The 21 hour work week | Anna Coote | TEDxGhent

[@takchengsze4719]

I live in hong kong and 12 hours work day is common in my last career as being an architect. However, most of the time were spent on unnecessary administrative work. Now I do freelance, test prep tutoring, web development, uber drive during surge time. I only work 4-5 hours a day with 60 usd per hour. Life is so much better.

[@blinkspacestudio8892]

I would be far happier in my job if I wasnt here 70% of my damn time. I have so many other things that I want to do and I am working towards this. Money has become far less important to me now and I want to actually start living. I dont want to blink and it will be all over. I want to experience amazing things not just sitting at this desk. Much of my time at work isnt even working, I just wait for people to come in and ask for something. Its such a waste of time.

[@TheBoglodite]

I feel the exact same way

[@tdboatman]

I love it - have been working towards this for 4 years. First step was exiting the mainstream corporate world which immediately freed up 5 hours per day - not sitting in mind numbing meetings and conference calls.

[@LancelotVantuyckom]

and? did you get there?

[@Eagle-zl4gz]

I’m 52 I recently said enough was enough I’m working 25 ish hours a week and lovin life again

[@Alexthegreatest84]

It's amazing how much more productive you can be by just cutting one work day. 3 days of rest is so so much better than 2. The recharge does wonders for your productivity and your attitude about working. Makes you a more more fun to be around too.

[@ryanthepianoman27]

Yes it does

[@gtcstorm40]

I always hated long work hours, even 40. Now that I am 50 years old 20-25 is about all I have in me.

[@KillaNaz1]

This would be cool. Whenever there is a long weekend and we only work 3 - 4 days a week. I always feel more energized and feel like i accomplish more work. I see the benefit

[@MrMundo3d]

just the bill did not come short,

[@brodieharley7040]

you all prolly dont care but does someone know a method to get back into an Instagram account..? I stupidly lost the login password. I love any tricks you can offer me!

[@AKumar528]

This would only be controversial to orthodox employers, not to vast majority of common people. Lesser hours will actually reduce unemployment as companies will need more people to do the same thing.

[@lifebythesea2948]

The More we work the more we consume. Occupation? Companies want us occupied it means less time to think, question and challenge the systems of our world

[@imnotgaygay1253]

life by the sea well how do get financially independent without working too much?

[@AZITHEMLGPRO]

BING!

[@tinadragschitz9612]

We watched this video in one of the classes that I attend for my studies which main topic is sustainable work. I think shortening the working hours is a great way to reduce consumption as well as production while avoiding high unemployment rates. There would be many positive effects not only on the environment but also on the society. Work-sharing and shortening the workday instead of the workweek could also lead to more gender equality as there would be more time for men and women to divide the daily caring activities more equally. Nowadays work time reduction is still first and foremost related to productivity gains instead of having the positive ecological and social effects in mind. But do not forget that the positive impacts on the environment depend highly on how the additional leisure time is used. Travelling by plane, for example, will not contribute to sustainable consumption at all. Anna Coote's proposal should find more consideration in our society. Although that might be difficult, I think the effects on the environment and also on the society will be worth it.

[@smallbluemachine]

If people are working, they are too busy to try changing the system. I suspect this is the design.

[@aznosu]

Yes keep them too busy, stressed, and uneducated then you have slaves to do your bidding.

[@paifu.]

Control someone's body and their mind will rebel. Control their mind and their body will follow. -Assasins Creed Look up Anarcho-Communism (Libetarian-Socialism). We are entering an era where more than ever we have the possibility to change our world for the better, more and more ecologists are joining the movement, because they realized the root of the problem is politics.

[@a.d.2206]

Yup and keep them in debt. Canada has the highest consumer debt in the world. You would think this would a concern to government and banks, but no. Keep em on that wheel.

[@christianpetersen163]

Try getting a parttime job with a 25 or 30 hours week. You can't get that anywhere unless there are special circumstances. Doesn't matter how competent and dedicated you are, or how much you emphasize that a shorter week will make you more focused and less stressed. I understand that there are reasons such as prefering to have fewer employees to deal with, but we all know it's not about that. It's about the fact that asking for fewer hours when you can get more is considered heresy, and they will hate you for making them doubt the value of money and social status and their belief that these should be maximized through any sacrifice of time and effort.

[@caseyd6527]

The problem with the US is health care. It is very difficult to find a

[@gtcstorm40]

even if you have health insurance your pay is much lower because the employer has to pay out those huge premiums. The health industry is literally stealing money out our back pockets.

