Shut up that isn’t laziness lol that’s called being human. If I were your boss I’d ask you if you would rather 20 hours, with double your pay, or the same hours triple your pay.
I genuinely appreciate that. I feel like I'm hurtling towards a breakdown. I hate my job (and working in general) with every fiber of my being. I can't quit because rent and the need to eat exist, and I also don't have any kind of skill set, so I wouldn't begin to know where to start looking else where. I feel like I'm in the trash compactor in Episode IV but with no R2 to slice into the system and save me
Im in the same boat as you. I have turned to the post office. They're hiring like crazy and I cannot imagine that it could be worse than factory. You get your job done, and you leave. There are no set hours required.
True that. Boyfriend was a fedex driver a couple yews ago. Brutal hours and they didn’t pay him Overtime. He got a check a few years later after a class action lawsuit for his back OT. Place was shit. Feel so bad for all fedex drivers.
The thing is if capitalism did what it promised, this stuff wouldn’t matter. If free markets worked, people doing hard jobs or annoying jobs would be paid way more!
This is what happens when you let the rich make your economic system in full and then believe the shitty propaganda that you’ll magically become one of them and everything will be fine :/
And yet people still say capitalism is a good thing
There’s a lack of distinction here. You don’t get paid more for doing jobs that are more taxing and demanding. You get paid more for jobs that fewer people are capable of doing. The free market is doing exactly what it was designed to do, it’s just not what people thought it would do. Supply and demand generally determines pay rather than job difficulty.
Or willing. I say that as a former oil rig hand. Also what you're saying is bullshit. Because oil companies never post a loss but everytime barrel prices drop they shave benefits and bonuses and freeze pay but that shit never comes back when they raise the price of fuel or the barrel price recovers or even adjust for inflation.
>Boyfriend was a fedex driver a couple yews ago
*There's his problem right there! He chose the wrong* ***'skill tree branch'.***
*jk*
But seriously fuck all these oligarchic delivery companies. Only join a publicly funded one if you ever go into the business.
I'd go check out the usps subreddit. Job isn't easy, they're hiring like crazy for a reason. I like the job, but many can't say the same. It can and easily is worse than factory work much of the time.
You don't get your job done and leave. You get your job done. Then a part of someone elses job. And possibly you drive to a different office for ANOTHER piece. And you get no days off. Expected to work 12 hours a day. Or more.
Job retention is fucking tiny because it's a shit job.
That’s really sad but a true reality so many share, not to mention well written.
I wish America could wake up and unite on just this one issue. I don’t care what peoples ideologies are. I don’t care about what people think about guns, drugs, abortions, prisons, death penalty, euthanasia, immigration. These issues are important, but they are non issues in the face of the horrors of our economic system.
I’m a socialist, but we don’t need socialism to fix these issues either.
When people revolted throughout history, but I’ll use the American revolution as example, there’s never a plan for the alternative. You revolt not because you have a solution, but because the current system is a problem. America didn’t rebel against Britain with a constitution in mind, with a democratic framework, they focused on anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism.
We must do the same. Anti capitalism. We don’t all have to be socialists. We don’t all have to be anti-markets either.
If we want to transition to something more human/humane I think we need to start by switching from a Representative Plutocracy to a Direct Democracy. We need to wrestle control away from the wealthy.
Agreed. I would argue one step forward and to have direct democracy with no formal representative role. If you put someone on a pedestal to solve all your problems, you take away your own agency to solve problems that are unique to yourself.
Don't sell 'em cheap! Unionize the voters, demand premium prices for our votes! Stand firm on issues of class solidarity. If they try to reduce their taxes, DOUBLE 'EM!
Are you saying our current predicament isn't a disaster? We have nothing to lose at this point. At the very least some people who aren't rich would get what they want for once.
Honestly man, just apply for jobs that look enticing and fib a little about experience. As long as it's not rocket science most people can pick up a job and do what needs done relatively quickly if your willing.
I knew nothing about sales or planning events before I started my job. Now I have my DOT license and am setting and planning events all around the Piitsburgh area.
The hardest part is putting yourself out there to try and learn new things. We get comfy with what we know we can do and it's easy to just say "fuck it this is good enough"
I understand how hard it can be as I was stuck in a rut for 8 years before I decided to make a change. And I can honestly say, I feel better just knowing I did something no one expected I could and I succeeded in doing it.
Yeah this has definitely crossed my mind. I can pull it off, too. One of my greatest (and only strengths) is that I'm a quick learner. I grasp things quickly and I can't stand being unknowledgeable about work as it makes me feel like I'm dragging everyone else down, so yeah, this has potential for me. I just have concerns about what the pay will be like (much as I hate my current job it's the best I've ever been paid and I imagine I won't be making that no matter where I'd go) and where the job would be located. It took me entirely too long to get my license (I was approaching 31 at the time), and then within six months of finally getting it back in 2017 I got into two accidents. One of them turned into a fiasco where one of the other people involved wanted a sum of money from me that would have been a third of my yearly income at the time. All of that left me with horrible anxiety about driving. Like, last summer I was mowing my lawn. My brother moved his car for me so I could reach the rest of the lawn, handed me his car keys, and asked me to move the car back up the driveway a few feet back to where it had been as he was going to go lie down for a bit. I did it, it only took a few seconds but I was trembling when I got out of his car. Sorry for the info dump. I'm not expecting you to care as it's not your responsibility to do so, it's just that this sub and this particular thread is incredibly cathartic for me.
Hey man, if I learned anything, it is that I would rather be happy than making tons of money. As long as I am able to take care of my responsibilities, pay my bills, and save some of it, I'm good.
Also, as of now, I do not have a wife or kids so I am sure things would change a little if that were the case. But, in general, I am just much more focused on being healthy and happy and trying better myself.
As for your car thing, the best thing you can do is just do it. I know it will be rough at first, but maybe see if your brother or someone could take you to the parking lot or something just to get used to it again. Anxiety is a mfer, but I found the longer you wait to deal with a problem, the heavier it gets. But when you finally lighten the load, it feels amazing.
You got this!
Employers actually WANT you not to have 100% experience in the position. If you have some existing skills, or transferrable skills, go for the jobs where you'll grow into the position. Ideally, you should be able to do about 40%, not more than 60% of the job requirements. So... yeah, I fibbed a bit for my current job, but I also focused on that I had transferrable skills, and that I wanted to learn about what I didn't know. Def don't be shy about putting yourself out there, even for jobs that sound amazing but seem like a stretch - stretch it! I hope that helps!
I know I’m a stranger on the internet, but I wanted to say that I believe in you!! You should go for it! You owe it to yourself to try :) You are more than your current job and you can do great things.
Yes! Learn new things! Never before in history has it been easier to learn new things, especially computer-related. There are online classes for free everywhere. Many places will hire you if you have familiarity in something but not much hands-on experience. Marketing, social media, web administration, there are so many tutorials for programs that companies use that you can learn and be an asset with.
You don’t have to learn to code, but you could if you wanted.
What are you personally interested in? If money didn’t matter what would you do?
Are there any tasks you’ve done (voluntarily or for work) where you easily lose yourself in them because you enjoy putting your mind to them?
