The 30-hour work week and changes in the workplace...

[kentuck]

...are taking place right now and has been happening for some time. However, there are some Republicans that are blaming it on Obamacare, when in fact, they were doing this before anyone ever signed up on Obamacare.

With or without Obamacare, the workplace is changing. The 40-hour week is becoming obsolete. Technology and the information age do not require the same amount of labor as in the past.

Everyone is working toward a 30-35 hour workweek. Lawmakers with foresight should see what is happening and change the labor laws to benefit workers that are affected by this new reality. Time and a half for any hours over 30 might be a good start?

[Sedona]

1. Dream on.....

The change is more and more "employees" are becoming "independent contractors" .

No overtime for us no matter how many hours we put in. I worked 56 last week,,,,

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. Your Situation Reveals What I Have Been Saying About The Labor Market For Years.

I wrote about the "No Job Jobs Of The 21st Century" in an email to a friend in 2004. I have shared that information to Ed Schultz, Thom Hartman and on this site on a couple of occasions. s I described in 2004 what was originally brought up early in Ronald Reagan'
1st term. I have described in some detail how the corporate business model would become employment would no longer be "traditional" and would transition into "contract" and "subcontract" employment. Workers would be like an actor going from job to job with only a "fixed price short or medium term" contract where the contractee pays all their own expenses.

Reducing hours of employment is part of that transition.

[Travis_0004]

3. Time and a half for over 30 hours is a horrible idea.

It would only accelerate the change from a 40 hour work week to a 30 hour week, and since 30 hours doesn't bring in enough income for most people, they would have to get a second job, so its not like they would just enjoy the extra time off.