Finland’s Prime Minister Calls for Debate on 4-Day Work Week

That’s what freaks me out about the last presidential elections. Seems the number one requirement to be a front runner is to be at least 70 at Election Day. Ideally even 80 as the democrats seem to be willing to demonstrate.

okay_okay_• 7 years ago

Misleading headline. In the article she did not "call for a debate" on it. She was asked about it and said it's not in the current plans

'“Until now, the trend has been toward shorter working hours as productivity has increased,” she told reporters in Harpsund, Sweden. “I believe that in the future, though not in the next few years, the development will be similar: improvements in productivity and technology should show up as improvements in the conditions for ordinary workers, including shorter working hours.”

The Finnish government isn’t currently working on a four-day week, she said.'

spurgu• 7 years ago

Actually the title is correct, she said the matter should be able to be discussed, and should be discussed. That qualifies as calling for a debate. Not what the previous clickbait articles said, this one is absolutely correct.

Source: https://twitter.com/MarinSanna/status/1163372847894544384

Hamuko• 7 years ago

Yeah, there's been very little in the Finnish news about this. It's not really a current topic.

tlarkworthy• 7 years ago

Wait, the fake news is now real news?

https://newsnowfinland.fi/politics/how-finlands-fake-four-da...

geodel• 7 years ago

I feel it is sensible in multiple ways:

1) People should reap benefit of automation. 2) Less urge to generate bullshit work to fill in 40+ hours. 3) Could force employers to think of more equalized distribution of work. So a few more people can get a job and overworked people can get some leisure.

jimbob45• 7 years ago

The real problem is that another country with lesser ethics will work their workers into the ground and out-compete your country in terms of productivity. Then, they'll get to effectively make all the labor rules because they'll have so much more money and can leech your workers away for higher salaries.

The real solution here is to prevent worker-leeching but that seems incredible draconian (and you'd have to get every single country to agree to it).

IveForgotten• 7 years ago

I fail to see how this is a distinct concern from existing outsourcing value propositions.

Ididntdothis2• 7 years ago

I worked a strict 35 hour week in Germany for a while and I think this was the most productive environment I have ever worked in. People had energy to actually work during working hours and management didn’t waste any time with indecision. And we managed to be the world market leader in our industry with a 35 hour week.

porsche959• 7 years ago

call me a millennial but a 4 day work week does not sound crazy. sounds like thats where we should be heading.

dang• 7 years ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21938696

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21973638

safog• 7 years ago

It's surprising to see so many on HN agree with a 4 work week. As a programmer, I will definitely get more done in a 5 day week than in a 4 day week.

I assume manufacturing jobs will need to be 5 days or America will be even less competitive and the same for service jobs, gigs.

I wonder what jobs will actually benefit from a four day work week.

smoe• 7 years ago

Sure, I will get more done in five than four days. I also get more done in six or seven days per week over five, but with diminishing returns and more and more impact on my non-work life.

As a programmer I have the luxury of willingly taking a pay cut to have an additional day off per week if I want to and usually in a position to negotiate for it.

I don't know the Finnish economical situation well enough of how feasible a four day week would be short term. But I don't see much difference to reductions of work hours/days in the past.

phkahler• 7 years ago

Here's a prediction. If we reduce the work week to 3 days, or to 20-24 hours, economic forces and the hedonic treadmill will push people to have 2 jobs just to keep up.

bunkerbewohner• 7 years ago

I am generally in favour of this idea, though it's a difficult topic. I found this discussion interesting, which brings up several pros and cons: https://www.kialo.com/should-developed-countries-reduce-the-...

Finland’s Prime Minister Calls for Debate on 4-Day Work Week

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