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Book review from the Whole Earth Review magazine. E-mail to
(
[email protected]) for more info about the magazine.
The Overworked American
(The Unexpected Decline of Leisure)
Juliet B. Schor, 1991 (Basic Books); 247 pp.
$21 ($23.75 postpaid) from HarperCollins Publishers/Direct Mail, P. O. Box 588, Dunmore, PA 18512; 800/331-3761
Are Americans working more and enjoying the fruits of their labor less? Economist Juliet Schors statistical survey convinced me that we are indeed working more (the average paid work year increased by 163 hours between 1969 and 1987). But more importantly, Schor refutes the entrenched view of neoclassical economists that the length of the work week is chosen by workers rather than employers, buttressing her own view by making a compelling case for increasing satisfaction through working less.
In the latter part of The Overworked American, Schor offers some suggestions for how individuals and institutions can counteract the structural bias toward longer work hours -- and in the process recover time for unpaid but essential activities such as caregiving, community action, and even relaxation and reflection.
--Keith Jordan
Excerpts from the book:
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Some shorter-hour schedules can actually raise productivity. For example, many
people are more productive on Monday, the first day of the week. By creating
two Mondays, job sharing boosts productivity. But most surprising is the
evidence that under certain conditions a shorter workday will not necessarily
reduce output and can even raise it. When the Kellogg company made their
historic switch to a six-hour day on 1 December 1930, they were searching for
a strategy to cope with the unemployment of the Depression. To their surprise,
they found that workers were more productive, on the order of 3 percent to 4
per-cent. In some departments, the pace had picked up even more. According to
one observer, eighty-three cases of shredded whole wheat biscuit used to be
packed in an hour (under the eight-hour day). At the time of my visit, the
number was 96. The workers were pleased, preferring the quick-er pace but
shorter hours. And management was pleased as well. According to W. K. Kellogg,
the efficiency and morale of our employees is [sic] so increased, the accident
and insurance rates are so improved, and the unit cost of production is so
lowered that we can afford to pay as much for six hours as we formerly paid
for eight.
----
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Consider what has actually happened to the employment rent in places like
Kellogg, Medtronic, and Ideal. Each company reduced hours without reducing
pay. Therefore the hourly wage went up, thereby maintaining the original
employment rent. Thats why productivity didnt fall. In cases where workers are
paid by the hour, where the company raises the hourly wage, and where the
changes are incremental (on the order of one to two hours a day), a shorter
workday has been shown to pay for itself. The changes also improved morale.
Workers appreciated the companys willingness to schedule fewer hours and raise
pay. As a result they conducted more personal business on their own time and
showed up for work more regularly. If a workplace reform is done right, a
company can gain loyalty and productivity from its employees at no cost.
----
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