Stock Markets Exposed

Can Britain or the developed world manage a day without work?

This question is in response to the recent news of an extra bank holiday. It was argued by some that industry would loose billions. Is this true? Real billions or billionson paper? If it was possible and all of industry agreed could it be done (a day off) or would it affect other areas like the stock market etc. If this is the case would it have applied back in 1970's, 50's or 30's as an example? Or even pre industrial revolution or medieval or roman times? Is it because our economies are more closely linked than those back in Roman times?

Public Comments

1. It's all jsut on paper. If you don't do business today you catch up with it tomorrow. If you don't buy it today, you'll buy it tomorrow. and so on. It's just the employers whinging because they have to pay their staff another day for not working! Many countries have a lot more public holidays than us and they don't seem to suffer!
2. Fluffy is right, do you really think anything would change if we had an extra bank holiday. Most people I know spend a good couple of hours wasting their time at work anyway, on Yahoo! answers, or chatting to friends, for examples. As for factories, they'll employee people to work as many hours as the factory requires for it's desired output, if they lose a day they can make people work up the time the rest of the week. Look at it the other way: if we lost a bank holiday would the economy grow in proportion to an extra day worked? I doubt it!
3. In my opinion, developed countries like UK can not afford a day off. It is positive that industries would loose billion because they are not able to work on that day. But they have to pay to their full timer staff. Moreover, they are unable to produce their goods on that day which will effect their revenues, apart from their personal loses it will hit the exchange rate and country's trade.
4. Having worked for over 35 years the answer is yes. Most employers pay for the time you are there and ignore what you actually do. Because people find being at work under these conditions mindless they find a million ways to district themselves. They socialise at work instead of home. If we worked lower hours and focused on results rather than bean counting we'd be much more efficient and happier too. France does it better, families get much more time of together, the kids are much better behaved and industry gets better employees. No wonder they defend their rights so well!