[@imnotgaygay1253]

gtcstorm40 is it best to not take health insurance then?

[@mystictalks9921]

I got myself in a financial state where I have my house paid off and vehicle and no credit card debt and I work 6hr days and work 3 days and love it. I have a side business with my gardening, I get to go camping with my dogs and long runs, meditate, work with my friend on our podcast and books we write together. I love working less, life is too short and climbing to corporate latter is way over rated and boring.

[@BXD84]

I now work 20 hours a week due to the nature of my job. Although it is full time and I’m salaried. It’s a great gig.

[@masterkc]

What is it that you do if you dont mind me asking?

[@3DayWeekendEntrepreneur]

Brilliant and true, based on my experience. Thank you for this. I look forward to reading more about what you are doing with this.

[@kevinfetter558]

I have come in on my days off, and once worked one time 14 days straight. I missed doing other things, by doing that. And what I get in the end, is a kick in the behind for it.

[@valeriepark99]

I worked 50 hours and sometimes 60 hours a week. I just wanna cry whenever I come back home, I hate how little time I have for rest and self care. I cant even enjoy a longer shower because it takes my time away for sleep which is really important for me to stay awake at work for tmr. So I quitted despite the salary

[@official_AandiiXX]

This is the single best Speech i have ever heard. Thank you. Thats the only way our Society can live on.

[@haydenrose866]

The average working week hours has been going down steadily since the Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s. A sign of better times to come hopefully.

[@arjunaasok7]

8 hour workweek has been std since 1900s and still the same in 2021

[@AKumar528]

Not actually. The decline has stopped in last many decades, in spite of technological revolution. The culprit is mostly govt and bank policies which favor the rich

[@davelucas9364]

Imagine how much better life would be if we got rid of those false bureaucratic jobs that have been contrived just as a pretext for giving people a taxable 'income'. As mechanisation takes the toil out of our daily lives, we just work shorter hours and share out all the work still needed amongst the population.

[@pranksterpinkiepie]

This decimates unemployment, and increases worker production/happiness, but there also needs to be a policy of income redistribution from the capitalists to the workers.

[@PFGFrankly]

4 hours a week 5 days. With money for DECENT living plus some extra saving I say like 20 dollars pur week as a example. That I can live with

[@bobnob4393]

I quit my job to do a degree part time and my boss wouldn't let me work part time. Took a part time job in retail, 20 hours a week. Now I'm probably averaging over 30 and am having to fight to get 20. I did an extra shift on my week of to help out with the agreement that I'd have a extra day off the next week. I'm now down for 36 hours the following week. I don't know what to do about it

[@paradox9369]

For you and everyone seeing this later, you quit and find a job that respects your availability

[@visheshvaleja7546]

when the world is going to implement 21hrs work a week?

[@chriso3968]

Once the majority of people are convinced that it could work. So, we have to keep spreading the word.

[@aw55550]

that will still take another 50-60 years minimum

[@imnotgaygay1253]

aw55550 well that’s depressing af, is there any way out of it or at least finding something outside the norm that one could actually enjoy, but also make enough to live on?

[@Mr1cabbage1]

@@chriso3968 rubbish..we need to convince employers that their productivity methods don't work and shorter hours increases..look into ultimate productivity in 5 hours

[@cocoacoolness]

When my wages are at a better level, I plan to start asking for less hours with the same wages. Many people where I work work 30 hour work weeks, but the thing is the company thinks that unless you are working the full 40 hours you shouldn't get a promotion past a certain point. In fact, you'll get a demotion to supervisor if you're above this point when you reduce hours....

[@juliakettler7791]

The current level of economic growth really cannot continue because it accelerates planetary boundaries and it is necessary to build an economy that does not grow at this extent. It is a fact that long working hours lead to increases in consumption which is robbing th earth of its natural resources and leads to tons of waste and pollution. Introducing shorter working hours is one enabler for a more sustainable economy. It has the potential to improve the employees' mental health, create a satisfactory balance between paid and unpaid time and increase productitvity. Changing the way we use time will help to solve some problems caused by environmental, comic and social crises. A reduction in working hours can help to rebalance the distribution of paid work and create new jobs for more people. It also allows people to spend more time living more sustainably. I am really looking forward to the future to see if and how governments, firms and employees will respond to this proposition.

[@lifebythesea2948]

This is very possible in the labor work force. Blue collar jobs being the least valued jobs pay the least and typically require the most hours to earn decent wage.

