Robert Nilsson, a 25-year-old mechanic in Sweden's second city Gothenburg, may be the harbinger of a future where people
work less and still enjoy a high standard of living.
He gets out of bed at the same time as everyone else, but instead of rushing to work,
he takes it easy, goes for a jog, enjoys his breakfast, and doesn't arrive at his Toyota workshop until noon, only to punch out again at 6:00 pm. Toyota's Gothenburg branch introduced the six-hour day in 2002 to make its facilities more efficient by having two shifts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, instead of a single, longer one.
Nilsson confirms that in his experience a six-hour day -- paid as much as eight -- is more efficient because it requires fewer breaks.
"Every time you have a break, it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get back to work, because you have to see where you were when you left off," he said.
…
That efficiency is reflected in the salary, as the Toyota workshop pays technicians like Nilsson 29,700 Swedish kronor (3,300 euro, $4,510) a month, well above the 25,100 kronor (2,790 euro, $3,810) national average for workers in the private sector.
"It was a huge success straight away," said Toyota service centre manager Elisabeth Jonsson.
"We saw the results, and everything was working for the staff, for the company, for the customers, so I don't think we ever had any discussion about putting an end to it."
[emphasis JS]
Working at walmart is one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. I worked in the maintenance department;( which is a euphemism for custodial; which is a euphemism for janitorial.) With about eight or nine other guys. WAY too many. Because of that, most of the time you'll have about three people doing all the work, while the rest are sleeping in their cars or standing around talking. The manager's worked with my so called supervisor to schedule me so that I was ALWAYS running a machine while the rest didn't do JACK SHIT, rather than simply rotating it around, to keep it fair. Don't ask me why. It was like this for over a year. I didn't say anything because I figured they would at least appreciate me for being a team player. (lol, I know, right?) Finally, one day I got into a debate with a guy over who was the better working in maintenance and because I beat him the truth finally came out: He said they laughed at me behind my back, and took my "perseverance" for good ol fashion stupidity. I knew they'd always felt that way, but to have them tell it to me in my face was more than I could handle. I lost it. So I went to the supervisor and asked him for ONE DAY off the machines. Think about that. ONE FUCKING DAY. He was NEVER on the machines working. His pal was NEVER on the machine working. The others at least as two or three days off. When I ask him for one day, he immediately said no and that if I had a problem with it, then I should go to a manager. I went to her, and she gave me the run around. My supervisor literally LAUGHED when he heard her bullshitting me. So what I did, I got a print out of the schedule they were using that SHOWED how they were mistreating me, and I spoke with the head manager. I had a VERY long talk with him, and I have to admit, at one point I actually cried while talking about how managed and the co workers were doing me. He kept me off the machines, I made some enemies, but I solved the problem. Walmart can be a HORRIBLE place to work. Don't tolerant work place mistreatment at Walmart. At Walmart, your bosses and co workers look for signs of weakness. Once they spot 'em, they'll take advantage of you and make your life a living hell. Course I guess that's everywhere....
MrSihrus2
Comment on YouTube video
[emphasis JS]
It is cheaper to give homeless people a home than it is to leave them on the streets.
That’s not just the opinion of advocates working to end homelessness, nor is it the opinion of homeless people themselves. It is a fact that has been borne out by studies across the country, from Florida to Colorado and beyond.
The latest analysis to back up this fact comes out of Charlotte, where researchers from the University of North Carolina Charlotte examined a recently constructed apartment complex that was oriented towards homeless people.
Moore Place opened in 2012 with 85 units. Each resident is required to contribute 30 percent of his or her income, which includes any benefits like disability, veterans, or Social Security, toward rent. The rest of the housing costs, which total approximately $14,000 per person annually, are covered by a mix of local and federal government grants, as well as private donors.
In the first year alone, researchers found that Moore Place saved taxpayers $1.8 million. These savings comes from improvements in two primary areas: health care and incarceration.
Residents of Moore Place collectively visited the emergency room, an expensive but not uncommon way homeless people access health care, 447 fewer times in the year after getting housing, the study discovered. Similarly, they spent far less time running afoul of the law, with the number of arrests dropping 78 percent
BY SCOTT KEYES UPDATED: MARCH 24, 2014
[emphasis JS]
