Why Americans Deserve a 4-Day Workweek | Robert Reich on MSNBC

"It sounds radical, but it's not radical." - I talked with MSNBC's @KatiePhang about Bernie Sanders' plan for a 4-day workweek. Watch.

[@froglady7491]

Ben Shapiro doesn’t feel that people should retire at all much less at 65, yet is pushing for Biden to retire.

[@gcro9206texanforever]

Ask Ben how he feels about retirement when he gets to 60. 65, 70. When I was younger, I wanted to work forever. That rosy glow changed the older I got and the number of hours I had worked in my lifetime increased.

[@froglady7491]

@@gcro9206texanforever 👍

[@lopresti4559]

U shouldn't have to work urself to death. Croaking at 79 years old at ur crappy low paying job. But, thats america. Retirement is only allowed 4the rich i guess. Screw the rest of us. ! 🤮

[@litedawg]

Hello !? Biden is 81 , what are you talking about?

[@ilovecatvideos1851]

As he sits behind a desk in a climate controlled room, as I now have the privilege of doing. How about those who manually labor especially in the elements? Mind numbing or injury producing repetitive activity of a factory? No real vacation, always working while you’re sick, burn out. Always working paycheck to paycheck? What a spoiled brat.

[@24tommyst]

Workers rise up! They been stealing all the gains at the top for decades!!!

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

Rise up just to get unemployed

[@masterbaiter9856]

​@yourdaddy-mq4km I work my ass off. The owners have enough power over producers.

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

@@masterbaiter9856 that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Try employing someone for a year and then come back and tell me how much power you have.

[@24tommyst]

@@yourdaddy-mq4kmI've been supporting small business IT to my financial detriment (turned down my dream woman and 700k a year job do do that) and care about them just as much as anybody out there. We are talking about HUGE companies, not some small mom and pop business. Working in small companies is not what people hate in the US. Obviously the details would need to be careful not to hurt SMB.

[@angelmendez2211]

@@yourdaddy-mq4km Well if that the case take note for the financial advice from such people who own business love to say. "You need to stop wasting things on buying worthless stuff, because you need to better budget your finances". If you can't handle employees and your business with no problem with pay increases and safety. Then you shouldn't be owning a business managing employees. Even more so you should be managing your own budget. Cause, frankly you proven you can't run a financially profitable business or workforce. Depending on your circumstance of being a struggling employer then it probably because your business not being in a good location, or simply not expanding on products that can appeal to customers.

[@vickihalbeisen9513]

Heck we work more then house republicans and get paid less

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

democrats are no different.

[@jacklanham7311]

Great point

[@michaellane5381]

Imagine working those hours for full pay, retirement, and medical regardless of performance and having so many months off... The hardest they work is begging the rest of us for money and they get no shit for doing it during work hours.

[@vickihalbeisen9513]

@@michaellane5381 they even vote on their own pay raises and how much they get on travel expense money. We don't get to do that. Plus if they depended on SS like the rest of us we would see a big difference in what is going on. They need everything taken away and live like the rest of us. I don't have more than one home or a fancy car. Make them work hard for what they have like the rest of us. I remember when they wouldn't go to break if something needed passed. They are using their job as a paid vacation we are paying for and I haven't been on a vacation in a lot of years.

[@user-gz4ve8mw9l]

We are the only developed nation that has NO universal healthcare still.

[@evansnyamesah1755]

And some people are busy fear mongering people into thinking it's an evil thing to work 32 hours 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@dHolbach77]

Still don't understand how so many "adults" don't get what I knew by age 14: over working is not ennobling. It is not character building. It is not what a strong person does; it is what a victim of an exploitative system run by elites who never worked, didn't work long, or at least never do real hard work is forced to do. It is not good thing to work your one and only life away. 30 hours a week (and 30 years tops) is plenty of the bs of work (and ALL jobs are bs/unenjoyable for the most part). The work hard and long ethic is a deeply sick American phenomena that far too many fall prey to, to the delight of their elite corporate masters. PS: I once had a highly intelligent professor friend (I was his student/friend) retire at 49. I went to his retirement party and to my surprise, even many of the other profs, who are intelligent, thinking people, kept asking him what he was going to DO now, as if his life now had no meaning or purpose (he was married, but no kids: like I said, highly intelligent person). After a bit he got tired of this question and addressed the crowd and simply said that the answer to that question is that "now, for the first time, I'M GOING TO LIVE. On my own terms. Do what I want to do. Work at what I want to work at when I want to. ENJOY LIFE free from the daily stresses and quotidian awfulness of work". (Paraphrasing from memory). It was a powerful rebuke to the "but without work, a person is lost, if not just a lazy degenerate" twisted myth. You could see many at the gathering realizing that they were trapped in a job for many more years that they didn't really enjoy and some started joking that they wanted to retire too. And in the 20 years since then, this retiree has enjoyed life much more than he ever did during his working years, and did do a lot of work---but work HE wanted to do when and as often as he wished. He also, happily and proudly, just sat around enjoying leisure time, especially listening to music and reading/studying (though this is a form of work, especially as he only reads academic non-fiction). I knew him for several years when he was teaching: he was close to miserable and often in dismal moods; I saw him many times after he retired; it was like he was a different person. All his good traits were unburdened by stress and so freely shone. He was, simply, at peace with himself and the world. Work only hurt him; he even found more meaning and purpose in his personal pursuits than he ever did "trying to educate the masses that mostly don't want to be educated" as he put it (and yes, he taught at a highly reputable college). I'm glad for him and all others who are able to put in the minimal amount of years working and have enough money to live modestly thereafter. No mentally healthy person works for any reason but necessity, and it's hard to be even minimally mentally healthy working too much for too long! I'm in my early 40's now and I'm (we, my girlfriend and I) are close to retirement. And then, then we're going to LIVE!