[@MrJamesHoy]

Do we intend to limit the number of hours a person is allowed to work? Forced recreation? Keynes was probably right we could all live in the 1930s on 25 hour weeks with 2019 tech!

[@reviveproject]

hahahah true dat.

[@luddity]

Who wouldn't want to be able to make ends meet and feed their families working only 21 hours a week but most people cannot find such a job.

[@ericortega7342]

Keep it cool with Coolidge

[@mytube6538]

Eric Ortega are you trying to say college?

[@emyou56]

"Work to live, not live to work"

[@chrisstockton2366]

I am curious as to whether you make the distinction between to the production week and the work week. for example you talk about shorter work weeks for the the individual giving more time for others to share the labor. totally agree with these but when bringing in the contradiction of endless growth vs. sustainability you have to think about actually shorting the the production week. In other words the goal has to be to slow down production not just split labor.

[@briancordero7674]

Long hours are dictated by the greed of the corporate machine who justifies it by making us all feel lucky for having a job and not being replaced by automation.

[@lucasloos7141]

I see the point she is making. But we also need to consider that reducing the working time will give people more time to go on vacation or do shopping (consume). At the same time it might also be the case if we reduce the working hours and need more employees more commuting is need, which will increase the emissions.

[@jazreelangulo3796]

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[@joseperez2003]

I'm currently working 60 hours on average...I'm working towards financial independence so can work less in my mid forties...im currently 35...

[@Gastell0]

The first shown graph needs to show the working hours starting from 1800 for people to have better grasp of how bad even 1500 work hours a year is in grant scale. Also this have aged _really well_.

[@withche07]

I wish I had this option. I really don't even need money I am making in 40 hour week job. I dont even spend most of it. All goes sitting at bank account for nothing.

[@aw55550]

There are quite a few things you can do. Invest it where it grows overtime, than eventually use it as a means to do 1 or 2 sabbatical years, or to fund years of a frugal lifestyle with lots of free time. It's not easy but it's definitely possible. Also check out the subreddits r/financial independence and r/fire on Reddit, you can learn a lot there

[@formula1340]

agree with the previous reply, don't let it sit in a bank. Invest it in stock market , if you don't have the time to study the stock market, put it in a mutual fund or ETF. Just be sure that you won't need it in next few years for it to really grow. Or you can just use it as your retirement fund.

[@motoman869]

Our systems are set up te get the maximum amount out of each individual. This is why many corporations love it when you put in endless hours. Numbers wise it makes sense for them because each hour of overtime is cheaper and cheaper. The high cost of benefits is what drives this.

[@nikoswans7657]

Where do I find your books. For some reason that I cannot figure out, Google creates a labyrinth to find your published works. Let alone where to purchase them. Thank you

[@marvinmartinsYT]

Good concept for office workers. Would not and could not work in the construction industry. Currently my crews are doing 5 9.5 hour days 6 hours Saturday. The construction industry here in Australia base amount of hours is around 50-60 hours a week. 20 hours would never come close too the amount of work done in 50-60 hours.

[@chrisstockton2366]

Also you have to bring in account the idea of over production and speculation by financial institutions. I don't know much about the housing/construction market in Australia but here in lots of places around America (I am in Austin, TX), We put more attention on the exchange value of housing and building vs. the use value. This leads to fast (Growth) and building. but then lots of these places remain empty and are bought up by wealthy people to store wealth and launder money. This is one of the ways housing bubbles are created and why renting and house cost are soaring around the world. In other words financial speculation leads to over production for the exchange value not the actual use value people need and get out of it.

[@gtcstorm40]

your life is being cut way short. It will be over and you will wonder why you worked.

[@stolen6705]

Spread those hours amongst more people rather than just your crew?

[@marvinmartinsYT]

@@stolen6705 Why? The crew do this with ease and enthusiasm. The money earned in a 20 hour a week is no where near enough. Nor is the work that gets completed. Instead of 10 guys, I’d need 20. The payroll tax would kill some small companies. Then there’s insurance, compo, super. Doubling the paperwork and accounting. Training also costs.

[@stolen6705]

@@marvinmartinsYT if that's truly how you and your crew wants to spend your life then go for it, but I guess make sure you're not relying on work for a distraction from the rest of life. That's often a struggle for the people near me who spend a lot of time at work. About the taxes and insurance, the government isn't set up for spreading labor but the systems aren't set in stone. And training, I'm betting on better work-life conditions causing a lower turnover rate but I'm just basing that assumption on my own needs. I think it'd just be nice to have some different options so you don't need to either grind or be rich already to have the resources to explore and find pleasurable work.