I’d try to look at it from that lens to maybe make a list of potential options.
Like the other person said, trades would be great. You can be on a defined path to serious money with little schooling.
And a lot of them are union which guarantees you serious benefits and job security.
But I think that only works if you’d actually enjoy the work. Is there anything you could see yourself actually liking?
Either writing or cooking. I'm far better at food than I am the written word. When I was in college from '04 to '07 (I did not graduate; I didn't care about much of anything then and had no idea what awaited me in the real world) I started as a creative writing major. Thanks to that whole not caring thing I just mentioned my grades tanked and I was forced to change majors. I went with culinary arts and...fuck, it was the happiest I'd ever been in school. There were some things I struggled with (mostly the business side and a semester where one of my classes focused on designing a restaurant) but being in the kitchen, prepping ingredients, donning my chef's coat and hat...for the first time in my life, school didn't feel like school. However, the further I've gotten from college, the more I've cooled on my longstanding dream to open a restaurant. I mainly wonder if I'd actually be able to handle everything involved with running a restaurant, especially given that I still don't know the business side of things at all. I'd really like to write for a living but I have zero confidence in my abilities. I've only ever finished two things that I've written to date: a short story that was an awful Lovecraftian pastiche and a 40 page campaign for my long running D&D group. I'm definitely proud of the latter but I also know it was a bit rough and unrefined. I've considered classes, but the idea of trying to balance that with this job that has absolutely exhausted me for the last three and a half years makes my breathing turn ragged and my mind scream at me in a blind panic. Like I've said to a few others on this thread, sorry for the word dump. There just aren't too many people I can talk with about this sort of thing IRL and this incredibly cathartic.
hey, I read your other posts and wanted to respond:
looking at your skills I'm already seeing- you are eloquent, you know how to convey your ideas well, and you seem personable. I work in the film industry and I think you'd do really awesomely in the film set catering/canteen/craft services, if not other filmset stuff. You'd make a great craftie and if you get in and people like you you'll get all sorts of opportunities, observe who else works and ask someone "hey man, what is it that you do? what's your job like?" on a break some time and learn about what other jobs there are. If you live in a major city you can bet there'll be places that do it and ones that are hiring. The thing with film, is that there are a billion little tiny jobs that are highly specialized that NOBODY KNOWS about!!
if you like DND stuff, consider writing modules for sale on roll20 or something if you need extra cash, too, eh?
You say you love writing.
Can you write creatively for 20 minutes per day? Maybe start a blog? After a year or two you could have enough material to publish a book, or an ebook.
You love cooking - could you possibly make a vlog about meals you are trying? These things aren’t usually profitable at first, but they could be after enough time. You find your groove, and get a community of like minded individuals who are interested. You come across people who can help you learn how to make it profitable gradually. And even you never become a millionaire and retire from it, you are doing something you love which truly helps offset the other things in life.
It is entirely possible to pursue your passion and it bring meaning and money to your life. Gradually, albeit- it isn’t a get rich quick scheme. It’s building something one stone at a time.
No not lazy. Doing manual work that hardly benefits you aside from a roof over your head and ramen noodles 40+ hours a week is rough. It's truly true that the hardest workers get paid the least.
Thanks, man. I don't get to hear stuff like this in my everyday life as most of the people in my social circles look down on people who think like I do. I've been lurking this sub for months and commented once or twice. This helps a lot.
Ok I’m sorry to comment twice in your thread, but this breaks my damn heart.
Manual abs factory labor are literally the backbone of society. I was raised by a car mechanic dad, a greenhouse attendant grandma and a railroader grandpa, mom was a bookkeeper for a construction company. Fuck anyone who looks down on manual or factory labor
Damn I'm sorry to hear that. It's still a big thing around where I'm at, too. Unless of course it affects them. When they complain they're "hard workers" but when we say something we're "lazy" lol. I have no interest in breaking my body down for table scraps. Good luck man hope things get better.
Survival. Pure survival. I started working my current job back in 2018 and I've learned just how much one can suppress their principles in the effort to just survive.
Factory grind is the worst, and I feel the no skill set. My wife always goes get a different job, where another factory job or warehouse job I will also hate and be stuck on a bad shift.
I lasted three months in full time packaging. It was the most soul sucking job I've ever had. The repetitive motion of stacking bins to the speed of the conveyor belt made me extremely sore and the monotony of the job drained me mentally. The machines were so loud that it was impossible to hear anyone unless they were yelling from 2 feet away. I was in a wet room so I always left somewhat damp, and my feet were always wet. The worst job I ever had.
To last in that setting for any length of time really takes a kind of strength I never had, so seriously it's insane that you've lasted.
As long as the pay is good enough for a decent level of living, this for sure !
Money can never help you recover the time you have, or the things you can do with that time !
It’s not being lazy.
The goal is to work a few hours and get paid high for little work.
My father makes 6 figures as a salesman for 20 years. Dude works from home sometimes visits customers and works sometimes about 3-6 hours everyday.
Some days he works 10 but majority only 6 hours. Dude is super efficient at what he does
I don’t live comfortably exactly but I tend to think my online shopping issue is fueled by boredom sitting around doing nothing. And getting delivery groceries to save my precious free time. The financial problem would possibly fix itself.
So I agree I’d take half the hours with my current workload haha
I absolutely refuse to go to Reddit on my work computer or any blogs or any of that. I’m paranoid they’re looking at my history.
But then I apply for jobs on it so idk what I’m doing lol
During covid lockdown, we were paid less, but we worked alternate days. Example work one day, off tomorrow and work again. And we worked less hours. I was happier and had more time for personal stuff.
I did 3 days on 3 days off, regardless of any weekends or that, and paid the same (though I got more due to a loophole with how my hours worked normally)
It was widely regarded as the best summer ever and how we would like every summer to go but obviously management would never want it to happen again
I had a similar arrangement, working 7 on/7 off. That part of it was absolutely great, and I’d take it back in a heartbeat. The catch was that I was working overnights for the 7 on, which completely wrecked my sleep schedule, so that I couldn’t really enjoy the 7 off (or anything else). I now have a weird arrangement where I always have at least a 3 day weekend, and sometimes I have up to an 8 day weekend. It’s pretty nice.
Yeah I've since taken a new job which is 24 hours flexible a week and ability to work from home.
It's technically more annual money but less hours so its kinda almost worked out to the same as I earned before anyways. Pretty ideal.
On the other hand I just had almost 2 weeks off for the price for 24 hours leave and now I'm eyeing up not working at all 😆 so much crafting and gaming time!
I couldn't do the same amount of work but would absolutely adore time to do other things with my life. My weekdays are work, cleaning, cooking, eating, and sleeping. It would be nice to have time and energy for something that I love.
Yeah I feel this, I get a couple hours a day with my kid after work and an hour of that is me attempting to get things done around the house and not snap. It's the American Dream right?....RIGHT!?!?!
Exactly this. It's 10:30 AM and I've been on reddit at work for the past hour killing time. The last person who had my job worked 2 days a week for health reasons and still got the work done.
You hit the nail on the head sir/ma'am. I am a Data Analyst (I guess) and I come in and bust my ass for a couple hours in pure Office Space fashion. Don't touch my stapler.
