
Finland’s Prime Minister Calls for Debate on 4-Day Work Week - dsgerard
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-08/finland-s-millennial-pm-calls-for-debate-on-4-day-work-week
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dang
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21938696](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21938696)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21973638](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21973638)

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okay_okay_
Misleading headline. In the article she did not "call for a debate" on it. She
was asked about it and said it's not in the current plans

'“Until now, the trend has been toward shorter working hours as productivity
has increased,” she told reporters in Harpsund, Sweden. “I believe that in the
future, though not in the next few years, the development will be similar:
improvements in productivity and technology should show up as improvements in
the conditions for ordinary workers, including shorter working hours.”

The Finnish government isn’t currently working on a four-day week, she said.'

~~~
spurgu
Actually the title is correct, she said the matter should be able to be
discussed, and should be discussed. That qualifies as calling for a debate.
Not what the previous clickbait articles said, this one is absolutely correct.

Source:
[https://twitter.com/MarinSanna/status/1163372847894544384](https://twitter.com/MarinSanna/status/1163372847894544384)

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pedroaraujo
Let me just leave this here before the headline-readers start to scrutinize a
"phantom decision".

\- [https://newsnowfinland.fi/politics/how-finlands-fake-four-
da...](https://newsnowfinland.fi/politics/how-finlands-fake-four-day-week-
became-a-fact-in-europes-media)

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perfunctory
Thirty-Hour work week was on the political agenda in the US in the 1930s. It's
about time.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20086446](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20086446)

~~~
Miner49er
The IWW was campaigning for a 4-hour day and 4 days a week in the 30's as
well.

~~~
JulianMorrison
And people can still join the IWW today.

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phkahler
Here's a prediction. If we reduce the work week to 3 days, or to 20-24 hours,
economic forces and the hedonic treadmill will push people to have 2 jobs just
to keep up.

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geodel
I feel it is sensible in multiple ways:

1) People should reap benefit of automation. 2) Less urge to generate bullshit
work to fill in 40+ hours. 3) Could force employers to think of more equalized
distribution of work. So a few more people can get a job and overworked people
can get some leisure.

~~~
jimbob45
The real problem is that another country with lesser ethics will work their
workers into the ground and out-compete your country in terms of productivity.
Then, they'll get to effectively make all the labor rules because they'll have
so much more money and can leech your workers away for higher salaries.

The real solution here is to prevent worker-leeching but that seems incredible
draconian (and you'd have to get every single country to agree to it).

~~~
IveForgotten
I fail to see how this is a distinct concern from existing outsourcing value
propositions.

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tlarkworthy
Wait, the fake news is now real news?

[https://newsnowfinland.fi/politics/how-finlands-fake-four-
da...](https://newsnowfinland.fi/politics/how-finlands-fake-four-day-week-
became-a-fact-in-europes-media)

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bunkerbewohner
I am generally in favour of this idea, though it's a difficult topic. I found
this discussion interesting, which brings up several pros and cons:
[https://www.kialo.com/should-developed-countries-reduce-
the-...](https://www.kialo.com/should-developed-countries-reduce-the-working-
year-14410?path=14410.0~14410.1)

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safog
It's surprising to see so many on HN agree with a 4 work week. As a
programmer, I will definitely get more done in a 5 day week than in a 4 day
week.

I assume manufacturing jobs will need to be 5 days or America will be even
less competitive and the same for service jobs, gigs.

I wonder what jobs will actually benefit from a four day work week.

~~~
smoe
Sure, I will get more done in five than four days. I also get more done in six
or seven days per week over five, but with diminishing returns and more and
more impact on my non-work life.

As a programmer I have the luxury of willingly taking a pay cut to have an
additional day off per week if I want to and usually in a position to
negotiate for it.

I don't know the Finnish economical situation well enough of how feasible a
four day week would be short term. But I don't see much difference to
reductions of work hours/days in the past.

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porsche959
call me a millennial but a 4 day work week does not sound crazy. sounds like
thats where we should be heading.

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alexfromapex
Wish we had younger representation in government in the US like this

~~~
Ididntdothis
That’s what freaks me out about the last presidential elections. Seems the
number one requirement to be a front runner is to be at least 70 at Election
Day. Ideally even 80 as the democrats seem to be willing to demonstrate.

