** · 01-13-2012, 05:01 PM

I currently work 4 9 hour days. I still get paid for 40 hours. I consider myself pretty lucky to have 3 days off a week. I doubt many could afford to cut back to 21 hours!

**Cricketlegs** · 01-13-2012, 05:17 PM

Didn't that system cause France to crash?

I better go google that for more info.

**Cricketlegs** · 01-13-2012, 05:20 PM

Okay it was 35 hours.

**oheoh's momma** · 01-13-2012, 08:03 PM

35 is still not enough most everyone i know works at least 50... don't think so....

**dancemommy** · 01-13-2012, 09:05 PM

My husband works a good 75+ hours a week - we own our own business. I cannot even imagine a work week that short- I don't think it would be very effective. I'd be happy with 50 hours!

**mama2James** · 01-13-2012, 09:18 PM

I think the author of the article was suggesting that if a 21 hour work week was the norm for everyone, society would adjust and acclimate to that. Prices would eventually come down if EVERYONE had less money, but before that happened , people would just learn to live on a lot less and would shift their priorities from consuming "stuff" to living a simpler life...similarly to people here at FV who live very, very frugally so that they don't have to work (for pay) much at all...the homesteading lifestyle.

**dancemommy** · 01-14-2012, 12:34 AM

Originally Posted by mama2James

I think the author of the article was suggesting that if a 21 hour work week was the norm for everyone, society would adjust and acclimate to that. Prices would eventually come down if EVERYONE had less money, but before that happened , people would just learn to live on a lot less and would shift their priorities from consuming "stuff" to living a simpler life...similarly to people here at FV who live very, very frugally so that they don't have to work (for pay) much at all...the homesteading lifestyle.

I think you are right....there is NO way we could live on less than we do. We don't buy a lot of non-consumable items. As a matter of fact we probably should buy more. We do spend a lot on our kids activities and I wouldn't want to give that up. Hmmm. I'd love to have my husband home more, but not interested in giving up anything. Guess it wouldn't work for us.

**dancemommy** · 01-14-2012, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by JanieD

Thought this was an interesting article.

The Case for a 21-Hour Work Week - Yahoo! Finance

Having more time for family & other interests would be great. However, I really couldn't see this becoming common place. How many could actually make ends meet on half of their current salary? So, what do you think about a 21 hour work week?

I think if we had to adjust our needs to fit the pay of a 21 hour work week we wouldn't be doing much....we wouldn't be able to afford to do much of anything!

**nuisance26** · 01-14-2012, 08:33 AM

~Haven't read the article yet but consider this, if you only worked at a job for 21 hours a week you'd have more than enough free time to work for barter. You grow a garden, your neighbor sews. You fix bikes, your neighbor keeps/slaughters chickens. You trash pick and refurbish, your neighbor gives music lessons. There'd be more borrowing and community. You'd still be working, just not the "easy" way. I know I could knock 50% off my budget if my DH had more free time and there was a bartering system in place.
Now to read the article....~

**mombottoo** · 01-14-2012, 09:08 AM

It sounds good but, I don't know anyone who could live on 21 hours a week income. My dh worked 4 on 4 off, 12 hour shifts and it was great. When the days cycled differently than the pay periods he would have less hours on those checks but, they were still more than 40 due to the overtime (he received time & a half for anything over 8 hours each day.

My son works 3-12 hour shifts and makes decent money doing so and is considered fulltime by his company. He has Mon.-Thurs. off and he loves it. When it's available he has the option of picking up 3 full days of overtime...

I think anything over 45 hours a week is to much on a regular schedule (5 day period). You need time to breathe and re-group. Not to mention live your life.

**annymoll** · 01-14-2012, 10:12 AM

I have worked many shifts. I did a weekend program and worked on Sat. and Sun. doing 16 hour shifts.I was paid for the remaining 8 hours as a perk for this coverage.I have worked three twelve hour shifts- you could pick up an extra 8 hour shift in a two week period if you wanted more hours.These hours freed me up to help out my huband in his business, and to help with the books and other duties in my family business.
I love to garden, to barter and to trade, but I am not interested in making less money.We cannot live on 21 hours of work a week at present.The Laura Ingalls lifestyle sounds great but you will still have to work harder and with less . Be careful what you wish for.

**JanieD** · 01-16-2012, 01:41 PM

I wondered what other frugal minded people thought of this. I think it would be hard for most to manage on half of their current salary with current prices of just necessities. As already mentioned, many work more than 42 hrs a week. So, those salaries would be cut more than 50%.

As far as being able to afford to do things (OP)... I was thinking more along the lines of free activities like more time to spend w/family & pets. Having time to enjoy things like yard work (gardening) instead of trying to squeeze it would be a nice change.
I agree that it would be a different world, but I think there could be a balance.

**Cricketlegs** · 01-16-2012, 01:52 PM

I'm just saying they tried it and France and it didn't work. Google it, the info is there.

**JanieD** · 01-16-2012, 02:56 PM

I do hear what you're saying. Seems France has had shorter work weeks & longer paid holidays for sometime.
I thought the mention of the work & consumption cycle would spark more discussions since FVers aren't the average consumer. Oh well. The balance I mentioned was in reference to working 50, 60 or 75 hours work weeks compared to the 21 in the article.