[@anniesshenanigans3815]

well if I could get healthcare with 21 hours I would do it!!

[@ChessDiagnostic]

Instead of trying to change the whole society, just set up your life so you only work 21 hours a week. The whole crux of the issue is trying to change everybody else instead of just living your life as you want. People are inherently selfish and so you can only bring people down instead of bringing them up if you take part in collective action.

[@xxxxxx-kk7mh]

Except you cant work 21 hours a week. Its very hard to.

[@abigailmendoza2502]

It's year 2021 and we definitely have not gradually changed into this lifestyle :(

[@luddity]

Long hours are fine for single people and those who are in love with their work but devastating to the families of working parents, especially single parents. It's much better to find ways to reduce one's cost of living so you can afford to have a life outside of work rather than work too much and waste your money on shit you don't need because you can't imagine what else to do with your time. Also it would be much better to distribute employment more evenly, thus creating upward pressure on wages. And subsidizing low wage employment is not a good idea as it only encourages large companies to pay the lowest wages possible because the taxpayer is subsidizing them to make people work hard for their food stamps instead of letting the workers have enough free time and energy to upgrade their prospects.

[@happyisthegirl]

NO it's not fine for single people. It may be worse for single people who then get to have not social life at all and may not have the opportunity to see another human being therefore becoming completely isolated.

[@kittenwizard4703]

No single people are absolutely NOT the exception jesus christ

[@zxwmabcdef5439]

She has really strange math I didn't know you can divide by 3 and get the same number you started with.

[@BlackkJesus]

Didn't know the ancient one had a Ted talk

[@coenraadloubser5768]

Does that hymn-sheet include some details on an economic model that will make this work?

[@Philippogz]

How's it going so far, by the way?

[@ramiromasters1076]

Offer new people fewer hours so they won't notice? I hope mathematics also don't notice the red numbers...If productivity has increased why not just pay more for fewer hours?

[@MarkShaneHansen]

Because a company doesn't want to pay an employee $200 for 6 hours of work if they can pay $200 for 8 hours of work.

[@Ramiromasters]

Right, but the plot here is that we are becoming better than that and moving our society at the same pace our technology. Because it is kind of odd technology during the last 200 years has been increasing yet everyone still wakes up to work and comes back home in time for dinner most times... I mean either we as a society are being royally screwed or all of our fuels, machines, computers haven't really change much besides some comfort pillows here and there.

[@jameswhite3415]

Ramiromasters Eventually we wont have a choice. We will be surpassed by robots eventuallu.

[@chrisstockton2366]

surplus value buddy. under capitalism there must be surplus value to create profit. hints the part of the natural exploitation of capitalism. at some point in the work day we are all working for free.

[@bthomson]

People can't afford rent as it is! Other things, many other things will have to change first!💸💸💸

[@brad4life866]

The 40 hour work week was set up to give the god Krownos honor all so this is where we get the word crown and the word work

[@theintrovertedaspie9095]

You mean Kronos, the greek god of time?

[@Guruchela001]

In Capital, Karl Marx ridicules the pompous and grandiloquent bourgeois-democratic great charter of liberty and the rights of man, ridicules all this phrase-mongering about liberty equality and fraternity in general, which dazzles the petty bourgeois and philistines of all countries, including the present despicable heroes of the despicable Berne International. Marx contrasts these pompous declarations of rights to the plain, modest, practical, simple manner in which the question is presented by the proletariat-the legislative enactment of a shorter working day is a typical example of such treatment. ( a great beginning- LENIN)

[@securityoffice1189]

This might be possible for white collar jobs but not for the rest of us.

[@cosmincaragea7149]

11 years, still nothing

[@llevang6812]

I disagree with everything you said but thank you for your view point more hours more income less hours good luck paying your bills

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

Medical residency doctors do a 26 hour single long shift. I think this type might feel bored by a 21 hour work week.

