[roma1n]

The really sad part is all the missed positive externalities. Think about what could happen if a few companies owned up to it and said "hey we'll let you have one day a week helping children with their homework or working on a shared vegetable garden or... or... because [insert outreachy marketing speech]"

[coldtea]

Companies would never do it because of competition. Only a token company might do it, when it doesn't need to compete as much (e.g. has a niche, sells luxury stuff with a secure market, where the positive work balance they sell as part of the brand). If many did it, then this good-will gesture would lose the marketing value for the company (since it would be common).

Instead, companies need to be forced to do it, by law -- like they were forced to stop child labor, to have safety laws, to 8 hours workday, etc.