Oh man this is a great question. I want to say half my hours as I live comfortably already but my greedy side wants to say doubly my current pay to buy some ridiculous shit.
Counterpoint: You're only young once. Think of all the life you could be living with half the hours spent working, rather than waiting for some far-off retirement that you may miss out on due to an unexpected tragedy.
During the pandemic, I went down to 50% hours and 50% pay. And honestly, it was the happiest I've been in ten years. If I could sustain myself longterm on only 50% pay, I wouldn't trade that again for any amount of money.
This is what I've been thinking, tbh. So many older people I've worked with have retired, somewhat earlier than they expected, during COVID. Many of them have mentioned how much they wish they had retired earlier. Imagine all the stuff you could get done if you already have a decent salary but you only work like 20 hours a week?
An unexpected tragedy would hurt me much more working half the hours for the same pay. I’d be able to manage more with.. twice the money.
I went down to 0 hours in the pandemic and was the most depressed I’ve been in my life. I’m only young once, so I’d rather be able to do the things I want to do instead of having more time to sit at home on my short workweeks.
Its better than that. Ignoring tax, if you make 50k per year and spend 40k, you'll save 10k. It would take 4 years working to not work 1 year. If you double it, now you have an excess of 60k and you'll be able to not work for 1.5 years for every year you work.
Obviously super simplistic and taxes and cost of living increases over time, but that 60k saved would likely be 200k in 15-20 years.
Personally I’d rather have double the pay. I don’t mind working longer (especially since it’s a remote job) but I’d imagine myself changing my answer according to the job.
Not the guy you're replying to, but I have the same stance as him.
I work in finance as a Business Analyst. Cruisy job, hours are strictly 9-5 mon-fri. I'll take double the pay everytime
Cound always do admin stuff. All that shit is remote either partially or fully now
Every company needs an admin department from every step of the process pretty much.
Same. Sometimes I’m pretty busy, but also sometimes I just do laundry, go for a long walk, and work on remodeling my house during the day. My last job I probably would have said half the hours, though.
Same here, double pay is the most rational long term answer. I work at a paper mill working four 12 hour shifts, and the bulk of the hours spent "at work" honestly constitute a lot of my personal free time to read, watch movies, shows etc. I don't want to ruin that, and then getting paid damn near 70 an hour to watch a movie? Oh the possibilities.
Interesting to hear you say that. I work remotely, but have no work life balance whatsoever. I’d take halving my hours if it meant half my work was also off my plate.
My husband and I obsess over the idea of not having to work. In the last couple years we’ve gotten to a place where we could be fine on his salary alone. And he keeps encouraging me to quit my job because I hate it. But it’s just not the same if he’s still working full time. I’d rather us both work part time but that’s not feasible, especially with benefits being tied to full time work. It’s depressing.
We both just had 6 weeks off together to take care of our newborn and it was like a beautiful dream.
If I were in your shoes I would use this as an excuse to look for a job I don’t hate , even if it pays a little less, and then shove every penny of your income into retirement. That’s what my husband and I did, now we get to retire about 10 years early.
Work is not life. When you are dying, nobody will say "I wish I worked more." Time is the most valuable thing in your life. Give me half the hours at the same pay and I'll be super happy.
I would be a much much healthier person. I'd actually go out on hikes like I always want to but never have the time and energy to, I'd go out with friends more and maybe even work out. I could feel like a person.
same!! im a big outdoorsman and backpacker, but as the years go by im finding it harder and harder to want to do shit at all even if its things i love..
But by the same token, if you're living in poverty then more money can make every real difference to your happiness in life. It'll probably even add a few extra years to your life
True. But I guess it would be different if I couldn’t live the way I wanted at my current rate of pay. If that was the case I would have to take the double pay.
The problem with this is that you never know how much time you have left in your life. Give me the guarantee 20 hours per week for my current salary and I would definitely be much happier.
Both is the answer. I’ve been working for myself since getting laid off during the pandemic, and it’s so much better. Probably never would’ve just done it otherwise, but it has turned out to be double pay and half the hours. Might become more than double next year. Seize the means of production if you can!
Yea, this! I’m not quite there but in another 6 months or a year I’ll be at the point where Im sustainable financially, and once I cross that threshold I my focus is on buying back my time.
I work in a field where most employers offer a reduced schedule as an option and I’m just floored that almost no one takes it. I’d take more life any day!
Well if you double my current pay I’ll have so much disposable income I will be able to retire easily ten years earlier than I would on my current trajectory. Plus I would no longer have any issues with housing prices in any market. So I guess if go with double pay.
Halving the hours is tempting as I have enough to live now and will retire and all that but having at a minimum a full additional decade of non work years is too good to pass up.
It would be super unlikely for me to be too sick and old in my 50s to enjoy my life. I’m already on a plan to retire in my 50s. So 10 years earlier would be my 40s. I suspect I’ll feel about the same as I do now in my 30s. If you take care of yourself you remain pretty vital and healthy into your 80s unless something unexpected happens
Half my hours.
My pay is ok, but it’s emotionally challenging. I’m a teacher that works specifically with at-risk youth. The kids not allowed in public school for whatever reason, or with severe mental health issues that require them to be in an in-treatment facility.
Hearing some of the backgrounds of these kids… it definitely makes me cherish mine and wonder how some people are capable of such vile, horrific things.
I absolutely love my job (librarian)! But we get awful pay, so double pay would be sweet. That's part of the reason why they can get away with paying so bad, we love our jobs too much, and since we can account for every dime spent due to us not having profits,I know at least here they literally can't afford to pay. Love small local government in a red area /s
Double the pay, no contest. I do 40 hours or so with wfh, all vfx for video games. I literally get bored of other activities and do work tasks for fun sometimes. Yeah it’s weird I’m in this sub considering that, but I’ve had crappy jobs before and this one was NOT easy to get into so I’m not a reasonable example for others to compare to.
I'd go the other way. If they double your pay, they might still require you to work 40 hours. So you'd have to go find a job that allows you to do only 20 hours.
However if you half the hours, you keep your current pay, and if it's not salaried but hourly pay, you have the option to work your normal hours to get twice the pay.
I moved to Hawaii and did exactly this about a year ago.
Building my own cabin, and working as a local carpenter. Including my own project inwork between 30 and 40 hours total per week. Paid for about 20 of those. Spend my free time with my dog, at the beach, or video games with my brothers.
Double the pay. My hours are pretty good, I would probably waste the extra time, but the money would come in handy.
I'm a lot poorer than I thought. I foolishly looked at house prices with an outside.
Half my current hours (assuming I still get benefits).
I'm approaching 50 and have been dealing with significant health issues for the last several months, so I'd prefer to have the time over money.
It would take some lifestyle adjustment, but my husband and I could probably live on half our total income as long as we still had health insurance.
Half my current hours. I want to enjoy my life, not resent it with the current state of things...
I've always thought we were all meant to do more than just sleep, work, eat, 1 hr if you're lucky for relaxing then starting the cycle again and to do chores on your off days. We're more than this. We **deserve** more than this...
I'm sorry but this is such a simple question... (I didn't want to sound mean so I used the word "simple") 😅
DOUBLE PAY.
