New Economic Foundation points to example of Utah, where four-day working week increased productivity and saved energy

• Nick Mathiason
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 13 February 2010
• Article history

Commuters on their way to work in London. The New Economic Foundation suggests that the future working week should be 21 hours. Photograph: Simon James/Alamy

British workers may be toiling hard to ward off unemployment, but the future could bring an average of only 21 hours a week chained to their desk.

A report by the influential thinktank, the New Economic Foundation, says over-consumption, rising unemployment, increasing inequality and deteriorating work-life balance can be tackled by radically altering working life.

Reducing the working week could also defuse the pensions time bomb by ensuring employees are healthy enough to work later in life.

Citing the example of Utah, the study shows how the US state's decision in 2008 to place all public-sector workers on a four-day week saved energy, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.

The report argues that 21 hours a week is already close to the average length of time spent in paid employment.

"A lot of this is already happening," said the report's joint author, Andrew Simms of the NEF. "Job sharing is common practice … It's going to be increasing. Maybe we'll have less income and more time.

"Other than the benefit of having more time, what will happen is a reduction in inequality and the potential to be better-quality friends, partners and parents engaging more with communities.

"There is this issue of people retiring and their lives collapse. So this is a good opportunity for people to fulfil themselves. We are not saying this should be imposed. We're suggesting this should be more of a norm."

A spokesman for the Institute of Directors suggested that Britain's bosses are already increasingly offering "flexible working arrangements".

"Work/life balance for employees is something our members take seriously because they see benefits to people's lives," an IoD spokesman said. But he added that many businesses need continuity, which an increase in part-time labour would destroy.

The advent of personal computers was meant to have ushered in a new age of leisure outside the office. NEF's report shows that many people work longer hours than 30 years ago. Since 1981 two-adult households have added six hours to their combined weekly workload.

A separate survey last week by jobs website Monster showed that of nearly 2,400 polled, 37% said their work gets in the way of their relationships while 23% said they feel they are expected to put their work ahead of their home life.

I would actually vote for a politician who promised this.

I didn’t believe this story was true at first — thought it had to be a spoof. But it turns out to be true. The great banks of the world have gone on a p.r. counteroffensive in Europe, and are sending spokescrooks in shiny suits into churches to persuade the masses that Christ would have approved of the latest round of obscene bonuses.

Goldman Sachs international adviser Brian Griffiths explains it this way: that Christ’s famous injunction to love others as one would love oneself actually means that one should love oneself as one would love oneself. This seemingly baffling outburst by a Goldman executive in what appears to have been a prepared speech — someone actually wrote this, and thought about it, before saying it out loud — gets even weirder when one tries to figure out what could possibly have motivated this person, and by extension his employer Goldman Sachs, to make such statements in such a place as St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Matt Taibbi: Goldman One-Ups Gordon Gekko, Says Jesus Embraced Greed

The reason advertising works on most of us is that we feel there is something missing, that if we could only do or have X we could be happier, that we need whatever happiness they're offering.

If instead we could find completeness, find happiness, find contentedness ... advertising wouldn't work. We'd say, "Thanks, but pass."

And here's the thing, of course (you knew this was coming): you already have all that.

You just need to realize it, and internalize it.

You have everything you need for happiness, right now. The typical desires for more money, a nicer house and car, nicer clothes and gadgets, a big-screen TV, a super-successful career or business, etc. ... none of that will get you happiness.

Happiness is simple pleasures, is spending time doing what you love and spending time with those you love. Happiness is realizing the world around us, no matter where we are, is a miracle, is beautiful and filled with sources of joy.

Do you have eyes? Then you have the tools to enjoy the sky, the water, greenery, people -- all miracles, all wonderful. Do you have ears? You have the tools to enjoy music, and laughter, and conversation. Do you have taste buds? You are blessed with a symphony of wonders, in berries and chocolate and popcorn and pure water and mint and chocolate chip cookies and spicy Thai food.

These are the tools for happiness. Use them, and realize you are blessed beyond belief.

Live life by appreciating every moment as a miracle, and you'll want for nothing. Appreciate the people around you, for the crazy complicated uniqueness they are, and you'll need no further entertainment.

You have it all. So when someone offers more, you can now say, "Thanks, but pass."

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.
- Lao Tzu

Often when we want to solve a problem or make some kind of change in our lives, we’ll go out and buy something:

• We want to get organized, we’ll buy containers or folders or closet organizers.
• We want to lose weight, we’ll buy diet food or an exercise machine or a gym membership.
• We want to help the environment, we buy green products.
• To get out of debt, we’ll hire a financial planner or new financial software.
• We want to save gas, we buy a gas-efficient car (perhaps a hybrid).
• We want to start new hobby, we’ll buy new materials or equipment.
• We want to do almost anything, we’ll buy new clothes for it (workout clothes, work clothes, yoga clothes, dressy clothes, hip clothes)
• We want to make our house look better, we’ll buy new furniture or decorations.
• We want to be cooler, we’ll buy new gadgets. Or cool T-shirts.
• We want to improve our lives, we buy new books on different topics.

I could go on, but you get the picture.

But buying is not the solution. Or at least, it rarely rarely is.

Instead, buy less. Stop yourself before going out to buy things. See what you already have that you can use. See if someone else has it that you can borrow or trade or barter for. See if you can solve the problem without anything new.

Just a few examples:

• To help the environment, consume less. Live simply.
• To lose weight, eat less. Eat clean.
• To get in great shape, try a minimalist workout by just walking or running or swimming or doing bodyweight exercises.
• To get out of debt, spend less, save money, pay off debts.
• To make your house look better, declutter.
• To save gas, drive less.
• To get organized, declutter.
• To improve your life, read free stuff online, or just start making small changes over time.

You get the idea. Sometimes you’ll need stuff to solve problems, but again, see what you already have, what you can borrow from or trade with others, or as a last resort, what you can buy used.

—

Ironically, you might have noticed I’m selling an ebook on minimalism: The Simple Guide to Living a Minimalist Life. It’s $9.95, it’s Uncopyrighted, and it’s DRM-free.

You do not need to buy this ebook in order to live a more minimalist life. This blog will offer free ideas, as do other blogs, and you can do it on your own simply by reducing what you have and what you do down to the essential.

However, I do offer this ebook as a way to save you some time in doing a lot of research, and I hope if you do buy it, you’ll find it useful. I charge money for it to 1) raise money for a good cause and 2) help pay for my living expenses.

posted: 09 September 16
under: contentedness