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32 hours or zero hours?
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Posted on Apr 24 2006
“How can I support my family on 32 hours per week?” asked a visibly irate worker who stormed into my office, hands on hips, after management bared plans to reduce work-hours to 32 hours per week to maintain viability and to keep as many employees employed following 9/11 and the difficulties that all businesses are experiencing because of atrocities committed in the United States thousands of miles away.
“Can you support your family on zero hours per week?” I shot back. I then explained to him that if cost-cutting measures are not implemented, we could see a mass layoff, which could quite easily include him and then he would be forced to support his family on zero hours per week, rather than 32 hours that the management was proposing.
I then told him to take his choice. He slowly retreated from my office, scratching his head all the while but I could tell that he had been enlightened by our short conversation; after all, 32 hours of work is definitely better than zero.
Before implementing cost-cutting measures, however, the management had informed all employees of the need and the reason to implement cost-cutting measures, even going as far as to paraphrase JFK’s famous line: “Ask not what your company can do for you, but what you can do for your company.” We have had to implement the same cost-cutting measures on different occasions since because of forces, external and internal, over which we have no control.
A similar message, echoing throughout the islands, is being sent out from Capitol Hill: “Ask not what your country can do for you but what YOU…”
Businesses all over the islands are also sending a similar message to their employees, yet again.
Joe Asanuma
Tanapag
