Nef (the new economics foundation) 21 hours for the 21 st century Anna Coote Head of social policy...

nef (the new economics foundation)

21 hours for the

21st century

Anna CooteHead of social

policy new economics foundation

October 2010


The vision

A gradual move towards a much shorter working week,

aiming for21 hours as the new standard

to achieve:(1) social justice and well-being for all

(2) a sustainable environment(3) a prosperous economy not dependent

on infinite growth.


How we spend time (1)

Men and women of

‘working age’ spend an

average of 19.6 hours in paid work per

week.Men: 24.5 hrsWomen: 15.4

hrs


Average hours of people in paid work• full-time workers: 37.0 hours• part-time workers: 15.5 hours1 in 5 works more than 45 hours a weekMen and women work differently• Males workers: 86.3% more than 31 hours

27.0% more than 45 hours• Female workers: 55.8% more than 31 hours

9.7% more than 45 hours Shorter hours since the down-turn• 1 million ‘involuntary part-timers’ – up by 400,000 since

Spring 2008. Most are men.

How we spend time (2)


Why do we still work such long hours?To feed, clothe and house ourselves and

our familiesTo get on in life and have ‘enough’To earn a secure futureTo be with others and make friendsTo build identity and statusTo afford what we desireBecause that’s what everyone else

does...


No such thing as a new idea…

In the 21st century

a 15-hour week will suffice,

as we turn instead to “how to use freedom from pressing

economic cares.”

John Maynard Keynes, 1930, “Economic possibilities for our

grandchildren”


Practical examples

UK, 1974: 3-day weekFrance, 2000-8:

35 hour weekUtah State, 2008-9:

4-day weekUK, 2009-2010:

recession emergency measures


LIVING WITHIN ENVIRONMENTAL

LIMITS

ENSURING A STRONG, HEALTHY AND JUST

SOCIETY

ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE

ECONOMY

PROMOTING GOOD

GOVERNANCE

USING SOUND SCIENCE

RESPONSIBLY

A principled framework…

…sustainable development


Social reasons for moving to 21 hours (1)More people in paid workLess stressMore control over timeBetter well-being for jobless and overworked

Redistribute paid and unpaid timeFairer shares between men and womenGood for parents and children


Social reasons for moving to 21 hours (2)

Making more of later lifeMore time to careMore ‘free time’

Time to ‘grow the core economy’’ and co-produce well-beingTime to make sense of the ‘Big Society’


Environmental reasons for moving to 21 hours

Get off the consumer treadmill

Work to live, not live to

workMore time

to live sustainably


Economic reasons for moving to 21 hours

Helps to end credit-fuelled

growthTime a key variable in

managing a decarbonised

economyShorter hours plus more women make a more productive

workforce.A more resilient and adaptable

economySafeguards public

resources


Challenges of transition

Impact on poverty – the poorest could be hardest

hitShorter hours could just mean more people do

more overtimeThe ‘lump of labour

fallacy’Against the grain of

business cultureFew incentives for

employersResistance from

employeesRegulation versus

civil liberty


How to make it work?

Necessary conditions for a successful transition, changing gradually over a decade or more…•Achieving shorter working hours•Ensuring a fair living income•Improving gender relations and quality of family life•Changing norms and expectations


Achieving shorter hours

Negotiate small reductions in hours with annual pay

incrementsOrganise working practices to accommodate shorter hoursActive training to fill skills

gapsEmployers costs per-hour not

per-employeeReduce pay gradient

Regulation with flexibility to suit employees

More and better support for self-employed


A fair living income

Fairer distribution of income and wealthA higher minimum

wageImproved state

benefitsSecure, high-quality

health, education and other essential

servicesMore uncommodified

activity and consumption


Better gender relations and quality of life

Flexible working arrangements

Decent childcareMore job-sharing

Limits on overtimeFlexible retirement

Enforce equal pay and opportunity laws

More jobs for men in caring and primary-level teachingMore self-help and mutual

aid


Changing norms and expectations

A national debate about how we use, value and

distribute work and time…

…and how much ‘stuff’ is enough

Raise awareness about the value of unpaid workMore support for unpaid

activities


Changing the unchangeable…


THANK YOU!

www.neweconomics.org

Nef (the new economics foundation) 21 hours for the 21 st century Anna Coote Head of social policy...

Documents

Transcript of Nef (the new economics foundation) 21 hours for the 21 st century Anna Coote Head of social policy...