Unpredictable work schedules, like the practice of clopening, have a significant negative impact on employees' lives. It can lead to extreme exhaustion, especially for those with long commutes or childcare responsibilities. The struggle to find last-minute childcare puts relationships under strain and can disrupt living arrangements. Unpredictable schedules can also make it challenging for individuals to pursue their own goals, such as completing a degree or going back to school. The issue gained attention after a powerful article shed light on its effects, prompting some companies to reconsider their scheduling policies. However, this problem is widespread across various industries, impacting low-income workers globally.
Time off work is vital for your happiness. So what would you do if you couldn't take the same rest day as your family and friends? Would you quit your job? What if it was the murderous dictator Stalin giving you the order?
The Soviet Union wanted its factories to run every day, so workers were stopped from taking the same day off - killing the weekend as we know it. In a crossover between The Happiness Lab and Cautionary Tales, Dr Laurie Santos and Tim Harford discuss the pros and cons of everyone downing tools together and why holidays matter so very much.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.