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

It is evil, you are trying to limit people to poverty wages.

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

This is a moronic plan that will s(r€w the working class! There's no way salaries won't be cut along with hours! And if they pass a law against that, it's just going to push more jobs offshore! How can a grown man be as clueless as Reich! Why would you say "offshoring is bad, so let's go ahead and make it worse!"

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

It's not evil to cut people's hours so they can't support themselves? Look what happened in fast food. Benefits for full time employees were mandated, so employee hours were cut to keep them under 40 so businesses wouldn't have to pay benefits. People work 72 hrs a week at two jobs with no overtime or benefits as a result! Then, higher minimum wage was mandated, resulting in higher food prices and jobs replaced with automation.

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

32 hours is INSANE! People are working 2 jobs to pay their bills, how are they supposed to get by on just 32 hours! There's NO WAY businesses are going to pay 40 hours of salary for 32 hours of work! They'll drop the pay or they'll outsource. Reich is absolutely clueless! Modern telecommunications have made it WAY EASIER to outsource jobs than twenty years ago!

[@eleanormattice3598]

That young punk who said no one should retire should be a waitress or nurse or a laborer for his WHOLE life. Yeah, you take that on, kid.

[@Madamchief]

The more money, the more stupid 😅

[@zacharythomas8617]

I'll trade you a gas station job for your drop in a hat.

[@lazymp9046]

Ben Shapio is in his early 40's and has never had a real job!

[@markkasprzyk3287]

Wow. How about people on the left? Don lemon? Joe Biden?

[@itsoktobehappy461]

Guarantee you Ben works harder than ever single person commenting

[@Blackhawk364]

He's a big mouthed right wing slacker.

[@Blackhawk364]

@itsoktobehappy461 no he doesn't. There's something wrong with people that defend the cretins doing their darnest to keep the boot on your neck.

[@aprilmay1700]

Your guarantee is worthless.

[@Aragorn7884]

typical Fox...ask a question, then, don't let the man answer. Makes sense? 🤷🤦

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

Why is he waving his hand in her face? She put the mic in front of him.

[@shannonkelly8665]

He could have handled that better though (and I voted for Bernie in 2016) but that whole exchange (if you can even call it that) was ridiculous

[@petereckels2724]

The hand-waving is clearly to her left (toward the camera). It's a result of the camera framing.

[@Navy35]

@@petereckels2724Bernie Sanders lost me when he used to say that he was against outsourcing because hard working Americans would lose their jobs to foreign workers, but then say nothing about insourcing labor ( unlimited immigration) causing hard working Americans to lose their jobs to foreign workers.

[@user-gz4ve8mw9l]

@@shannonkelly8665It was pretty bad for both of them but yes.

[@benfeb7760]

Exhausted, overwhelmed, and underpaid people are MUCH easier to control. Don't forget that next time someone in a position of extreme power calls it an impossible fantasy.

[@fleurishadvisors232]

🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏👏👏👏💖💖💖💖💖💖 100%

[@kennykuhns9843]

People stripped of their 2nd Amendment rights are much easier to control too.

[@kalijasin]

Work harder and you end up becoming poorer because your taxes and debt go up. #TheAmericanWay

[@Robert.Sheard]

Ben Shapiro with his stupidity hanging out for all to see. It's none of his business when I retire.

[@YvetteM-js9uj]

Isn't this funny when Congress doesn't even work itself?What have they done for the american Lately.🤔

[@Exiled.New.Yorker]

Since the cellphone, everybody is on call, 24/7. Lets make laws about employer contact outside of "regular work hours".

[@theskullyhippiedude3719]

In Germany it is illegal for your employer to contact you outside your time in the workplace.