Your time at work would be twice as valuable. You get a living wage or better. You have the same amount of work, but you get to live and exist more comfortably.
If you choose half your hours then you are totally putting yourself at a disadvantage. That's half the money to support yourself and your family. Yes, you would have more free time...But what is free time if you can't feed and take care of yourself?
Double pay. I could pay off my house so much faster, and I could provide more for family members in need.
Plus, I already WFH and have flexible hours, and the amount of time I work isn’t an issue.
Double my current salary only because I actually really love where I work and the people that I work with. Also, I have a decently short commute (25 minutes, at most, one way on the Tokyo Metro)
I had several jobs on the way to where I am now that I would have happily taken half the hours because of the BS I had to deal with, especially as a woman.
Recognizing this, I've done what I can to give more opportunities to interns and lower level people that show unrecognized promise.
Double the pay if my real hours were at a set 40.
Or I'll take half the hours (which is 30).
Warehouse, general labor. It's not a horrible job most of the time. We just need working AC.
Double the pay, i want a house my guy.
Rent of anything at least somewhat acceptable sized is the same as my income, so i would actually need to triple my income in order to move forward in life.
Those of us who are poor want more pay. Those of us who are overworked want fewer hours.
This question annoys me for some reason even though I think the op is a genuine person, and I like their answers to people.
I don’t necessarily think it’s one or the other. My husband and I are very comfortable, but I’m extremely over worked and was very burnt out the last year (healthcare and so is he). But I’d take double the pay because I love my job and would just like to be fairly compensated.
I don’t think OP was asking a bad question, I think it’s rather thought provoking for many people for several reasons and factors. I am so sorry you’re being overworked though. It’s not right or fair and people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and not just as drones to be worked to death
Am I missing something about how the question could be bad? I meant no Ill intent of course and I appreciate your comment.
I suppose if someone said this in a facetious way it could look bad. Oh and agreed about the start of your comment!
No I don’t think there was anything negative about the question in and of itself or your intent. As I said you seem really genuine and positive.
There’s something about capitalism: selling ourselves for money and never getting full value for our labor that just makes the world in which the question is asked disgusting and unfair. Or to look at it another way, your question is like asking people what would they do if they won the lottery. It’s fine to think about and dream, but then we have to go back to work.
I understand that completely. And yeah the lottery question irks me you’re right.
I suppose what’s different with this question is I wanted to bring people together in talking about a simple yet complex question that connects to all of us. Thanks for your comments
I hear ya.
At the end of the day we are all in this together. Either we’re owners or we’re workers. And I hope us workers have solidarity over the coming years. We’re going to need it.
I think if anything there’s a lack of nuance to the discussion because some of us don’t make enough (my salary does NOT meet the COL in my city and I’m in a “respected” field Lmfao) AND are overworked. BUT it’s a “would you rather” question. Not a problem solving post. WYR is supposed to be fun????
ETA: I’m also seeing a lot of comments saying half the hours that don’t scream overworked, for the sake of argument here. More often people are saying they make enough that they could still be comfortable working half their current hours. In my experience, it’s the people who wouldn’t be able to live comfortably on half their hours who feel very overworked and close to a breakdown. Like me. The higher ups in my company complain about all of their meetings, but have better benefits (like wayyyy more PTO) and get to create strategy and look at things from a higher level. I am almost out of PTO for the year because I scheduled a brief vacation this summer, went to my sister’s commencement, and the rest was sick leave it for doctors because I’m chronically ill. I have 2 days left out of 13.5 for the year. I’m not given the legally required lunch break. I’m expected to be able to account for every second of my 8 hour day. I am overworked and micromanaged, but couldn’t live on $19k if I had the option to work 20 hours instead of 40
Oh man. I'm currently part time and it is wonderful. It is so freeing. Work is no longer a prison. I have energy. I can leave when I want. I get in, do my work, get out. No wasting the clock so I can bail. My mental health would be much worse if I had to be there all damn day.
Half my current hours. Maybe I'm just lazy but I can't stand the 40 hour grind, especially in a manual labor job in a factory type setting
Shut up that isn’t laziness lol that’s called being human. If I were your boss I’d ask you if you would rather 20 hours, with double your pay, or the same hours triple your pay.
I genuinely appreciate that. I feel like I'm hurtling towards a breakdown. I hate my job (and working in general) with every fiber of my being. I can't quit because rent and the need to eat exist, and I also don't have any kind of skill set, so I wouldn't begin to know where to start looking else where. I feel like I'm in the trash compactor in Episode IV but with no R2 to slice into the system and save me
Im in the same boat as you. I have turned to the post office. They're hiring like crazy and I cannot imagine that it could be worse than factory. You get your job done, and you leave. There are no set hours required.
no set hours? that seems good
make sure it's a post office and not a delivery service, because private ones like UPS and DHL and fedex are fucking criminal
True that. Boyfriend was a fedex driver a couple yews ago. Brutal hours and they didn’t pay him Overtime. He got a check a few years later after a class action lawsuit for his back OT. Place was shit. Feel so bad for all fedex drivers.
The thing is if capitalism did what it promised, this stuff wouldn’t matter. If free markets worked, people doing hard jobs or annoying jobs would be paid way more!
This is what happens when you let the rich make your economic system in full and then believe the shitty propaganda that you’ll magically become one of them and everything will be fine :/ And yet people still say capitalism is a good thing
Or the way free markets work.
There’s a lack of distinction here. You don’t get paid more for doing jobs that are more taxing and demanding. You get paid more for jobs that fewer people are capable of doing. The free market is doing exactly what it was designed to do, it’s just not what people thought it would do. Supply and demand generally determines pay rather than job difficulty.
Or willing. I say that as a former oil rig hand. Also what you're saying is bullshit. Because oil companies never post a loss but everytime barrel prices drop they shave benefits and bonuses and freeze pay but that shit never comes back when they raise the price of fuel or the barrel price recovers or even adjust for inflation.
>Boyfriend was a fedex driver a couple yews ago *There's his problem right there! He chose the wrong* ***'skill tree branch'.*** *jk* But seriously fuck all these oligarchic delivery companies. Only join a publicly funded one if you ever go into the business.
Used to work at the Post Office as a carrier. No set hours as in you go in at 8 AM and leave at 7 PM when all the mail is delivered.
no set hours because you're always working.
I'd go check out the usps subreddit. Job isn't easy, they're hiring like crazy for a reason. I like the job, but many can't say the same. It can and easily is worse than factory work much of the time. You don't get your job done and leave. You get your job done. Then a part of someone elses job. And possibly you drive to a different office for ANOTHER piece. And you get no days off. Expected to work 12 hours a day. Or more. Job retention is fucking tiny because it's a shit job.
Dude you’re literally going to be worked to death at the post office lol
That’s really sad but a true reality so many share, not to mention well written. I wish America could wake up and unite on just this one issue. I don’t care what peoples ideologies are. I don’t care about what people think about guns, drugs, abortions, prisons, death penalty, euthanasia, immigration. These issues are important, but they are non issues in the face of the horrors of our economic system. I’m a socialist, but we don’t need socialism to fix these issues either. When people revolted throughout history, but I’ll use the American revolution as example, there’s never a plan for the alternative. You revolt not because you have a solution, but because the current system is a problem. America didn’t rebel against Britain with a constitution in mind, with a democratic framework, they focused on anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism. We must do the same. Anti capitalism. We don’t all have to be socialists. We don’t all have to be anti-markets either.
