![]() And yet, nothing could be further from the truth.Coffee created wealth for the rich and found the largest export market in the US. Such a reading would be understandable, especially since worktime reductions have often been invoked by the anti-capitalistand post-growth literature. Given that long work hours are often associated with profit over people, this type of news could seem to suggest that a consensus is progressively emerging to shift away from a ‘capitalistic obsession with profit’, and the consequent ‘societal obsession with economic growth’. As part of an overhaul to the country’s labour law, Belgiumhas recently decided to give workers the right to request a four-day week, as has notoriously workaholic Japan since last summer. Spain is equally piloting such a scheme since 2021, and so is Iceland. “The shorter workweek seems to be upon us. Over the past 200 years, since the Industrial Revolution sparked an unprecedented acceleration in economic growth, working hours have been on a steep decline.Alessio Terzi writes that today’s conversations about a three-day weekend are not a shift in paradigm but rather a continuation of the paradigm we have seen for over two centuries. And yet, there’s nothing anti-capitalist about a shorter workweek. “Worktime reductions are often invoked by the anti-capitalist and post-growth literature. “Worktime reductions are only natural in a growing economy Linus Mattauch, Cameron Hepburn, Fiona Spuler, Nicholas Stern. The economics of climate change with endogenous preferences. Resource and Energy Economics, 2022 101312 DOI:10.1016/j.reseneeco.2022.101312 For example, if citizens see carbon prices as indicating purposefulness of policy in directions that they find sensible, then the response to carbon pricing could be enhanced.” They do not simply act as consumers: as citizens, they will develop low-carbon preferences, and more environmental protection could be achieved by a given tax rate.” “However, if carbon pricing changes people’s preferences - and there is evidence that it does - this has implications. “Carbon pricing is indispensable for delivering on climate targets,” says co-author Nicholas Stern, who published the famous 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. “The researchers’ advice to policy makers is to take changing preferences into account when tailoring policies like carbon taxes or building low-carbon infrastructure. The makers of climate policy should rethink about how people think “Climate economics: Policies change people JQ, how will workers, post 4 day week, know their changed preferences, and how will they be revealed and taken account a priori, before settling on 4 day week awareness, policy and acceptance?Īn unknown unknown at this stage it seems to those effected. “Our short general answer to this objection is: If society does not debate how preferences are formed, they risk being shaped by and to the benefit of special interest groups rather than in a democratic way. “One might argue that aiming for preference changes is something policies shouldn’t do. Of course it would be very different to the old Sunday (it might even be on Monday) – grocery stores would still be open, maybe restaurants would be open but close early – but it would be a day that the vast majority of the population would have off: contractors gig workers, casual and salaried office workers. In other words, we need a new Sunday – a day when the shops are closed, entertainment options are limited and very few people work. I think a switch to a 32 hour week today would involve running the espresso machine or the massage table for one less day per week. When rich economies involved significant manufacturing, the switch to a 40 hour week entailed running the factory for less hours per day or less days per week. This distinction is particularly relevant because in a service-based economy, a lot of people get paid to occupy a certain space and perform a certain task at a certain time. For businesses like convenience stores and services like hospitals, an 8% decrease in the standard work week (from 38 to 35 hours) requires a commensurate increase in the number of full-time equivalent workers required. The challenge is to create a four day week for casuals and other wage earners, gig workers and small business owners. I feel like you’re coming at this from the wrong direction, since many of the salaried workers this approach would benefit are already able to work four days a week if they wish.
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