[@milfordcivic6755]

Everyone was on call with a wall phone too

[@jackshaftoe1715]

There is already law against this and you can sue.

[@user-gz4ve8mw9l]

Tell them to pay you for it or your going to hang up. Let them know you bill at 5x the rate for off hour phone calls by the second.

[@woohunter1]

My employer is also my brother-in-law whom I’m great friends with too! In most cases, I would agree with you. You bring up a great point.

[@gregbors8364]

The “40-hour workweek” is a bit of a misnomer, as many people consistently work overtime and some are required to do so. But the idea that overtime should kick in after 32 hours is a good one and would definitely give workers incentive to be more productive.

[@zmarko]

Ben Shapiro is an absolute DOPE.

[@susanc257]

Yes! A damn idiot.

[@elmolewis9123]

He's just another grifter fighting for his share of the money the cultists donate.

[@bigdog44pc]

Flattery will get you nowhere.

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

Shapiro's a bit of a bubble boy, but it's Sanders and Reich that are pushing to cut the hours of Americans who are barely getting by and to ship their jobs overseas. Shouldn't we build more homeless shelters FIRST before we carry out a policy that will put millions of Americans on the street?

[@3namechangezalowdevry90day7]

Shapiro's a bit of a bubble boy, but it's Sanders and Reich that are pushing to cut the hours of Americans who are barely getting by and to ship their jobs overseas. Shouldn't we build more homeless shelters FIRST before we carry out a policy that will put millions of Americans on the street?

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

What should be radical is the fact that productivity has increased year over year but non-executive compensation has not (at least, not until people started quitting). But the press will seldom talk about this, because, well, guess who owns them?

[@itsoktobehappy461]

The press talks about this almost daily

[@froglady7491]

Fortunately, a number of states have enacted much better minimum wage requirements. Those are just not always the states that need them most.

[@feathersigil2048]

@@itsoktobehappy461 The press doesn't talk about income inequality daily and you know it. They're too focused on the crime of the day or the political horserace.

[@itsoktobehappy461]

@@feathersigil2048 maybe I’m thinking more social media. I do think too much wealthy equality is more damaging than too much inequality though.

[@feathersigil2048]

@@itsoktobehappy461 ...What the hell does "too much wealth equality" even mean?

[@geraldallocca6858]

Robert Reich is a treasure for the american worker!!

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

Treasure if you like poverty wages and outsourcing.

[@readheath3860]

Great cause. American's are overworked

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

40 hours a week is nothing.

[@RSBurgener]

These soulless suits are never going to comprehend this concept because they simply will not hear it. They're too busy condemning what they perceive as laziness .

[@patvickers8189]

Thank you. Well said.

[@youtubesucks1499]

Ok, do the math. So everyone works 32 hours a week and gets paid for 40? Ok so who makes up the labor deficit? A doctor works 32 hours a week? Teachers? Electricians? Car mechanics? So how is this the labor deficit going to be made up?

[@dHolbach77]

Still don't understand how so many "adults" don't get what I knew by age 14: over working is not ennobling. It is not character building. It is not what a strong person does; it is what a victim of an exploitative system run by elites who never worked, didn't work long, or at least never do real hard work is forced to do. It is not good thing to work your one and only life away. 30 hours a week (and 30 years tops) is plenty of the bs of work (and ALL jobs are bs/unenjoyable for the most part). The work ethic is a deeply sick American phenomena that far too many fall prey to, to the delight of their elite corporate masters. PS: I once had a highly intelligent professor friend (I was his student/friend) retire at 49. I went to his retirement party and to my surprise, even many of the other profs, who are intelligent, thinking people, kept asking him what he was going to DO now, as if his life now had no meaning or purpose (he was married, but no kids: like I said, highly intelligent person). After a bit he got tired of this question and addressed the crowd and simply said that the answer to that question is that "now, for the first time, I'M GOING TO LIVE. On my own terms. Do what I want to do. Work at what I want to work at. ENJOY LIFE free from the daily stresses and quotidian awfulness of work". (Paraphrasing from memory). It was a powerful rebuke to the "but without work, a person is lost, if not just a lazy degenerate" twisted myth. You could see many at the gathering realizing that they were trapped in a job for many more years that they didn't really enjoy and some started joking that they wanted to retire too. And in the 20 years since then, this retiree has enjoyed life much more than he ever did during his working years, and did do a lot of work---but work HE wanted to do when and as often as he wished. He also, happily and proudly, just sat around enjoy leisure time, especially listening to music and reading/studying (though this is a form of work, especially as he only reads academic non-fiction). I knew him for several years when he was teaching: he was close to miserable and often in dismal moods; I saw him many times after he retired; it was like he was a different person. All his good traits were unburdened by stress and so freely shone. He was, simply, at peace with himself and the world. Work only hurt him; he even found more meaning and purpose in his pursuits than he ever did "trying to educate the masses that mostly don't want to be educated" as he put it. I'm glad for him and all others who are able to put in the minimal amount of years working and have enough money to live modestly thereafter. No mentally healthy person works for any reason but necessity, and it's hard to be even minimally mentally healthy working too much for too long!

