Religion and Ethics and Health BBS

Religion and Ethics and Health BBS
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Why do most workers still have a 40 hour work week?

Posted by Ken C on November 3, 2025, 11:48 am

We keep inventing more stuff that makes our work easier and faster, but most workers still have a 40 hour work week.

Why are we still working so much?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eC_sNA1ieuQ

because no on is immune from

Posted by scott on November 5, 2025, 1:52 pm, in reply to "Why do most workers still have a 40 hour work week?"

Wanting just a little bit more

Companies are about making money.

Posted by Dancing Digits on November 3, 2025, 9:40 pm, in reply to "Why do most workers still have a 40 hour work week?"

There must still be a need for the 40 hour worker. No company in its right mind is going to pay someone for 40 hours if they can get the same amount of productivity from someone who can accomplish it in 20 hours.

Companies would rather increase productivity with the same amount of workers/hours than keep productivity the same and scale back a worker's hours. They would rather grow the company and pull in more profits than remain stagnant. Thus keeping the same amount of workers working for the same amount of hours plus using automation/technology could equate to a greater output. It all comes down to dollars and cents - and what the company is trying to achieve.

Technology and automation has its advantages but quite often a human has to oversee the machines and maintain them. Think of your car - it is equipped with technology that cars years ago did not have, yet your Tesla still needs to be supervised by you. Medicine is ripe with technological advances but scans must still be set up interpreted by humans, human surgeons must still direct the Da Vinci Surgical System. . .

Technology and automation can sometimes increase problems due to their complexity and venerability to system glitches, software problems, hardware breakdowns. . .

Machines do not always make things easier and faster. Sometimes they screw up big time - and those screw ups need humans to fix the mess.

And humans are for the most part notoriously slow to change - even when that change is beneficial, most humans seem to prefer the familiarity of the same ole same ole.

Wealth inequality in the United States has increased.

Posted by Ken C on November 4, 2025, 12:59 pm, in reply to "Companies are about making money."

So I think automation is helping the rich get richer, but most average Americans are still working the same hours per week compared to 50 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States

And it will continue as long as greed is the name of the game.

Posted by Dancing Digits on November 4, 2025, 2:09 pm, in reply to "Wealth inequality in the United States has increased."

And it is the name of the game. LIS, it's all about the numbers.

"If we increase worker productivity, we can lower the work week from 40 to 32 hours."

Posted by Ken C on November 4, 2025, 6:32 pm, in reply to "And it will continue as long as greed is the name of the game."

(This guy is a politician, but it's not meant as a political message. He is talking about technology and fairness.)

There IS Work To Be Done??? :)

Posted by Deanna on November 3, 2025, 7:23 pm, in reply to "Why do most workers still have a 40 hour work week?"

Just think you usually get holidays off....in many cases..unless you are in a retail business or a nurse or a doctor....name some more people that could work around the clock 7 days a week....

We had holidays off 50 years ago. Now we have more machines to do our work for us,

Posted by Ken C on November 4, 2025, 12:32 pm, in reply to "There IS Work To Be Done??? :)"

but most of us are still working 40 hours a week.

Machines increase our productivity, but maybe it's only the richest people who benefit from our increased productivity.

My city has a shortage of affordable housing. It seems like people are paying less of their income on groceries, but more of their income on rent/house payments compared to 50 years ago.

Cities are more crowded now. Maybe that causes a housing shortage.

I agree with the government deporting illegal immigrants, because our cities are too crowded and we don't have enough homes for illegal aliens.

Well, It Certainly Depends on What Field Your Work IS In or On...

Posted by Deanna on November 5, 2025, 8:33 am, in reply to "We had holidays off 50 years ago. Now we have more machines to do our work for us,"

AND who you vote for......LOL.....I think, Dancing Digits is 100% right....on what she says...

It looks like the State of Colorado is ready to raise property taxes in Denver and many other areas of the state....what does that do to the price of housing and your pocketbook, if you own a home???

As far as them saying something about an old typewriter in the video...the person did take time...but, typing still takes time and then you have a brake down in the computer system and no job for a few hours or a few days.....and you are still being paid a wage....

The owner of the business has to keep the business running and repair was needs to be repaired....like twice and different times a person parking in front of our grocery store hit the gas pedal instead of the brake and rammed right into the front of the store....we covered the cost of the accident, as the persons that rammed the store were welfare receipients.....which is okay...that is the way we did it in our town....

I also remember in 1979, the economy was not much different than it is now...interest rates were through the roof...and I wondered how any of our children that were married and renting would EVER afford to by a home at 12% interest at the time.....yet, they did find a way to do it...both our daughters and their husbands were working...in teaching and medical field....

Hospital nurses work 10 hour shifts to get 3 days off a week...maybe they can do that in the retail world or other businesses???

As far as being upset about the employer...and the President of a Corporation...and jealous of the President and the money he has....one should find a different field to work in...simple as that!! You can always find a job you might be happier in...

break, not brake.....smh Someday...

Posted by Deanna on November 5, 2025, 8:36 am, in reply to "Well, It Certainly Depends on What Field Your Work IS In or On..."

I might learn to READ what I WRITE...before posting....!! One reason I was not a Secretary for sure....LOL

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