Time is not money

11 percent of companies in the United States have already introduced an additional weekend, another 6 percent are going to follow their example in the next year. Many government officials work four days a week. All this forces the Americans to reconsider the classic equation "Time - Money". If he was usually understood as a call to overtime, now it's time to perceive this formula literally as an identity.

The correspondent of the program "On top of the barriers - American hour" talked about this with a specialist in the study of free time, historian and sociologist Benjamin Khannikutt .

- The idea to reduce the clock in the change instead of dismissing people usually arises in economically difficult times. The practice of vacations at its own expense arose due to a slowdown in economic development, as in the times of great depression. For example, the management of KELLOGG, then reduced the working day from eight to six o’clock and was able to hire another shift in workers to avoid dismissal.

- In Europe, the reduction in the working week is practiced more often than in the USA?

- Oh yes! In the 1990s, in order to overcome unemployment, France adopted a law that reduced the working week to 36 hours. In the same decade, in the 1990s, in Germany, Volkswagen and BMW, as well as the Italian Fiat also reduced the working week to avoid layout.

These measures gave a new meaning to the saying "Time - Money". Although not all workers liked it, they received extra hours of leisure and additional vacation days. Over time, the workers got used to the new rhythm, in any case, this happened in those companies whose history I studied, and began to enjoy a new way of life. Let's see if this system will take root now.

- Studying the history of the American company KELLOLG, you came to the conclusion that the reduction in the work shift has led to increased performance. How does this happen?

- On the threshold of the 20th century, Frederick Taylor, who developed the principles of scientific management, came to the conclusion that after eight hours of work, the factor of fatigue comes into force, and performance falls. The optimal performance mode was a six -hour shift. In practice, an experiment to reduce the working day was delivered in 1930 at the KELLOLG company at Battle Cryca. It turned out that the workers in six hours packaged more boxes than eight. The company's owners satisfied with profit in 1932 returned the workers the former salary. As a result, they worked for six hours, receiving a salary in eight. Everyone was satisfied.

- Do Americans work more than residents of other developed countries?

- Yes. In the 1890s, they even talked about a disease called Americanit. The "sick" person has nothing in life but the work and thirst for acquisition. It seems that we have not recovered yet.

True, the Japanese worked more than Americans in the 1990s, in any case, they spent more than a week in the service. But Japan purposefully reduced the working hours, and America, on the contrary, added. Today, Americans work five weeks a year more compared to the 1970s. This is almost a week more than the Japanese, and incomparably more than Europeans.

- Where are the historical roots of the attitude of the Americans to free time? Is there any connection with Protestant ethics?

- "Time - Money" - the old Maxim, which belongs to Benjamin Franklin. This formula that embodies the "American dream" consists of two parts. In it, not only money, but also time occupies an important place. I will explain: we not only acquire everything you need for which we work, but we have time to communicate with family and friends, reading, sport, music - what makes our personality.

Industrialization caused too close attention to the second part of the "American dream". But we need not endless work, but work in order to have time to improve our life. Here the Protestant ethics and the "American dream" converge. Unfortunately, today the idea of free time is pretty vulnerable: it often comes down to a passive contemplation of the TV.

- Are you a workaholic?

- I read a lot, teach and write, but I look at this activity as a vacation. I was given a rare opportunity to do what I love and what I would do without even getting money for it. As for leisure, I spend my free time to work in my community, church and choral singing. I made a rule to be in nature every day. Am I a workaholic? No, there are a lot of classes in life, except for work.

Pay attention to an interesting fact: in the 19th century and at the beginning of the XX, the working class was poor, but could afford to halve the working hours. Theoretically, this is a matter of choice. What is more important: more money or more leisure? Since the 1940s, we give preference to the first. Moreover, in the last 30-40 years we began to acquire even more, paying the time that we can spend with the family. I believe that this contradicts common sense.