[@patvickers8189]

Amazing post!

[@zacharythomas8617]

🗑️

[@nickdepaul3178]

F the GOP greediness.

[@Aragorn7884]

*The Federal minimum wage was last changed in 2008, when it was raised $0.70 from $6.55 to $7.25.* 😮😮😮

[@itsoktobehappy461]

There shouldn’t even be a minimum wage at all

[@zzzT.]

Should be $50/ hour 🤠

[@ileneragland369]

😢

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

Sweden has no minimum wage. It's unnecessary.

[@yourdaddy-mq4km]

@@zzzT. 😂 Maybe if you want to pay 49 for a loaf of bread.

[@winsomemartinez]

Or, I'd take 5 days and a 20% pay hike. Either way.

[@ChitWhitly]

Although a good idea at first, this can quickly become devalued with another few years of high inflation. Where as an extra day off has intrinsic value.

[@feathersigil2048]

@@ChitWhitly 4 days (5 and beyond is overtime), minimum wage increases and price control legislation so that inflation will never happen again. Everyone wins.

[@douglashogg4848]

Wake up! This is America, a 32 hour work week comes with a proportionate cut in pay.

[@feathersigil2048]

@@douglashogg4848 A a 32 hour work week comes with a proportionate cut in pay? Says who?

[@douglashogg4848]

@@feathersigil2048 I would say everyone you’re asking a 20% raise from. You’re in a country whose minimum wage is $7.50 and only 11% of workers are unionized, most being in the public sector. A country where corporations spend millions on lobbying. Workers are treated like crap in this country and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

[@munkeefinkelbeen5395]

The more surprising note on that graph is the average US citizen works over 200 more hours than the average Japanese worker. As notoriously toxic and draining as Japanese businesses are said to be, we still work more hours on average. What does that say about us?

[@froglady7491]

At a company I worked at, we had to take call at night. While this rotated among workers on a weekly basis, it was common for people to literally be up all night and still expected to be in the office the next day. Our managers would tell us to not come in until noon to provide some relief, and that worked well until HR put a stop to it. We were exempt employees and were expected to work overtime. Productivity drops really fast on 2 hours of sleep a night.

[@munkeefinkelbeen5395]

@@froglady7491 oh lord! That sounds horrible. The closest I came to that at my old job was inventory days. Spend all night counting and inputting product information and sales numbers, then work at least half a shift after. On one or two occasions, someone would pull a no show and I'd have to work a double on inventory days, with no better motivation than, "welp... it's more money, right?"

[@froglady7491]

@@munkeefinkelbeen5395 At least, you were being paid a wage, so you got money to compensate. We were exempt employees, so no overtime, no hourly payment. But I had edited this text and the edits disappeared. Let me put the record straight. We were asked to keep track of the actual hours we worked when on call and when it reached 8 hrs, our supervisors would allow us to take a day off as long as it didn’t interfere with deadlines we had. That is what HR put a stop to.

[@Thomas-jl3gn]

Imagine how more affordable & pleasant life would be if your labor was not funding greed & graft.

[@captvalstrax]

1:39 Classic FOX "News" speaking over their interviewees that they disagree with.

[@Kritiker313]

Listen, the US doesn't even have a vacation law to guarantee American workers even a single day off! The result is that most Americans get just one or two weeks of vacation time per year at the start of employment. Meanwhile, European workers start with 5-6 weeks of vacation their very first day on a new job.

[@Letsteachleslie]

Things will NEVER change unless WE demand it. How do we do that?! Vote for those that are willing to make it happen!

[@meeraj-4774]

You can't demand a private company to do less work with same pay.

[@piku5637]

Need outright workplace democracy (worker/consumer co-ops, and strong unions).