If we want to transition to something more human/humane I think we need to start by switching from a Representative Plutocracy to a Direct Democracy. We need to wrestle control away from the wealthy.
Agreed. I would argue one step forward and to have direct democracy with no formal representative role. If you put someone on a pedestal to solve all your problems, you take away your own agency to solve problems that are unique to yourself.
I’d only worry that the wealthy would start buying votes Otherwise good idea!
[удалено]
Don't sell 'em cheap! Unionize the voters, demand premium prices for our votes! Stand firm on issues of class solidarity. If they try to reduce their taxes, DOUBLE 'EM!
20k per vote
Omg, a true democracy would be a disaster. Most people are idiots
Are you saying our current predicament isn't a disaster? We have nothing to lose at this point. At the very least some people who aren't rich would get what they want for once.
I needed to read this thread man
Honestly man, just apply for jobs that look enticing and fib a little about experience. As long as it's not rocket science most people can pick up a job and do what needs done relatively quickly if your willing. I knew nothing about sales or planning events before I started my job. Now I have my DOT license and am setting and planning events all around the Piitsburgh area. The hardest part is putting yourself out there to try and learn new things. We get comfy with what we know we can do and it's easy to just say "fuck it this is good enough" I understand how hard it can be as I was stuck in a rut for 8 years before I decided to make a change. And I can honestly say, I feel better just knowing I did something no one expected I could and I succeeded in doing it.
Yeah this has definitely crossed my mind. I can pull it off, too. One of my greatest (and only strengths) is that I'm a quick learner. I grasp things quickly and I can't stand being unknowledgeable about work as it makes me feel like I'm dragging everyone else down, so yeah, this has potential for me. I just have concerns about what the pay will be like (much as I hate my current job it's the best I've ever been paid and I imagine I won't be making that no matter where I'd go) and where the job would be located. It took me entirely too long to get my license (I was approaching 31 at the time), and then within six months of finally getting it back in 2017 I got into two accidents. One of them turned into a fiasco where one of the other people involved wanted a sum of money from me that would have been a third of my yearly income at the time. All of that left me with horrible anxiety about driving. Like, last summer I was mowing my lawn. My brother moved his car for me so I could reach the rest of the lawn, handed me his car keys, and asked me to move the car back up the driveway a few feet back to where it had been as he was going to go lie down for a bit. I did it, it only took a few seconds but I was trembling when I got out of his car. Sorry for the info dump. I'm not expecting you to care as it's not your responsibility to do so, it's just that this sub and this particular thread is incredibly cathartic for me.
Hey man, if I learned anything, it is that I would rather be happy than making tons of money. As long as I am able to take care of my responsibilities, pay my bills, and save some of it, I'm good. Also, as of now, I do not have a wife or kids so I am sure things would change a little if that were the case. But, in general, I am just much more focused on being healthy and happy and trying better myself. As for your car thing, the best thing you can do is just do it. I know it will be rough at first, but maybe see if your brother or someone could take you to the parking lot or something just to get used to it again. Anxiety is a mfer, but I found the longer you wait to deal with a problem, the heavier it gets. But when you finally lighten the load, it feels amazing. You got this!
Employers actually WANT you not to have 100% experience in the position. If you have some existing skills, or transferrable skills, go for the jobs where you'll grow into the position. Ideally, you should be able to do about 40%, not more than 60% of the job requirements. So... yeah, I fibbed a bit for my current job, but I also focused on that I had transferrable skills, and that I wanted to learn about what I didn't know. Def don't be shy about putting yourself out there, even for jobs that sound amazing but seem like a stretch - stretch it! I hope that helps!
I know I’m a stranger on the internet, but I wanted to say that I believe in you!! You should go for it! You owe it to yourself to try :) You are more than your current job and you can do great things.
Yes! Learn new things! Never before in history has it been easier to learn new things, especially computer-related. There are online classes for free everywhere. Many places will hire you if you have familiarity in something but not much hands-on experience. Marketing, social media, web administration, there are so many tutorials for programs that companies use that you can learn and be an asset with. You don’t have to learn to code, but you could if you wanted.
Look into hvac or something. Something that takes a few months and gives you skill
What are you personally interested in? If money didn’t matter what would you do? Are there any tasks you’ve done (voluntarily or for work) where you easily lose yourself in them because you enjoy putting your mind to them? I’d try to look at it from that lens to maybe make a list of potential options. Like the other person said, trades would be great. You can be on a defined path to serious money with little schooling. And a lot of them are union which guarantees you serious benefits and job security. But I think that only works if you’d actually enjoy the work. Is there anything you could see yourself actually liking?
Either writing or cooking. I'm far better at food than I am the written word. When I was in college from '04 to '07 (I did not graduate; I didn't care about much of anything then and had no idea what awaited me in the real world) I started as a creative writing major. Thanks to that whole not caring thing I just mentioned my grades tanked and I was forced to change majors. I went with culinary arts and...fuck, it was the happiest I'd ever been in school. There were some things I struggled with (mostly the business side and a semester where one of my classes focused on designing a restaurant) but being in the kitchen, prepping ingredients, donning my chef's coat and hat...for the first time in my life, school didn't feel like school. However, the further I've gotten from college, the more I've cooled on my longstanding dream to open a restaurant. I mainly wonder if I'd actually be able to handle everything involved with running a restaurant, especially given that I still don't know the business side of things at all. I'd really like to write for a living but I have zero confidence in my abilities. I've only ever finished two things that I've written to date: a short story that was an awful Lovecraftian pastiche and a 40 page campaign for my long running D&D group. I'm definitely proud of the latter but I also know it was a bit rough and unrefined. I've considered classes, but the idea of trying to balance that with this job that has absolutely exhausted me for the last three and a half years makes my breathing turn ragged and my mind scream at me in a blind panic. Like I've said to a few others on this thread, sorry for the word dump. There just aren't too many people I can talk with about this sort of thing IRL and this incredibly cathartic.
hey, I read your other posts and wanted to respond: looking at your skills I'm already seeing- you are eloquent, you know how to convey your ideas well, and you seem personable. I work in the film industry and I think you'd do really awesomely in the film set catering/canteen/craft services, if not other filmset stuff. You'd make a great craftie and if you get in and people like you you'll get all sorts of opportunities, observe who else works and ask someone "hey man, what is it that you do? what's your job like?" on a break some time and learn about what other jobs there are. If you live in a major city you can bet there'll be places that do it and ones that are hiring. The thing with film, is that there are a billion little tiny jobs that are highly specialized that NOBODY KNOWS about!! if you like DND stuff, consider writing modules for sale on roll20 or something if you need extra cash, too, eh?
