ERIC Number: EJ899948
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Mar
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0955-2308
EISSN: N/A
Changing the Way We Work
Coote, Anna
Adults Learning, v21 n7 p8-11 Mar 2010
A 21-hour working week is a long way from today's standard of 40 hours or more, but not so far-fetched when people consider the infinitely varied ways in which they actually spend their time. On average, people of working age spend 19.6 hours a week in paid employment and 20.4 hours in unpaid housework and childcare. These averages mask huge inequalities, both between women and men and between income groups--not only in how they use their time, but also in how far they can control it. Bringing the standard nearer to the average could help to iron out these differences. Moving towards a standard of 21 hours could help to redistribute unpaid as well as paid time--for example, by making more jobs available for the unemployed and giving men more time to look after their children. A "normal" working week of 21 hours could help address a range of problems, from overwork and unemployment to low wellbeing and over-consumption. The challenge is to make sure that everyone benefits, not just those who are already relatively privileged. This proposal for a 21-hour working week is intended as a provocation, to stimulate debate and ideas. It also reflects an urgent need to build a sustainable future.
Descriptors: Scheduling, Time, Economic Factors, Working Hours, Income, Foreign Countries, Social Attitudes, Social Influences, Adult Learning, Social Change
National Institute of Adult Continuing Education. Renaissance House, 20 Princess Road West, Leicester, LE1 6TP, UK. Tel: +44-1162-044200; Fax: +44-1162-044262; e-mail: enquiries@niace.org.uk; Web site: http://www.niace.org.uk/publications/adults-learning
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A