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Female workers in the May Day Parade in New York City in 1936 [File: New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images]

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Amazon’s Pilot: A Team Building on 75%

So Amazon has this workplace trial going on right now and the media is spinning it up here, and here, and over here. 30 hour work weeks for full time benefits, huh? Only 75% of the salary huh? Seems fair enough. I know a few families that could help. Especially those two-parent working families that don’t want to spend 25% or more of one of their salaries on some daycare service raising their kid 40+ hours a week. I’d also bet that it helps the single parent who can now trade time for salary as to not lose out on what’s important at home and still receive the benefits that keep him/her from making such a decision today. I’m also pretty sure those on Bezos’ team that helped make this decision know enough about the laws of economics that they know how much of this will play out on the business end. What will be interesting to me is how it’s outward perception will balance out in the public sphere as it gets fed to us on how to feel about it.

Oh, the feelz. Will social justice be upheld? How will the victims of race and gender fair in this deal. Pretty sure, true to the victim’s playbook, they will fair badly and it will be someone else’s fault for their decisions.

but I digress...

I’m pretty sure it’s common knowledge that there are some people that can get the same amount of work done in 30 as others do in 40. Ah, the efficiency argument... “See how much more I can get done when I have the magical mix of work life balance. I just needed more time away from work to be effective while I’m here”. I’m also, just as sure that some that work 40 that don’t need the flexibility will milk 10 hours a week and turn into that employee that starts staring at the clock as the day ticks toward that final bell. “I don’t have kids to pick up. why should I go home to scroll facebook, when I can do that here and get paid for it. besides... the efficiency argument sounds so good, I’m just helping them out, right?” And then there are those with that good ol’ American work ethic that want to rise to the top and will still put in whatever it takes to get recognized and rewarded in the office. “Winning here just got a whole lot easier, with all these people either heading home at 3 or enjoying that 2 hour lunch break... how’s that efficiency argument working for you again?”

What if, just for fun, they also offered a 50 hour weeks for 125% salary. Nothing's wrong with 30 hour weeks any more than 50. Those that want flexibility and more home life balance can have it. Those with nothing but work in pumping through their veins can have theirs too. Just don't expect to be recognized for more than you put in. Part of growing up and living in the real world means there are trade offs in life. Hard work at the office is rewarded. So is spending time with your kids. When you’re looking at the long-term benefits, which would you choose today? Who wants to bet that the answer is as different as the individual that answers it.

Here’s a question for those determining this pilot’s success...

How do you negotiate a 30 hour Salary for a new hire for 75%? You don’t. You negotiate just like you do today and both parties try to get what’s in their best interest and those that come interviewing looking for part time flexibility will get shorted at the negotiation table. Those looking to breathe company initiatives will look like a bargain at any price.

All that said, I actually like the transparency of how this could play out in the end if people would actually judge it based on it’s merits. I could easily see someone rocking it for the first part of their career investing their extra time into a salary and promotions. Then negotiate themselves into that whole efficiency piece as their kids’ baseball games and piano recitals become more important at home. As annoyed as I may be by the whole social justice media angle, I also like the idea of options, even before investing the time early in one’s career life. What if I wanna start up a business in my free time? How valuable is that 10 hours? Maybe I don’t care about climbing that promotion ladder but I just want that buying power when it comes to the benefits package. Maybe that’s worth sharing 30 hours a week while I get started.

Whether it catches on or not it will just end up as semantics in the end. Glad to know there’ll be more opportunities to work less for those that don’t want or need to work full time. Maybe some day I can trade half my of a salary someplace with killer bennies while I invest the rest of my time someplace that pays better doing something I love.

Food for thought:

Milton Friedman said there’s basically 4 ways to spend money.