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Balance January 19, 2012

The 21 Hour Work Week

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The New Economics Foundation – a “think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well being” just released a report on our work habits lamenting the 40 hour work week as not only antiquated but untenable and perhaps detrimental to a growing economy. A 21 hour work week is more to their liking. As we move forward into this next decade it’s interesting to revisit the work-week debate.

Michael Coren over at Fast Company makes the case for a 21 hour work week. I certainly work far more hours than my part-time job demands. But for me there’s a real blur between work – creating this blog – and writing or reading about things that interest me. And for many of us isn’t that the perfect job: one that mirrors your personal interests? When I’m reading Dezeen online or flicking through the pages of Wallpaper or Elle Decor or reading the newspaper in the morning over breakfast – I’m learning and absorbing and everything I’ve taken in feeds my work. If I included all those hours how long would my work week be? How many hours do you work each work?

Permalink Comments (10)

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Comments (10)

When I started hiring people for my company, I instituted a 3-1/2 day work week; that’s what I considered a work-life balance, 1/2 on, 1/2 off. It is the 21st century after all.

Corporate-meisters still think think the free lunch is all the time they can squeeze out of their people. They’re very short-sighted in this and almost every other regard.

posted by Alex Rose | January 19, 2012 at 2:50 pm

I agree with the comment about the blur of time. I do alot of thinking about my projects and come up with solutions while I walk the dogs in the morning. I joke with one of my long-time clients that I am going to start charging the project for the hour I am out on my walk. :)

posted by suzi | January 25, 2012 at 12:46 pm

I love that idea…all those hours spent kicking around in the dust and wood chips at the dog park I could be getting paid!

posted by Cerentha Harris | January 25, 2012 at 1:09 pm

I worked almost 21 hours just yesterday. I’m a corporate field scientist (engineering geologist) that works in forestry. The logging culture is still somewhat centered around very long work days in relatively brutal field conditions. Our forest engineers and foresters are expected to work at least 50 hours per week. My goal when I turn 60 is to start winding down and decrease my weekly hours to around 40. Not sure what I would do with all that free time if I only worked 21 hours per week.

posted by Fluvio | January 25, 2012 at 1:46 pm

When I graduated from college almost thirty years ago we were determined to be the vanguard of a Utopian ideal – a blissful existence buoyed by technology. In reality (in my experience), technology has served to increase my workload by rendering me responsible for all of the day-to-day administrivia of modern business (booking meetings, arranging travel, etc) while making me immediately available to a world-wide contact base. As well, most of my Asian counterparts bear the brunt of being available 24/7/365. I might yearn for it, but I don’t think that a 3.5 day workweek would stand up to that competition.

posted by Kevin Atkinson | January 25, 2012 at 3:05 pm

It’s a monumental change effort to convince enough people that we’re all working too much and that it’s unsustainable in so many ways. 17 years ago, after my husband’s mom died way too early at 62 years old, we decided that waiting until retirement to balance our work with our other interests was too uncertain. So we quit our corporate finance jobs and moved to Montana. It hasn’t been easy, but overall we work fewer hours, pursue activities others wait until retirement to do, and work to live – not live to work.

posted by Carol Delisi | January 25, 2012 at 11:03 pm

@Alex Rose…AMEN! The expectation where I work is to put in a 45 hour week. I can’t and I don’t. It affects my salary (negatively, as you can imagine). I have a long commute (making it into the office most days before those who have just a short walk to work) and two active, school age boys. We are a dual income household – and have to be. But, I refuse to be an absentee parent. Family first. I’m working on changing my situation. I will definitely check out the links above.

posted by Emily | January 26, 2012 at 9:48 am

Carol – thanks for your comment. I’ve always believed strongly in working to live! What sort of work do you do in Montana? Just wondering if you’re a mobile worker or heading into an office each day?

posted by Cerentha Harris | January 26, 2012 at 11:43 am

I work work a 21 hour week in Adelaide, Australia and it is perfect, I can do the school drop off and pick up and I have flexibility to help out at school. I also agree with some of the earlier comments that some the best ideas come when I am out of the office. The only downside is that I only earn a part-time wage! But the happiness trade-off is totally worth it.

posted by Sandra | January 30, 2012 at 8:37 pm

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