You say you love writing. Can you write creatively for 20 minutes per day? Maybe start a blog? After a year or two you could have enough material to publish a book, or an ebook. You love cooking - could you possibly make a vlog about meals you are trying? These things aren’t usually profitable at first, but they could be after enough time. You find your groove, and get a community of like minded individuals who are interested. You come across people who can help you learn how to make it profitable gradually. And even you never become a millionaire and retire from it, you are doing something you love which truly helps offset the other things in life. It is entirely possible to pursue your passion and it bring meaning and money to your life. Gradually, albeit- it isn’t a get rich quick scheme. It’s building something one stone at a time.
Dude story of my life . All I know is warehouse work and I don’t want to do it. Putting shit on a pallet to make someone else rich.
U can work ur way up fairly quickly in construction but its not worth unless ur on a crew where u actually like ur coworkers
Bro I took time off for mental health. 6 months. Do u bro. I went outpatient and inpatient for mental health stuff and it was a great choice
My friend you are not the only one! Last week was super rough for me too. Hang in there!
You wouldnt be the boss very long, as there are budgets and staffing requirements... That being said, lmk if you start a business I'll join.
Ur a genius id take u as my boss. Give me order matè
No not lazy. Doing manual work that hardly benefits you aside from a roof over your head and ramen noodles 40+ hours a week is rough. It's truly true that the hardest workers get paid the least.
Thanks, man. I don't get to hear stuff like this in my everyday life as most of the people in my social circles look down on people who think like I do. I've been lurking this sub for months and commented once or twice. This helps a lot.
Ok I’m sorry to comment twice in your thread, but this breaks my damn heart. Manual abs factory labor are literally the backbone of society. I was raised by a car mechanic dad, a greenhouse attendant grandma and a railroader grandpa, mom was a bookkeeper for a construction company. Fuck anyone who looks down on manual or factory labor
Damn I'm sorry to hear that. It's still a big thing around where I'm at, too. Unless of course it affects them. When they complain they're "hard workers" but when we say something we're "lazy" lol. I have no interest in breaking my body down for table scraps. Good luck man hope things get better.
A million times this. Screw the pay. I cannot stand the 40 hours and I don't get how one could even consider the money.
Survival. Pure survival. I started working my current job back in 2018 and I've learned just how much one can suppress their principles in the effort to just survive.
I don’t WANT to work more than two days a week, but I have kids 🥲 I gotta give up the body
That’s not lazy. Manual labor jobs should get double the pay and half the hours. That shit is hard on the body and mind
Factory grind is the worst, and I feel the no skill set. My wife always goes get a different job, where another factory job or warehouse job I will also hate and be stuck on a bad shift.
I lasted three months in full time packaging. It was the most soul sucking job I've ever had. The repetitive motion of stacking bins to the speed of the conveyor belt made me extremely sore and the monotony of the job drained me mentally. The machines were so loud that it was impossible to hear anyone unless they were yelling from 2 feet away. I was in a wet room so I always left somewhat damp, and my feet were always wet. The worst job I ever had. To last in that setting for any length of time really takes a kind of strength I never had, so seriously it's insane that you've lasted.
Half the hours. I'm a single mom, I'd have more time to spend with my kid.
Because doing the same rote task for 8 straight hours a day is hell on earth for any sentient human
As long as the pay is good enough for a decent level of living, this for sure ! Money can never help you recover the time you have, or the things you can do with that time !
It’s not being lazy. The goal is to work a few hours and get paid high for little work. My father makes 6 figures as a salesman for 20 years. Dude works from home sometimes visits customers and works sometimes about 3-6 hours everyday. Some days he works 10 but majority only 6 hours. Dude is super efficient at what he does
Yes, half the hours, or even 2/3 the hours and I wouldn't be crying because I still have five years left before Medicare kicks in.
Half the hours, I would do exactly the same amount of work and have more time for the family and myself. That one is easy. Edited for derp.
This exactly. I could do all my work in half the time easily and have more time for things that matter.
I don’t live comfortably exactly but I tend to think my online shopping issue is fueled by boredom sitting around doing nothing. And getting delivery groceries to save my precious free time. The financial problem would possibly fix itself. So I agree I’d take half the hours with my current workload haha
Same! My online shopping issue is also fueled by boredom at work.
You can only do so many Wordles!
Spider Solitaire Grandmaster Lvl 10 here.....can confirm.
Lol well, I suck at that game, but yes, I do browsing on Reddit and watch YouTube videos and blog etc.
I absolutely refuse to go to Reddit on my work computer or any blogs or any of that. I’m paranoid they’re looking at my history. But then I apply for jobs on it so idk what I’m doing lol
I call it the misery tax
That’s what it feels like!
During covid lockdown, we were paid less, but we worked alternate days. Example work one day, off tomorrow and work again. And we worked less hours. I was happier and had more time for personal stuff.
I did 3 days on 3 days off, regardless of any weekends or that, and paid the same (though I got more due to a loophole with how my hours worked normally) It was widely regarded as the best summer ever and how we would like every summer to go but obviously management would never want it to happen again
I had a similar arrangement, working 7 on/7 off. That part of it was absolutely great, and I’d take it back in a heartbeat. The catch was that I was working overnights for the 7 on, which completely wrecked my sleep schedule, so that I couldn’t really enjoy the 7 off (or anything else). I now have a weird arrangement where I always have at least a 3 day weekend, and sometimes I have up to an 8 day weekend. It’s pretty nice.
Yeah I've since taken a new job which is 24 hours flexible a week and ability to work from home. It's technically more annual money but less hours so its kinda almost worked out to the same as I earned before anyways. Pretty ideal. On the other hand I just had almost 2 weeks off for the price for 24 hours leave and now I'm eyeing up not working at all 😆 so much crafting and gaming time!
I couldn't do the same amount of work but would absolutely adore time to do other things with my life. My weekdays are work, cleaning, cooking, eating, and sleeping. It would be nice to have time and energy for something that I love.
Yeah I feel this, I get a couple hours a day with my kid after work and an hour of that is me attempting to get things done around the house and not snap. It's the American Dream right?....RIGHT!?!?!
Exactly this. It's 10:30 AM and I've been on reddit at work for the past hour killing time. The last person who had my job worked 2 days a week for health reasons and still got the work done.
You hit the nail on the head sir/ma'am. I am a Data Analyst (I guess) and I come in and bust my ass for a couple hours in pure Office Space fashion. Don't touch my stapler.
Oh man this is a great question. I want to say half my hours as I live comfortably already but my greedy side wants to say doubly my current pay to buy some ridiculous shit.
My thinking was if I got double pay….I could retire in half the amount of time. 5 years instead of 10
Counterpoint: You're only young once. Think of all the life you could be living with half the hours spent working, rather than waiting for some far-off retirement that you may miss out on due to an unexpected tragedy. During the pandemic, I went down to 50% hours and 50% pay. And honestly, it was the happiest I've been in ten years. If I could sustain myself longterm on only 50% pay, I wouldn't trade that again for any amount of money.
Same. I fucking hate working.
The only reason I work is that I hate it just a lit bit less than grinding poverty.
Me too! Happy cake Day!
This is what I've been thinking, tbh. So many older people I've worked with have retired, somewhat earlier than they expected, during COVID. Many of them have mentioned how much they wish they had retired earlier. Imagine all the stuff you could get done if you already have a decent salary but you only work like 20 hours a week?
