[chrisBob]

In the US reducing your hours is often ever worse than just taking the fractional pay cut: part time jobs don't typically include benefits, so you end up with much less than 60% pay for 60% of the work. If it weren't for health insurance this would seem like a much more reasonable option.

[humanrebar]

> If it weren't for health insurance this would seem like a much more reasonable option.

If health insurance (or childcare or disability insurance, etc.) weren't tied to employment, this would be a much more reasonable option.

The first step towards more flexible work arrangements is to eliminate gap in taxes between self-purchased benefits and employer-provided benefits. This goes for everything from snacks to health insurance. It's silly and really an fairness issue (should the little guy needs a big employer to take care of him?).