Many believe the work day or work week should be shortened.

UNITED STATES—For years, employers and employees alike have debated the age old question of how long the workday or workweek should be for Americans? It’s not a question that is easy to answer. For many the idea of limiting things to five days a week is perfect.

Well for most of us we’re already doing that, there are others who are perhaps working six or in some very rare occasions working seven days a week. Its not just that we’re spending more time away from home, but the number of hours we spend at our places of employment that has so many concerned.

Be honest with yourselves, including commuting time, how many hours per week are spent away from home? I’d just throw out a ballpark number and say about 60-70 hours per week. Yes, that’s a lot of time. The moment you get home, the only thing you can think about is the fact that you have to get up and do it all over again tomorrow. So what can we do to decrease the amount of stress that comes from work, shorten the workday or shorten the workweek!

Both are viable options, I mean I’d be the first to admit I hate work an 8-10 hour shift for 4-5 consecutive days during the week. Not only does it mentally drain you, but it physically depletes the body.  I mean could we get just as much done in a 5-6 hour work day? I guess that depends on who you ask. There are so many people out there who work at their own pace, while others get more done in a shorter time frame. Is there a way to compromise to help both parties feel as if they’re winning?

For starters a shorter workday, allows employees to spend more time with family, get more household chores done and come to work the following day fully energized and ready to go. Well what about pay? Why can’t employers fork out a bit more cash to employers so there isn’t a fear of losing ‘too much’ because the workday has been shifted?

In an alternate universe, dialogue is brewing about making the workday longer, but shortening the workweek to four days instead of five. I’ll admit I’m an eager fan of this option. I mean we live in this world where everyone thinks the entire world has Saturdays and Sundays off. Guess what America? Not always the case, there are many of us who have to get up bright and early on the weekend to work. Is it fun, not one single bit, but what can you do.

By increasing the work day to perhaps 10-12 hour days, four times a week, it would allow most Americans to have three days off during the week. How we utilize those off days should be up to the employee, rather to make things consecutive or to break the off days up to have a bit of a breather between each day of work. I honestly could care less about what transpires, but more about keeping laborers happy. Think of it this way, with that extra day away from work, we are likely to engage in spending more time out doors or out and about, which means more money to the economy which continues to struggle no matter what people continue to say.

The economy is bad for multiple reasons: greed is evil and prices are too high. People can’t buy things they are unable to afford and if those with wealth are not willing to share a little of what they have, what option does the rest of America have. Sometimes we have to think a bit out of the box of choices that we can make that doesn’t just suit one person, but benefits multiple parties involved.

By Trevor Roberts