[@xjarheadjohnson]

That's right. We need to tax the rich the way we did in the 20th Century. Americans think of the, historically prosperous, 1940's & 50's when they reminisce about America's "greatness." Do you know the top-marginal tax rates for the richest during those, historically prosperous, decades? *Historical U.S. Highest Marginal Income Tax Rates* _"The top income tax rate reached above _*_90%_*_ from 1944 through 1963, peaking in 1944 when top taxpayers paid an income tax rate of _*_94%_*_ on their taxable income."_ SOURCE: Tax Policy Center - online 9-Feb-22 The average working citizens of other 1st-world nations, often pity ours. *McDonald’s Workers in Denmark Pity Us* _“Danes love America,” Hummelgaard told me. “But there’s no admiration for the level of inequality in America, for the lack of job security, for the lack of health security, for all those things that...create a good society.”_ SOURCE: NY TIMES, by By Nicholas Kristof - May 8, 2020 _"Democracy has become a business plan, with a bottom line for every human activity, every dream, every decency, every hope. The main parliamentary parties are now devoted to the same economic policies - socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor - and the same foreign policy of servility to endless war. This is not democracy. It is to politics what McDonald's is to food."_ *- John Pilger* (journalist, writer, scholar and documentary filmmaker) Is it just coincidence that ALL the happiest nations on Earth, are also nations with some of the highest tax rates on Earth, with free medical care, ample paid time off & FAR superior education systems? *The Happiest Countries in the World* _"Finland leads the ranking of the world's happiest countries for the sixth year in a row, according to the 2023 World Happiness Report... score (7.80)...Denmark in second place (7.59), Iceland in third (7.53), Sweden in sixth (7.40) and Norway in seventh (7.32)"_ SOURCE: World Economic Forum, by Anna Fleck - Mar 23, 2023 _“When it can be said by any country in the world, my poor are happy, neither ignorance nor distress is to be found among them, my jails are empty of prisoners, my streets of beggars, the aged are not in want, the taxes are not oppressive, the rational world is my friend because I am the friend of happiness. When these things can be said, then may that country boast its constitution and government.”_ *- Thomas Paine, Rights of Man* _"We need to question this notion that capital only belongs to the owners when we can't achieve anything without workers. _*_We're doing capitalism wrong,_*_ and were going to kill ourselves in the process unless we rethink it."_ *-Abigail Disney* (Disney Heir, documentary film producer, philanthropist, and social activist)

[@tommyoliver5106]

WE ALSO PAY THE MOST FOR MEDICINE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. EVEN THOUGH WE GIVE MONEY TO PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOP NEW MEDICINES!

[@itsoktobehappy461]

Either turn off the caps lock or don’t comment

[@tommyoliver5106]

@@itsoktobehappy461 YOU WORRY ABOUT YOU AND I WILL WORRY ABOUT ME!

[@gcro9206texanforever]

The federal government has just started drug prices, and will add more every year

[@itsoktobehappy461]

@@tommyoliver5106 You not hear me the first time?

[@philbarone4603]

I went into Walmart once during the summer and the AC wasn’t turned up very high. Everyone was wearing masks and one employee looked like she was going to faint. We should black list large cooperations and just shop at mom and pop stores if there’s any left.

[@itsoktobehappy461]

Probably just needed some freon. Ain’t nobody stopping shopping at Walmart.

[@matthuck378]

I was lucky enough to have a 4 day work week for a while. I also had a 5 day week, but I was off Sun-Mon instead of Sat-Sun. Both were much better. For one thing, it made actually getting to appointments and doing shopping a lot easier. Yes, people need to work less hours and make more money. Most 9-5 jobs don't even involve 9-5 work, FFS. A lot of it is just sitting around and waiting, pointless meetings, busywork, etc. to justify the salary. Also, the more you are paid, the less actual work you do. That's a problem. CEO or "investor" is the easiest job on earth. I'd love to see those guys do a week's worth of shifts as a cashier, waitstaff, construction worker, etc.

[@sk8fyshbyk923]

Ben Slipiro has zero hobbies or interests, so why would he even want to retire?

[@aprilmay1700]

Isn’t he the one that claims women just endure sex, and don’t enjoy it or desire it? He’s not normal. And we know a lot more about his marriage than we ever wanted to know.

[@xwize]

Exactly its always the uncreatives, man is a drone

[@noahpartic7586]

Of course The Rich hate the idea of a 32hr Work Week, just like the 40hr work was 1st hated.

[@LB-sk3vl]

Do you actually think that all employers in the country are rich?? Especially small business !!!

[@noahpartic7586]

@@LB-sk3vl Small Business or Big: Pay thy workers well, OR ELSE😡.

[@LB-sk3vl]

@@noahpartic7586 What??? Just that comment tells me you're not very versed on they way of business.

[@itsoktobehappy461]

@@noahpartic7586or else what???

[@itsoktobehappy461]

@@LB-sk3vl90% of the followers of this channel understand business, economics, and finance as well as a 5 year old, just like Robert Reich.

[@dailyrider2975]

Companies and billionaires don't want us to work less hours, but have NO problem replacing workers at a moments notice for any reason. So the real reason, especially for killing retirement, is to provide they unliving corporate entities a larger pool of labor that can more easily be suppress and underpaid due to increased competition for jobs.