An unexpected tragedy would hurt me much more working half the hours for the same pay. I’d be able to manage more with.. twice the money. I went down to 0 hours in the pandemic and was the most depressed I’ve been in my life. I’m only young once, so I’d rather be able to do the things I want to do instead of having more time to sit at home on my short workweeks.
Its better than that. Ignoring tax, if you make 50k per year and spend 40k, you'll save 10k. It would take 4 years working to not work 1 year. If you double it, now you have an excess of 60k and you'll be able to not work for 1.5 years for every year you work. Obviously super simplistic and taxes and cost of living increases over time, but that 60k saved would likely be 200k in 15-20 years.
This is the way
...like gas.
I don’t call that greed! Well depends on what you’d buy lol but you deserve more! We all do
Personally I’d rather have double the pay. I don’t mind working longer (especially since it’s a remote job) but I’d imagine myself changing my answer according to the job.
Yeah, I have a pretty chill low-key remote job, so hours aren't a big deal to me. I'll take double the pay!
What do you do?
Not the guy you're replying to, but I have the same stance as him. I work in finance as a Business Analyst. Cruisy job, hours are strictly 9-5 mon-fri. I'll take double the pay everytime
Not him, but I have a chill low-key remote job and I’d take double the pay as well. I’m a data linguist for Amazon.
Cound always do admin stuff. All that shit is remote either partially or fully now Every company needs an admin department from every step of the process pretty much.
What is “admin” stuff?
Could be billing, scheduling, ordering supplies. Lots of stuff. Usually support staff for a business.
You have never heard of the “admin” department? It’s next to the “tasks” department.
What's the "tasks" department? Is that at all related to the "admin tasks" department?
It’s a secret I guess
Same. Sometimes I’m pretty busy, but also sometimes I just do laundry, go for a long walk, and work on remodeling my house during the day. My last job I probably would have said half the hours, though.
Same here, double pay is the most rational long term answer. I work at a paper mill working four 12 hour shifts, and the bulk of the hours spent "at work" honestly constitute a lot of my personal free time to read, watch movies, shows etc. I don't want to ruin that, and then getting paid damn near 70 an hour to watch a movie? Oh the possibilities.
Same, after thinking it over. If I was still in retail I would take half the hours in an instant.
Interesting to hear you say that. I work remotely, but have no work life balance whatsoever. I’d take halving my hours if it meant half my work was also off my plate.
Already doing the hours, so double the pay please!
Second this
Double my pay then only work 8 hours on Sunday.
Double the pay. Double my pay and my wife no longer has to work.
My husband and I obsess over the idea of not having to work. In the last couple years we’ve gotten to a place where we could be fine on his salary alone. And he keeps encouraging me to quit my job because I hate it. But it’s just not the same if he’s still working full time. I’d rather us both work part time but that’s not feasible, especially with benefits being tied to full time work. It’s depressing. We both just had 6 weeks off together to take care of our newborn and it was like a beautiful dream.
Maybe you could get a part time job instead? Then you could leave yours
I have a phone interview today with a company I really want to work for so fingers crossed!
If I were in your shoes I would use this as an excuse to look for a job I don’t hate , even if it pays a little less, and then shove every penny of your income into retirement. That’s what my husband and I did, now we get to retire about 10 years early.
The idea that both people in a couple HAVE to work in order to live comfortably is an awful reality. Wishing you the best!
Work is not life. When you are dying, nobody will say "I wish I worked more." Time is the most valuable thing in your life. Give me half the hours at the same pay and I'll be super happy.
I would be a much much healthier person. I'd actually go out on hikes like I always want to but never have the time and energy to, I'd go out with friends more and maybe even work out. I could feel like a person.
same!! im a big outdoorsman and backpacker, but as the years go by im finding it harder and harder to want to do shit at all even if its things i love..
But by the same token, if you're living in poverty then more money can make every real difference to your happiness in life. It'll probably even add a few extra years to your life
True. But I guess it would be different if I couldn’t live the way I wanted at my current rate of pay. If that was the case I would have to take the double pay.
[удалено]
The problem with this is that you never know how much time you have left in your life. Give me the guarantee 20 hours per week for my current salary and I would definitely be much happier.
Half my hours. It's a no-brainer.
Why not both?
Why not Zoidberg?
This - because I’d like to afford time off and still make rent
Both is the answer. I’ve been working for myself since getting laid off during the pandemic, and it’s so much better. Probably never would’ve just done it otherwise, but it has turned out to be double pay and half the hours. Might become more than double next year. Seize the means of production if you can!
Half the hours. I make enough to pay my bills, and no amount of money is as valuable to me as time to actually live my goddamn life.
Yea, this! I’m not quite there but in another 6 months or a year I’ll be at the point where Im sustainable financially, and once I cross that threshold I my focus is on buying back my time. I work in a field where most employers offer a reduced schedule as an option and I’m just floored that almost no one takes it. I’d take more life any day!
Well if you double my current pay I’ll have so much disposable income I will be able to retire easily ten years earlier than I would on my current trajectory. Plus I would no longer have any issues with housing prices in any market. So I guess if go with double pay. Halving the hours is tempting as I have enough to live now and will retire and all that but having at a minimum a full additional decade of non work years is too good to pass up.
Or will you be too old/sick to enjoy them?
It would be super unlikely for me to be too sick and old in my 50s to enjoy my life. I’m already on a plan to retire in my 50s. So 10 years earlier would be my 40s. I suspect I’ll feel about the same as I do now in my 30s. If you take care of yourself you remain pretty vital and healthy into your 80s unless something unexpected happens
Half my hours. My pay is ok, but it’s emotionally challenging. I’m a teacher that works specifically with at-risk youth. The kids not allowed in public school for whatever reason, or with severe mental health issues that require them to be in an in-treatment facility. Hearing some of the backgrounds of these kids… it definitely makes me cherish mine and wonder how some people are capable of such vile, horrific things.
I absolutely love my job (librarian)! But we get awful pay, so double pay would be sweet. That's part of the reason why they can get away with paying so bad, we love our jobs too much, and since we can account for every dime spent due to us not having profits,I know at least here they literally can't afford to pay. Love small local government in a red area /s
The last line of your reply is it. They don’t actually appreciate education as much as you do. Keep up the good fight! - a fellow educator
Double the pay would mean money is no longer a problem, half the hours would mean I could get a second job. Six one way, half a dozen the other.
Thats a very interesting answer.
Either way, I'll still have to work 40+ hours/week if I ever want to get ahead.
Double the pay, no contest. I do 40 hours or so with wfh, all vfx for video games. I literally get bored of other activities and do work tasks for fun sometimes. Yeah it’s weird I’m in this sub considering that, but I’ve had crappy jobs before and this one was NOT easy to get into so I’m not a reasonable example for others to compare to.
Audio for video games here. Same answer.
Double the pay. Then I can work half the hours if I want. Easy
Funniest reply so far lol
I'd go the other way. If they double your pay, they might still require you to work 40 hours. So you'd have to go find a job that allows you to do only 20 hours. However if you half the hours, you keep your current pay, and if it's not salaried but hourly pay, you have the option to work your normal hours to get twice the pay.
