Six-Hour Work Day: The Ever Since The Industrial Revolution

Ever Since the Industrial Revolution, the number of hours people should be allowed to work has been called into question. First with the push for the 8 hour day, and now, some call for a 6 hour work day. There are many logical arguments from both sides, however, I do not agree with the motion to limit the work day to 6 hours across the U.S. Along with a miriad of other issues, a 6 hour work day would limit people’s pay, cause more stress to workers, and is simply unneeded.

One of the pillars of American character is the idea that if you work hard and long enough you can achieve your economic goals. As the second passage brings up, a 6 hour work day means that “workers or employers will end up paying for it.” Workers will end up loosing the wages they would have earned or the employers will have to cover for it. The economic reasoning behind this idea is not sound. Some people rely on overtime and extra pay that it brings to support their families, so if that is taken away, what will they do?

To compensate for lost time workers need to shove 8 hours of work into 6 hours of time. This heightened level of focus and productivity cannot be sustained and will lead to mental and physical illness. If the 6 hour work day were to be implemented, it would be expected that the level of suicide and depression would also increase. Passage two brings up the point that “Although productivity increased, so did sickness.” With more workers sick or down, companies would have to cover that lost production with more pay, more time for other workers, or more workers, and so the vicious cycle