[@MrEdium]

If big business wants to "offshore" then tax those items coming into America to offset this idea.🤔

[@gcro9206texanforever]

Who pays those taxes on imported goods? The consumer does

[@thoughtsurferzone5012]

A three-day weekend would be a huge psychological boom to people. It would be to me, that's for sure.

[@chanelhopeful5336]

Love you Bernie Sanders❤

[@theeXodusof730]

I pray this becomes a reality.

[@WildlifeWarrior-cr1kk]

More drinking time

[@apeman505]

A 32 hour work week would be PERFECT for me and most workers, I feel. -Most workers feel that they can get their daily work finished in 6 hours instead of 8. -If we changed to four 8-hour days, it reduces the amount of driving people have to do, reducing pollution and wear on vehicles and roads and traffic -It makes people feel less burnt-out, and gives the opportunity to get out-of-work things done, like doctors' appointments, car repair, etc. -With more free time, people are more likely to spend the money they have, which benefits the economy -Employers who have tried this have found their employees to be more energized and loyal, reducing turnover and actually INCREASING productivity -People who work 4 days a week would be more willing to have children because they would be home more, reducing the need for childcare -France, Finland, and I think Denmark already have a 35-hour work week, and it's worked well enough that France is considering moving to a 32-hour work week. -While certain jobs do need full coverage, that means employing more people and reducing unemployment. Also keep in mind: -Before the 1940's we worked 100+ hours, and CHILDREN were also working in factories. We had to FIGHT for a 40 hour work week, and for child labor laws. -The economy adapted to reducing workers' hours by up to 60% back then, it can handle a 20% reduction after the 400% increase in productivity since 1940. -Back in the 40's and 50's, the top 1% was paying up to 70% of their income in taxes (in some cases up to 90%!). Nowadays the top 1% barely pays ANY taxes. -Up until the 80's and 90's you could afford a house, two cars, a family, etc on a single income. Nowadays, many people can't afford a house on two. Personally, I have a 10-hour, 4 day work week and I don't have time or energy enough after work to go shopping, work out, mow the lawn, do laundry, etc. All that stuff has to wait until the weekend. So yes, I am 100% for a 32-hour work week and I am super excited that people are at least talking about it now.

[@MaryK.-WV]

Yes! A 32 hour work week would benefit everyone. It would reduce unemployment , boost morale, and free up time to enjoy living.

[@Me97202]

Corporations and the politicians that they own won’t ever let this happen. They’ll see that as a 20% reduction in potential profits and worker exploitation.

[@sheilakoff8590]

Bravo for having Robert Reich on. Every day and night we need pro -Biden news to counter disinformation. Love hearing your strong , fiery, easy to follow analyses!

[@s.d.c5513]

Skeleton crews working themselves to exhaustion on minimal (& insulting) wages to maintain the profits of billionaire's who've never had to do so much as lift a box.

[@thetoknboxshow]

Also, we need American Labor Right's and American Injured Worker's Law's enforced by our Federal Government.

[@WarpedTrekker]

People should be able to retire before they die and before they get so old, that they can no longer travel and enjoy life due to being so old their bodies won't allow them to go places.

[@davidvernon3119]

I would love to know Ben’s reasoning behind thinking folks should work till they die. I don’t see wage slavery as the be all end all of my life.

[@kimclarelli2354]

I agree you Robert

[@jaredchilders3781]

Most people in the labor field no longer have 40 hour weeks. They have 50+ hour weeks, every week. It's cheaper to have less bodies and longer hours for corporate scum.

[@abigfish1620]

I am blessed enough to work a 4 day, 10 hour work week and I can tell you all the extra day off means EVERYTHING. Every job i ever worked, I was craving that weekend. By the end of the week I was always exhausted and didnt even want to do anything with most of my weekends I just wanted to rest in peace and quiet, or get caught up on chores. Now? I am happy, I dont mind going in to work on monday and by the end of my weekend I feel energized and ready for the new week. I am more productive at work because I am happier, and this is just 4 / 10s, I cant even imagine only working 4 / 8 hour shifts as the standard. I would be happy if they just mandated all places of work to offer an alternate 4 day / 10 hour schedule.

[@zzzT.]

That's a good schedule if you can get it. 🤠

[@elsonck2523]

Love Robert Reich. He is right on so many issues, not all, but most.

[@PPuffNstuff]

Thanks Bernie!!!!!❤❤❤❤

[@chanelhopeful5336]

I pray we can get this passed life is tooo short .

[@glennr9913]

My parents' small business opened at 8:30 and closed at 4:30. 35 hours per week worked great for them for 30 years.

[@maryarney1350]

With no reduction in pay OR BENEFITS!

[@timothytikker1147]

I know a company in the San Francisco area that has a 4-day work week... but it's four 10-hour days, so still adds up to 40 hours! It was done because workers mostly lived out of town, and commuting was difficult and time-consuming, so coming to work only 4 days per week was easier on everyone.