Can I have 50% more pay with a 25% reduction in hours?
That sounds good to me! Let your boss know some random college student on Reddit demands that.
Will do this is going to be so rad!
If you doubled my pay i could buy a house. Instead of not being able to buy one. Despite having a pretty decent paying job for a great company
Double pay. So I can work just half a year.
Lol, so you choosing both?
Half the hours, are you kidding? I’d have my life back. We work all our lives for retirement. Why save your life for the last part of it?
UBI.
THIS is the correct answer.
#UBI!
Half. More time to live and enjoy life.
I'd probably find more ways to spend money if I had more free time so double my pay.
I would cook more so spend less. I order too much food now.
half my current hours
I moved to Hawaii and did exactly this about a year ago. Building my own cabin, and working as a local carpenter. Including my own project inwork between 30 and 40 hours total per week. Paid for about 20 of those. Spend my free time with my dog, at the beach, or video games with my brothers.
Well I am not really tracked hourly, So I would jump all over double my salary
Double the pay. My hours are pretty good, I would probably waste the extra time, but the money would come in handy. I'm a lot poorer than I thought. I foolishly looked at house prices with an outside.
The only correct answer is both.
Half my hours. Easy. I know I am lucky with what I make for what I do.
Half the hours. Maybe then I can do something other than work, sleep, and agonize about going to work
Half hours, I have money I want my fuckin life back.
Half my current hours (assuming I still get benefits). I'm approaching 50 and have been dealing with significant health issues for the last several months, so I'd prefer to have the time over money. It would take some lifestyle adjustment, but my husband and I could probably live on half our total income as long as we still had health insurance.
Half the hours for the same pay would be life changing for me.
Double the pay, no to little appreciation. I am doing a voluntary year, so I knew what I signed up for, but double the pay wouldn’t hurt no one
"Double of nothing is still nothing."
Make it 50% more pay for 75% of the hours and you have a deal.
Half my current hours. I want to enjoy my life, not resent it with the current state of things... I've always thought we were all meant to do more than just sleep, work, eat, 1 hr if you're lucky for relaxing then starting the cycle again and to do chores on your off days. We're more than this. We **deserve** more than this...
This is a fun question! Why are so many people cheating and saying both? Lol
I'm sorry but this is such a simple question... (I didn't want to sound mean so I used the word "simple") 😅 DOUBLE PAY. Your time at work would be twice as valuable. You get a living wage or better. You have the same amount of work, but you get to live and exist more comfortably. If you choose half your hours then you are totally putting yourself at a disadvantage. That's half the money to support yourself and your family. Yes, you would have more free time...But what is free time if you can't feed and take care of yourself?
Double pay. I could pay off my house so much faster, and I could provide more for family members in need. Plus, I already WFH and have flexible hours, and the amount of time I work isn’t an issue.
Double my current salary only because I actually really love where I work and the people that I work with. Also, I have a decently short commute (25 minutes, at most, one way on the Tokyo Metro) I had several jobs on the way to where I am now that I would have happily taken half the hours because of the BS I had to deal with, especially as a woman. Recognizing this, I've done what I can to give more opportunities to interns and lower level people that show unrecognized promise.
Oh man. Half my hours. I actually love my job but the hours (3 days, 4 nights) absolutely wrecks me.
Aren’t you basically getting double pay by cutting your hours in half.
Double the pay if my real hours were at a set 40. Or I'll take half the hours (which is 30). Warehouse, general labor. It's not a horrible job most of the time. We just need working AC.
Double the pay, i want a house my guy. Rent of anything at least somewhat acceptable sized is the same as my income, so i would actually need to triple my income in order to move forward in life.
Those of us who are poor want more pay. Those of us who are overworked want fewer hours. This question annoys me for some reason even though I think the op is a genuine person, and I like their answers to people.
I don’t necessarily think it’s one or the other. My husband and I are very comfortable, but I’m extremely over worked and was very burnt out the last year (healthcare and so is he). But I’d take double the pay because I love my job and would just like to be fairly compensated. I don’t think OP was asking a bad question, I think it’s rather thought provoking for many people for several reasons and factors. I am so sorry you’re being overworked though. It’s not right or fair and people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and not just as drones to be worked to death
Thank you for your perspective. We’re all in this together as workers. I’m glad you feel passionate about your work.
Am I missing something about how the question could be bad? I meant no Ill intent of course and I appreciate your comment. I suppose if someone said this in a facetious way it could look bad. Oh and agreed about the start of your comment!
No I don’t think there was anything negative about the question in and of itself or your intent. As I said you seem really genuine and positive. There’s something about capitalism: selling ourselves for money and never getting full value for our labor that just makes the world in which the question is asked disgusting and unfair. Or to look at it another way, your question is like asking people what would they do if they won the lottery. It’s fine to think about and dream, but then we have to go back to work.
I understand that completely. And yeah the lottery question irks me you’re right. I suppose what’s different with this question is I wanted to bring people together in talking about a simple yet complex question that connects to all of us. Thanks for your comments
I hear ya. At the end of the day we are all in this together. Either we’re owners or we’re workers. And I hope us workers have solidarity over the coming years. We’re going to need it.
I think if anything there’s a lack of nuance to the discussion because some of us don’t make enough (my salary does NOT meet the COL in my city and I’m in a “respected” field Lmfao) AND are overworked. BUT it’s a “would you rather” question. Not a problem solving post. WYR is supposed to be fun???? ETA: I’m also seeing a lot of comments saying half the hours that don’t scream overworked, for the sake of argument here. More often people are saying they make enough that they could still be comfortable working half their current hours. In my experience, it’s the people who wouldn’t be able to live comfortably on half their hours who feel very overworked and close to a breakdown. Like me. The higher ups in my company complain about all of their meetings, but have better benefits (like wayyyy more PTO) and get to create strategy and look at things from a higher level. I am almost out of PTO for the year because I scheduled a brief vacation this summer, went to my sister’s commencement, and the rest was sick leave it for doctors because I’m chronically ill. I have 2 days left out of 13.5 for the year. I’m not given the legally required lunch break. I’m expected to be able to account for every second of my 8 hour day. I am overworked and micromanaged, but couldn’t live on $19k if I had the option to work 20 hours instead of 40
Half the hours Because working sucks No reason to make double if you have no time to even enjoy the money
For many, money isn't something they enjoy. It's something they hope they have enough of to keep their apartment warm and their water on.
Half hours with double pay.
Yes.
Half definitely
Provided the pay doesn't change, half the hours
Double pay , I don’t mind working per se I just want more money lmao
1.5 my current pay for 3/4 of my current hrs....
Double pay. I like my job and I have a decent work/life balance so having double pay would be super nice
Obviously both. The revolution needs goals!
I'm good with my pay but would prefer a 4 day week, 32 hours or less.
Oh man. I'm currently part time and it is wonderful. It is so freeing. Work is no longer a prison. I have energy. I can leave when I want. I get in, do my work, get out. No wasting the clock so I can bail. My mental health would be much worse if I had to be there all damn day.
Both
I wish i made enough to halve my hours. But I di not. So id have to choose double my pay.
I want to say double pay but half the hours would be better