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The question has been raised as to why we have to work 8 hour days and/or 40
hour weeks if we can get our work done in less time, say 6 hours in a day or 30
hours in a week.
Well, one reason is that what you contracted for, either explicitly if you're
on a contract or implicitly as part of your employment agreement. Even if you
have no formal contract, you did agree to both the compensation and the working
conditions and rules of employment when you hired in.
As was mentioned by the original poster of this question, you can change that
agreement by negotiation with your employer. In the case mentioned, the writer
negotiated a different work arrangement: 75% of full time for a corresponding
75% of full time pay. The poster's point was she still did 100% of the work
given her in that 75% of the time. Upon realizing that, she felt she should not
have had her pay cut since her responsibilities and work output did not change.
So, you admit that you were wasting 25% of your employer's time when you were
working, and getting paid for, a 40 hour week? (No, I didn't think you were
admitting that, but someone could make that inference from what you propose.)
Employment is like any other commodity. You negotiate your price in exchange
for your services. If you find a willing buyer, you have a job and a pay check.
If you don't find a willing buyer, you try changing the mix you offer
(services, price, hours, whatever) and see if you can then find a willing
buyer.
What doesn't seem very gracious, not to mention ethical, is to negotiate a job
and then complain that you are being dealt with unfairly when your employer
lives up to its end of the bargain just as you live up to your end of the
bargain. 't ain't hardly sportin', if you know what I mean.
As for the fact that you may not have negotiated a fair deal for yourself, well
I'd fire my negotiator and get someone better. They did take advantage of you
because you offered them terms too good to turn down. (I'll do all the work I'm
doing now for 75% pay, if you let me only work 75% hours.)
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