[@mlh5434]

Americans deserve to work has many hours as they want to work in exchange for money. That's already the policy today. It's called freedom to contract. Nothing needs to change.

[@davidmilianmelendez66]

most ununionized jobs don’t let you negotiate the amount of days worked because workers don’t have leverage over them anymore. And for the average american, it isn’t viable to seek out jobs that offer 4 day work weeks because that cuts opportunities to a select few. Americans deserve to work as many hours as they want, sure, but that isn’t in the best interest of corporations.

[@chrisparsons2791]

"Who's going to buy all this stuff we produce if the american worker doesn't have enough money in their pockets?" I've been saying that since 1995 !

[@jo-nation6692]

Is a Why Not debate that has gone on long enough CORPORATIONS do not want to pay better when Workers absolutely deserve Better My Dad would often quote if a Businessman can not pay their Workers...they SHOULD not be in the Business of running a Company

[@HomesteadEngineering]

The less hours Robert Reich works the better off we will all be.

[@geraldinegranger9186]

Good points as always from Mr. Reich. We need to add to the discussion all the millions of hours we also spend on uncompensated labor due to lack of child/elder care in this country.

[@davehaggerty3405]

A 32 hour week would give time for everyone to have two jobs.

[@PoseyLane]

Nothing screams compassion like lecturing from a gilded tower about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps while conveniently ignoring the silver spoons lodged firmly in their mouths.

[@StudioDaVeed]

32 hour work week that pays the same as a 40 hour work week. All it does is give you another day to spend what you don't have. WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE ALREADY. I'm not sure of the logic of this......

[@spacecoyote6646]

I have been saying this for years

[@Engineer_Who]

God, I would love having Fridays off. So much less stress in my life.

[@RolfWrenWalsh]

For me it's just a simple fact of work/life balance. Yes, you are still working 4 days vs 3 off, but it's more even overall. I would gladly put in four 10 hour days if it meant I got 3 days off.

[@stevejohnson2321]

So, in order to prevent 'off-shoring' of jobs here, the American workers must accept and settle for third world wages and abuses from corporate employers? Wouldn't that make us a third world country?

[@Charon85Onozuka]

I think this is the end goal people don't mention enough. Considering the countries that corporations flock to allow things like slavery, concentration camps, etc. to be used for labor - the only way to make American workers competitive under that argument would be to completely strip all worker rights and drive American workers to poverty and desperation.

[@stevejohnson2321]

@@Charon85Onozuka thanks for the intelligent response. Have you seen the film 'Elysium'?....🤔

[@BrianAtnip86111]

This would be great. I work 1,936 hrs per year as an engineer and recently asked for more vacation and was told I could go to more hours per day to get one more day off during the week. This would get me "52 more days off" but I would need those extra days to recover from work. It's socialism for the rich and harsh capitalism for the rest of us.

[@williambroyles2563]

Bro... I work for the post office, we've been working 6-7 day weeks since I started in 2020, I think my record is 27 straight, those were almost all 11+ hour days too. DeJoy is killing us.

[@zzzT.]

Get back to work, bud 🤠

[@deweybewey]

Damn right congress need to get on board with this

[@ButFirstHeLitItOnFire]

I’ve actually asked my job to try and give me 4 days a week (9-10 hour shifts), Friday-Monday to be exact… I find such requests more easy to pull off if you’re willing to work weekends.

[@erock736]

There was a time when the 40 hour work week was seen as evil. Turns out it wasn’t. I don’t want to own a bunch of stuff, I want to have a life.

[@pamelarockwell6992]

Love it!

[@russh6414]

I loved it four 10 hour days back in the 80s. unfortunately, corporate America did not. They loved to beat on their salary employees 60 to 80 hours a week never again.

[@Godwill3]

Chic fil a is open one day less that fast food restaurants but they still make as much as the other top restaurants.

[@commonman317]

Lets say this passes. You just know the corporations will use their power to find a way to get around it somehow, and actually make things worse. Which is not the intent of this proposal.

[@chrisbfd]

I've worked a 4 day work week for a decade, since opening my own business. I also give a 1.5 hour lunch break, and strongly recommend a 20 minute nap. My employees have said this is their favorite job ever.😂

[@doomtomb3]

It’s a beautiful demand. But it’s never going to pass.

[@aarongordon2998]

💯 And we have a Congress and Corporate culture that wants to keep us held back.

[@papasom3337]

It’s not entitlement when you’ve paid into it for your entire work life. It’s YOUR MONEY not entitlements!! Get it right!

[@SandfordSmythe]

Entitled by a law.

