Would a 32-Hour Workweek Be a Good Idea for Lubbock Workers?

"Work Sucks, But I Need the Bucks" ~ every bumper sticker ever printed

Yes, work does suck. Except for working here, because this place is paradise on Earth.(Sorry, the meds are kicking in.)

One of the biggest complaints is that we as human automatons spend way to many hours working and not enough time recharging our batteries and enjoying the fruits of what we work long hours for. With that comes the cry that we should adopt the model championed in Europe, where workers (allegedly) work 32 hours a week and have more time to enjoy with family and friends. An assemblyman in the Peoples Republic of California just introduced legislation that would cap the workweek at 32 hours.

According to CBS News:

A new bill introduced in the state assembly would make the official workweek 32 hours for companies with 500 or more employees, with hefty raises for any work done past that cutoff. Employers would be required to pay time-and-a-half to workers whose hours run over 32 a week. Work stretching past 12 hours a day or into seven days a week would be paid at double their normal wage.

So, after 32 hours, you'd get overtime. Interesting concept, to say the least. Yes, there would be more time for leisure, but essentially every single job would become a part-time position. Plus there's nothing saying that an employer can't still have you work 6 days a week for 5 hours a day. That's still going to cut into any relaxation time you have, because no matter if it's 5 hours or 8, you are still emotionally and physically invested in working that day. This bill isn't going to give anyone the proverbial 4-day work week.

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Plus, with a reduction in hours the claim is that employers cannot lower wages. Well, they certainly aren't going to raise them either. If you work hourly and get cut to 32 hours a week, you will lose money. Period. Which will keep you from enjoying those promised leisure activities since you'll probably be working a second job to make up the lost income and pay rent, etc.

This is a bad idea for Lubbock, for Texas, and for anyone with any sense of how business is run. Let them pass another ridiculous law like this on the Left Coast and watch even more companies flock to Texas.