A 3-Day Weekend As The Norm?

This is a fascinating topic, at least enough to get the writing back on track. While we were talking about how people could use more holidays last time, over 5000 people gathered and petitioned online for the possibility of a 3-day weekend. The number is significant because according to regulation, a specific department must address the topic once it passes 5000 people.

Will this be yet another breeze in the air and be forgotten as another topic comes around? It may be, but it doesn't mean that it isn't important. Change doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and time again with endless effort. No matter the result, we could always take it as an opportunity to think!

As previously mentioned, people work too much, mostly because there's a mandate for minimum working hours. People had to stay even when the job is done or doesn't want to finish because it'll just lead to more work. To have fewer working days means everyone needs to have a clear borderline of their responsibilities and be accountable for their responsibilities. To really work for the reward of living, relaxing, and not for the time to finally come and then clock out, we need not the minimum of working hours but the maximum. Take a moment to consider this. You could only work for 8 hours a day, 4 days a week in the company and the pay, and the tasks are still the same. What would you do? You would likely work hard for the extra day or get another job.

Does it apply to every industry and every field of work? It may not be the same for everyone but there certainly is room for adjustment because the need for rest is universal. Undoubtedly, teachers, doctors, nurses, the police...etc., are different from office jobs in companies. However, the change could also finally bring justice to their endeavors. We all know that they constantly overwork. For the essential employees to participate in the 3-day weekend policy, more needs to be done. Take teachers for instance. We obviously need more quality teachers in the field and to help take some burden off existing teachers.

We could start by having half-school-day Fridays. Does that mean the learning hours are cut short? Certainly not. The fact is that just like companies that require redundant meetings for easy information, schools also have redundancies. Take elementary school for instance. A (big) portion of class time is spent on homework assignments, classroom control, and yes more classroom control. The longer the class, the more chaotic it is.

Let's not stop there. What about no school-day Fridays? Just learn online! During the pandemic, we have proven that it's doable and can be done well. We should not run schools like daycares. These are educational facilities so therefore education comes first. You might be thinking "What about parents?". Parenting styles and parents are closely connected to this topic indeed. The policy will not only increase family time, forcefully even, but also normalize education at large. When we are busy, we tend to neglect our inner needs and the people closest to us. Therefore, having less work time will help fill that gap. It could bring back the work-life balance so we finally catch a moment to ponder on the meaning of our lives, namely love, family, and dreams.

Adjusting school days doesn't mean that the students cannot go to school. We could make Fridays, for example, a club day, a study group day, or basically, anything else that isn't conventional learning. While we're giving crazy ideas, why not make it "bring-your-family-to- school Friday?". We love this idea so much that we're going to wrap it up.

What could go wrong should the policy takes effect? It isn't perfect but nothing is. If the benefit outtakes the drawback, what's stopping us? Do you worry about it bringing down the economy? The economy is "never good" so why not make the people happy instead of "rich" for a change?

#discussion