[@papasom3337]

@@SandfordSmythe you and I know that, but they mean it as if to say you're really not entitled. When it's your coins.

[@lauriecraw5033]

I would take a 36-hour work week. Half a day to start the weekend a little early. Or shave an hour and a half off the work day. That would help parents with school-age children.

[@jjbode1]

“Who is going to buy all the stuff we’re making if workers don’t have enough money in their pockets?” Classic, epitaph quality remark.

[@danielcarlies5151]

The old man just hooked and sinked , that gop argument with ease.

[@DestinBeachImages]

Voters in both parties are going to love it. The strange thing is that wall street would benefit but are they on board.

[@maureencora1]

Nobody Should Be a Slave to a Job. I Can't Wait to Retire with All Bills Payed Rent, Power, Phone, Food & etc.

[@Mustapha1963]

There's no stopping anyone from having a 32 hour work week in the United States. If you want to work only 32 hours, have at it- but don't expect to be paid for 40 hours unless you work 40 hours.

[@jl8942]

In 1930, capitalist economist John Maynard Keynes predicted a 15 hour work week with a life full of leisure and recreation for a majority of workers by 2030.

[@nicklang7670]

It is ‘offshoring’ that is making it more difficult for American workers. If business cannot pay Americans a fair wage then why are they called businesses? America first companies don’t threaten to move outside America when workers in America demand fair wages and working conditions. That should be the case for every country. It should be illegal to move your business to avoid obeying the law. These businesses threatening ‘offshoring’ could be in violation of the law in other countries too. They want to move out of America because American workers are better at knowing their rights. These businesses want to corrupt other nations’ working people. Know your rights. It should be workers threatening to move businesses, not businesses threatening workers!

[@ronkirk5099]

After I learned early on how citizens in many of the European democracies spend so much less time working than we do and also realizing that we were very unlikely to see a 4 day work week in the U.S., I opted for a short 20 year working career with a 10 year vacation when I turned 35 and early retirement at 54. The last 5 years of my career I spent on ships so I only worked 6 months a year even before I retired. Life is too short to spend so much of it working.

[@kdubs3]

i've got a zero hour work week at age 51. left the workforce for good.

[@HappyJackington]

For Senator Ben Cassidy the only question I have is, "How many hours do you work per week?" Because I bet the real answer isn't 40. Senators are only in session 6 months out of the year. They have no ground to say that a 4 day work week is unreasonable. I understand there is campaigning involved, but they also have a team to help them achieve their goal and a party to back them up.

[@jo-nation6692]

PRESIDENT Candidate Niki Haley claims that Americans should not be able to retire until 70

[@dominique217]

That's true. I was assigned a NATO position, and the other countries thought we were nuts working the way we do. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@dera6347]

I have had 1 4 day work week (40 hours) job, a distribution center for auto parts. It sounds nice, and is when it it does what you would expect. However, this company ruined it by finding ways of getting rid of those who refused to work overtime. Also those 3 days off where never back to back, so the idea of a 3 day weekend was never a reality. More than likely, most people in here have bought things from this company. These issues need to be addressed and prevented before moving to a 4 day work week, 32 or 40 hours. Some way needs to be ensured that those 3 days can land consecutively. The other issue is those with kids in school. If the parent is on a 4 day work week, and the school is Monday through Friday, conflicts will arise between parent availability and the children needing their aid for school.

[@DestinBeachImages]

Business does better with a worker weekend! AND the studies clearly demonstrate that a 4 day work - is good for business . The practical experience clearly shows that it helps businesses!

[@spacecoyote6646]

The one thing the masses have is the power to strike

[@spicycopper2436]

It wouldn't have matter if the work week changed from 5 days to 4 days for many salary employees. Many salary employees will work their hours wheter its a 4 or 5 day work week. I do hope that it goes to a 4 day work week for hourly employees.

[@jackcarraway4707]

I remember when I worked four 10's. Yeah the ten hour shifts were tough at first and take time to get used to, but that third day off made a world of a difference. The company also gave out voluntary OT like candy on Halloween so if you had the energy and time you could work a fifth day and pocket some extra cash. The company? Amazon.

[@Letsteachleslie]

Some of us have been working a 4 day work weeks for years. They just force you to do 10 hours a day, and always ask you to stay late 😂

[@gordienj]

A fallacy of this discussion is that America is a rich nation - it is certainly getting lesser as time goes by. We might have the largest group of wealthy people in the world (and maybe not), but if 40% of the population can't afford a financial emergency of $400 without credit, then we have no room to brag.

[@thesun6211]

There's a simple solution to offshoring: "take your money (capital) and go but the machinery stays put, your company is no longer 'domestic' for tax purposes, and any goods or services you want to sell in US markets now carry a tariff." It's a pity the political will to implement such doesn't exist in DC.