[@dreamingflurry2729]

Well, up to a point money "buys" happiness, because up to that point you have to worry about paying your bills, putting food on the table, having clothes etc. etc. Still, yeah! Reduce mandatory work-hours for full-time! make it 6 (or better: 5!) for 5 days a week! HALT! - Yes, on average women have "lower status" jobs! Why? Because many women don't want the other jobs! It's not like women aren't "winning" in education (they seldom drop out of school, they get a highschool diploma more often then boys/men, they graduate university more often!), so it's not that either! Just take the damn jobs - if you don't, then that is not men's fault and no special accomodations should be made! If a workplace has been a certain way and a woman wants the job, then she has to adapt - not all the men there! If you want change, then bring positiv change for everybody! As for housework: The one who works less (currently mostly women!) does more, that is fair! Also: The one who is irritated by something fixes the problem, so if you hate having dishes in the sink? Well, you wash them! Most men don't care until there's no more dishes left! Still, nobody is forcing you to act in such cases! If it annoys you however, don't blame somebody else just because you have higher standards! ps: And they ask me why I would never move in with a woman! No, I don't hate you, but I don't want to be nagged all the time! If there's clothes on the floor, then who cares? Well I certainly don't!

[@matthewdixon6662]

Would be nice but not realistic. I’m currently working 70hrs per week and cannot keep up with demand. Not to mention the huge drop in income would make me and my family homeless!

[@cosmincaragea7149]

You know, do a dozen not suffer? The rich bussnis woners with family money

[@halooooooooom]

good talk. just don't perpetuate the woman get paid less myth.

[@bradbarber799]

Well Anne, here in the US we live in a capitalist society, probably a foreign work to you Brits, also known as "cap·i·tal·ism" and is pronounced "kapədlˌizəm" It means the government doesn't tell us how much we can or can't work. The free market and our personal decisions determine how many hours we work. Some people choose to work long hours because they like the consumerism lifestyle and want a massive house and gas guzzling SUV. Others, including myself, recognize that if I work hard, save and invest my money I can retire in my 40s. So while you're working that 21 hour week well into your 60s and 70s ill be retired sipping a margarita on the beach.

[@isaiahcampbell3992]

This is my philosophy. I'm 18 and my goal is to work towards an early retirement buy starting a business and when I have enough money to invest in a something that pays decent enough dividends for me to have a consistent income every month I will retire and do what I want.

[@chriso3968]

Indeed. And your lifestyle destroys the environment and lowers your chances of being happy, while Anne's suggested lifestyle achieves the opposite.

[@WarbirdPhoenix]

You poor sheep,capitalism isn't any better then the other ism's. The only difference is that capitalists don't hide their hypocrisy and even rub it in the faces of the workers stepped on to get there. I have two words to destroy your delusion of your definition of capitalism. Trucking Industry. Encouraged to drive tired,over regulated by all 50 states to the point of encouraging unsafe driving or be pushed out in refusing to be unsafe,unpaid time staging/loading/unloading,little to no safe parking in areas not designed for the volume of trucks hauling the products that makes sitting on a beach with a margarita even possible. The list can go on and that's just one industry in the American capitalist system so don't you dare hold your nose up in arrogance thinking that your safe because your not. I'm one of the hard working Americans that simply wants a simple life and wants to actually do more then just sit at some beach doing nothing and your arrogance is making people like me look bad visiting other countries an it sickens me. The kicker is,I was born a foreigner and became American all done legally so your arrogance about our country and towards the others absolutely disgusts me. We're all after the same dream,it's not and never was american.

[@Team920_]

I like the idea of it but I have to say this .. even corporate workers are working the same amount of hours as their hired employees , actually they're working way more hours than their hired employees . And as far as the urge to buy stuff that's something that has to be looked at by the Middle Class and even the poor . I don't see many corporate workers driving the newest Mustangs etc. But what I do see is the guy or gal that earns five hundred dollar paychecks or sometimes even less buying the newest Mustangs , newest TV's etc. It's the middle class majority of the times that are landlords that are raising rents constantly due to trying to keep up with the Joneses . In my opinion the rich get a bad name , however It's the rich giving jobs , the rich donating to every cause as well . How many poor and middle class are giving jobs ? What is wrong with getting what you put in ? Imagine construction workers trying to build infrastructure on 20 hours a week . Things would take years to get built

[@Philippogz]

lol

[@Seattlefan77]

Idk, id rather have man tell me about work. Every job i've ever been the women get the easiest parts and still complain more than the men.

[@mytube6538]

Mr. Suhaib that’s weird every job I’ve ever had the men whine and the women put in the overtime.

[@Arthur-Silva]

Good luck with that utopia

[@twocementshoes]

+Art Silva the attitude of slaves

[@roeese1]

Is she an economist? South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China aren't developed nations today because the people there decided that the longer time working didn't amount to as much as working shorter hours. SILLY BRIT.

[@StarxLolita]

These are countries where people are killing themselves from overwork, and where factories have to lock their roofs and put nets on their buildings to prevent people from jumping off...