[MBCook]

We didn’t when we got computers. We didn’t when we got calculators. Or typewriters. Or the Industrial Revolution. Or anything else.

Work expands to fill available hours. We don’t get more leisure time. That’s not ‘allowed’.

[frantzmiccoli]

To offer (maybe European) perspective.

The industrial revolution coincides more or less with when starvation started to disappear from the developed world.

In many countries, holidays and PTO are a norm. I personally know a few people that choose to work 4 days a week, I know another bunch that actually retired early or simply don't jump from a job to another because they can free ride for a bit (no judgment).

That also means that you 1/ have to actually prioritize leisure over money 2/ have actually something leisurely to do.

[drstewart]

>To offer (maybe European) perspective.

Aren't retirement ages being raised everwhere across Europe?

[deafpolygon]

Yes, to reflect the rising life expectancy.

[antisthenes]

To reflect a looming demographic crisis as well.

[keybored]

“Europe” also has active unions.

[Ajedi32]

GP's comment is also entirely true for the US. PTO and paid holidays are the norm here for full-time (salaried) work. It's not just a European thing.

[tempfile]

Not exactly true. The typical work week was longer in the 1800s than in the 1900s. The limiting of the work week to 40/5 was an explicit political movement. Of course it was not reduced as a direct consequence of increased productivity, which I guess is what you meant.

[MBCook]

Yes. 8/8/8 and 5 days a week was a labor movement in the early 1900s.

Before that labor was exploited. After that labor was exploited.

We don’t seem to be willing to do that again.

[_DeadFred_]

Yet. It's funny because it's coming and business is determined to make the process as adversarial as possible.

[ainiriand]

As strange as it is hear this in this day and age, these kind of improvements bring more profits to the capital that uses them.

The working class will only get any benefits through class fight and collective action, but that ship has sailed.

Capitalism has won.

[collingreen]

It's never over it's just also never easy

[thriifvyu67866]

Even if you get time, it gets consumed by the internet or by equally silly things like shopping.

Atomisation, which liberalism promotes heavily to the underclass, has all but destroyed humanity.