Share Our Work, Share Our Wage

I posted yesterday some ideas that were broad, radical and so far out of the box it is difficult to imagine how they would work.  So today I want to think through one of those ideas in more detail  I'm calling it Share Our Work, Share Our Wage, or SOW, a fitting name for the hard work of sowing the seeds of change one by one.

It's easy to say that if each of us would give up 10% of our wages in exchange for a 10% reduction in work hours we could reduce unemployment by about 10%.  Of course it isn't quite that easy.  Not every job will work that way.  Not every family can afford to give up 10% of their wage.  Not every company will go along.  It's true.  A program like this will take time and will not be a panacea.  On the other hand, if just half of us did it, it would bring the unemployment levels down to healthy levels.  The question is, where do we start.

Let's start right here.  First we need a conversation.  We need to change the dialogue from one of proudly talking about our long work weeks to one of celebrating family and leisure time.  Let's talk about all the benefits of reduced work hours: lower stress; improved health; increased time for hobbies, exercise and charitable work; reduced commutes and traffic; stronger marriages and family relationships; and more.  There was a time in our history when recycling sounded as strange and unlikely as a 36 hour work week sounds today.  Just as that value shifted through deliberate efforts of conversation and education, we can change our expectations about work.

Naturally, our leaders, especially the White House, can accelerate this process.  This might be the most powerful impact government can have, but we needn't stop there.  Government is the biggest employer in our nation and can be a model for how to shift workers to a 36 hour work week.  We'd have to do it right, of course - we don't want to model discontent and failure.

First and foremost we have to take care of our current employees.  There are a few hard and fast rules that must be followed.  First, never reduce someone's paycheck without their consent.  This means that any reductions in work and wage would be voluntary.

Second, involve workers in the decision-making.  If you have a team of five scientists ready to sign on to SOW, let them decide how to spend that money.  The available wages wouldn't be enough to hire another full time scientist.  Would they like a part time scientist, a statistician shared with another team, or perhaps secretarial help which is less expensive?  By including your current workers in the decision making, they are invested in the program and less fearful of change.

Third, take it slow and expect it to take a decade or more to be fully implemented.  Take the time to plan first.  Then begin by designing any new positions to fit a 36 hour week, then adapt the job descriptions of any new hires for existing positions to meet that goal.  Along the way offer existing workers the option to voluntarily switch over.

Fourth, be up front about the real costs of the program.  A 10% reduction in pay is not the same as a 10% reduction in salary.  Workers will still need full benefits and the costs of those will not go down.  The actual salary reduction could be a s much as 12 - 15% to make it work.  Be sure no one is caught off guard.  Of course, in time less stressed employees may use less health care and those costs could go down as well, but we can't count on that.

Fifth, offer plans that make the transition smooth.  Most families would have a hard time absorbing a 10-15% pay cut all at once.  Let them do it in steps.  Take a half day off each month, then a full day with matching pay reductions.  Or keep pay constant and let "raises" take the form of reduced hours rather than increased pay.  This sort of program could even be mandatory provided enough notice is given and those near retirement are exempted.  

Finally, be flexible.  Offer a 30 hour work week with full benefits.  This could be ideal for families with two working parents wishing to share the care of their children.  Allow job-sharing.  Be open to work-from-home, flexible hours and other programs that will increase job satisfaction and worker retention.

It's time to end the rat race for lots of reasons.  Reducing unemployment and poverty is the charitable one.  Family connections, health, and joy may be even more compelling.  We can do it and it all starts with a conversation.