Apart from the mystical horse, those aren’t fantastical things. France has a 35 hour work week, many countries have 4 weeks vacation as the norm, and most rich countries have full healthcare coverage. These are policy choices, not impossible dream worlds.
Comment on Bernie Sanders Champions 32-Hour Work Week With No Loss in Pay
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I would absolutely love to only work 32 hours a week instead of 40, 45 or 50.
I would also love four weeks vacation a year, full healthcare coverage and a unicorn in my backyard please.
Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 9 months ago
mrnotoriousman@kbin.social 9 months ago
It's sad that over here in America people are conditioned to think they are fantastical things.
severien@lemmy.world 9 months ago
In Europe, 4 weeks is the absolute minimum, many countries have higher mandated minimums and people get often extra on top. There are many things wrong in Europe, but the vacation policy is decent.
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Err, what is your main criticisms about Europe?
severien@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Regardong employment.
It’s pretty much given that the pension system of many countries will collapse, so young people are paying into a system which they either won’t be able to use or will be heavily disadvantaged. IMHO the pension system should be privatized, but it’s of course too late, damage is done.
Income is taxed too heavily and wealth too little. These days it’s pretty much impossible to buy a house for many families even though the population doesn’t grow and new houses are being built. You can’t amass wealth with work, only woth inheritance.
Some worker protection laws should be weakened, specifically laying off people is often pretty much impossible which makes people allocation inefficient and companies conservative.
ccunix@lemmy.world 9 months ago
In France I work 32 hours, have 7 weeks holiday and awesome healthcare.
I have cows in place of a unicorn though.
Saneless@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Republicans have told me that there’s no way the country can survive that
Riyosha_Namae@reddthat.com 9 months ago
They lied.
Shardikprime@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I mean they have to raise the retirement age and had (are having?) Protests about it the whole year didn’t they
lady_maria@lemmy.world 9 months ago
“Have to”? That’s obviously more than up for debate, especially considering the massive protests in France.
God forbid they consider increasing taxes for the rich instead.
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 9 months ago
It’s 64, that’s lower than the US has ever been
ccunix@lemmy.world 9 months ago
That’s just because they are whining
treefrog@lemm.ee 9 months ago
The unicorn comment makes me think you’re being a sarcastic ass.
The rest of your comment is 100% doable. At least, lots of other countries are doing it.
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I was just kidding about the unicorn, as living in the US it seems just about as likely to get a unicorn as getting universal healthcare or vacation.
😅🦄
treefrog@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Fair enough.
JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I don’t know why you throw the unicorn in there as if the rest of your comment is some crazy idea. Most of Europe functions extremely well under the work conditions you described, why is America somehow incapable of having the quality of life our European cousins have?
Saneless@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Oh please. Would that ever work, besides the dozens of countries and corporations that have managed without issues?
Shardikprime@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Besides what would you do with the unicorn poop
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Some organic fertilizer for the garden, of course!
Syldon@feddit.uk 9 months ago
The vacation period is a minimum standard in the EU.
Beyond the daily and weekly rest periods, your staff has the right to at least 4 weeks of paid holidays per year. You cannot replace these holidays with a payment unless the employment contract has ended before the staff member has used up all their annual leave.
In the UK minimum holiday entitlement is 28 days. I am always appalled at how badly the US allows it workers to be treated. I really wish the US would start thinking more about working to live and not living to work.
Saneless@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
If people who are negatively affected by it would stop voting for people who make it a campaign promise to never offer these things, we can’t get anywhere
NuPNuA@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I work 35 hours a week, have six weeks of holiday plus bank holidays and universal healthcare. It’s not impossible.
reversedposterior@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I have basically this in the UK
dangblingus@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Some of those things are possible. Why not try to get them?
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 9 months ago
How?
I asked our company owner, and such healthcare plans simply do not exist in the US.
SCB@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Fun fact: government-based healthcare of any sort is great for employers and employees, and results in more money for both
Cryst@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
I have 5 weeks vacation and universal health care. I’m just pushing for the 32 hrs now.
Riyosha_Namae@reddthat.com 9 months ago
It’s depressing that you’ve been convinced that full healthcare coverage is as unrealistic as a unicorn in your backyard.
ShadowZone@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Except for the unicorn, your last paragraph is my reality. Oh and it’s five weeks vacation, actually. My wife even has six. Sick days not included. Those are all part of the universal health care we have.
38h work week btw. Rarely overtime.
1984@lemmy.today 9 months ago
I have 35 days on my current job but it’s the first time. Normally it’s been 30. I’m in Sweden.
And we don’t work no 40 hours here. People come in around 9 and leave around 16 with an hour lunch break and a lot of talking and slacking during the day. This is in IT and it’s been like that on every job I’ve ever had
Nobody can or want to focus for 8 hours per day their entire lives, that’s madness. We are humans.
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Man that sounds so great. Currently work weeks are varying between 40,45 and 50. PM. I’m up to about 2 1/2 weeks vacation a year working for a small business. But at least they let me take it, unlike my friend who works at AWS who hasn’t had a vacation in 5 years.
Family also pays $2400/month in health insurance payments, although 2/3 of that is covered by our employer. $6,000 deductible.