The 40 hour work week appears to not be working in our society, since we have so many older Americans, who have college degrees but no permanent jobs. Perhaps we need to make our political politicians demand that corporate America change their work week to 4 days a week instead of working five days a week. We could save on energy cost, and salaries if Americans only worked four days a week. 

i don't believe we should work less hours but more hours in a day. 4-10 hour shifts are better than 5 - 8 hour shifts. I would do that in a second.   

Americans are having a hard enough time paying their bills with jobs leaving the country left and right. Thanks to nafta. Working less and for less salary would only make things worse. Could you pay your bills making 10 0r 20 percent less? I bet not.

The American society can afford to pay their lower classed workers a higher salary that is completive to their Europeans cousins, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland.  As long as Americans are not putting pressure on their political leaders, they will continue to be 21st century Serfs!

I think working more hours per day would definitely depend on the field a person is in. In healthcare, I don't that 12 hour shifts are a very good idea, especially with many facilities being understaffed as far as nursing goes. I think they should go back to the basic 8 hour work day so that the healthcare professionals are more rested.

In other fields, a longer work week may be beneficial. I thought a study done several years ago showed that Americans worked too many hours per day which was detrimental and also, that Americans took fewer vacations in comparison to European countries. Does anyone else remember hearing about that? In the study, it showed that with longer working hours, the quality of the products Americans produced were inferior to other countries where the employees worked fewer hours and took vacations more often.

Let me know if any of you are familiar with this study.

 

I think if you would survey it, most American's would rather work 40 hours in 4 days. This would be a tremendous energy savings. Three day weekends, every other weekend, are nice.

Our shortage is of HIGHLY skiled workers in the U.S. that know how to navigate a global environment.

Only if they are salary! If a company is run properly and people are working as they should...90% of the time a 40 hour work week for everyone should do the trick! People who work mega hours are either trying to look good for their boss, screwing around too much and not getting their work done, unorganized or the victim of poor project management! I say 40 hours for everyone!

I disagree with kiki. The majority of poeple in this country are making less than $15 an hour. They are working mega hours at one company or working two jobs to make ends meet, not because they are screwing around or trying to kiss butt. Try paying for a new or even a used car, rent or house payment, food, GAS, utilities and raise a family on $600 a week ($15 hr at 40 hrs) that's not including the tax taken out. Add in the fact alot of poeple have no health insurance or if they do, an un-godly  co-pay amount. Deduct that from that $600 a week and your lucky to have $375 left over. NOW pay your bill AND eat. Open your eyes poeple. Smell the coffee. Step into the real world.

Karyn, I wasn't talking about people working 2 jobs or extra to make ends meet and in general I wasn't referring to hourly paid people, I was referring to the gorup of people (salary) who are made, or feel made, that they have to work more than 40 hours a week because it looks good, or there are too many meetings etc. and work can't be done. A lot of time is wasted at many work places. I am salary so obviously I do not want to work more than 40 hours a week as if I do my hourly wage essentailly goes down. I interviewed for a company once and they ntold me I should expect to work 60 hours a week, all the time! I reminded them of what I was currently making and what that came out to an hour and then what thye were offfering and what that came out to an hour and asked the hiring manager why I would want to take the job. He was speechless. I thnked him for his time and left.

Screwing around?  Trying to look good for the boss?  What about all those middle managers in large corporations, who are doing the work of 3 previous employees (due to downsizing)?  My son was in that situation and was working 70 hours per week.  Fortunately, he was eventually able to find a good position with another company that allowed for a more normal life.

Redmoon,

If you don't want to work 40hrs/week, don't.

Bottom line, if you are in a sucessful company, you will probably be encouraged to work overtime to keep up with orders.

PS- you don't get paid for doing nothing - at least where I come from.

Americans have the freedom to work as many hours as they want to offer an employer who can pay for their services. The cost of housing, transportation, and families might simply be the result of choice rather than necessity. If people live within their salaries and can learn to make smart decisions about their spending habits, they should have fewer problems. If people choose to borrow more than they can pay for a vehicle/housing (sometimes they are the same entity) or have children they cannot afford to raise ... well ... that's simply another issue. America has one of the lowest tax percentages in the world, our gas prices are not the highest they have ever been (after the rates have been adjusted for inflation), and more people are choosing to have children without the benefit of two income earning adults. Make a decision: Either work to live or live to work. The amount of hours devoted to your decision is only a factor of the math.

I think workers would be healthier and happier if they had more personal leave time...a month per year.

Should Americans work Less Hours?

No. Americans should work FEWER hours.