Science Forums 2

[Boerseun]

Consider the following:

We have factories, companies, businesses, industries etc., most of them standing idle for 16 hours of every day, two days out of seven. Most of them run only for forty-odd hours a week, out of a possible 168 hours.

What if we let our entire society work in shifts?

Let's say a normal accounting firm drops the concept of "business hours" and stay open 24/7? Or a legal firm, its lawyers working in three shifts, seven days a week, because the courts are open 24/7, too?

They can't possibly, because the employees need to sleep.

And that's the beauty of the entire scheme.

This will force them to hire three sets of staff for three separate shifts, so that the business can operate 24/7. And every set of staff gets to choose their "weekend", not to coincide with the rest of the staff's "weekend".

But there is still only so much business out there, I hear you say. Two of the three sets of staff will sit around idle?

Not so. If a move is made to convert the entire economy to a three-shift system, you'll end up having three times as many consumers, tripling the demand for any and all services and products.

This surely will increase pollution?

Not so. The biggest polluters, including power generation, foundries, mills etc. are already working around the clock, because to shut down and restart their operations once a day is more expensive than just running on a shift basis. It might, however, increase transport pollution, but that can be countered with more efficient public transport and better cars.

This will destroy families?

Not so. Not only are we running businesses in three shifts, but all public services (like education) will be run in three shifts as well. An entire family can elect to synchronise their shifts - and a law can be introduced which makes it mandatory for shifts to move up once a month.

Let's say the three shifts are:

1) 0:00 - 08:00
2) 08:00 - 16:00
3) 16:00 - 24:00

across the board.

Then, for a month, the entire family will be on shift 1. The next month, shift 2. A month later, shift 3. And so on.

All businesses will run 24/7, all shops will be open 24/7. Job opportunities will surely at least double (not triple, because quite a lot of businesses - mostly industrial - are already running a three-shift system).
Jobs in government will surely triple, because very few government agencies work three shifts.

Who'll be paying for this?

Obviously, if all shops and businesses are open 24/7, with all consumers being spread through three shifts, the load will spread between the shifts. But, the more people are employed, the more people will have money to spend.

Other benefits?

Sure - with the entire country running like clockwork throughout the day, with different neighbours being on different shifts, crime should come down. There will be no "quiet, wee hours of the morning" anymore when a housebreaker can do his stuff.

Businesses, like foundries and mines which are already running a three-shift system, seem to be doing fine. The only problem is that the current set-up don't make it too easy for families, because the kids and the wife are on completely different shifts than the husband, who's stuck at the foundry late at night. If the kids' school hours can synchronise with their dad's working hours, they can have a much better family life. But as far as health is concerned, they seem to be doing fine.

But consider for a minute: If we do this, then we triple the amount of students we can accommodate with the current schooling infrastructure. We triple the amount of teachers required, but that will be paid for by the higher taxes the government earns from more individuals and more companies simply earning more.

Unemployment will rock-bottom, and the economy should virtually double in a very short space of time.

Does this make any sense whatsoever?

Us humans have a natural day-night cycle, sure - but experience with companies already applying this scheme shows that humans are very adaptable.

I think there might just be some merit in this, don't you?