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Government employees to work less and from home?

With all of these collective agreements ready for negotiation in British Columbia, I propose two ideas which I feel will improve the quality of life of workers.

The first is encouraging telecommuting or working from home. Employees would have better and longer sleep, and arguably, more productivity on the job working flexible hours at their peak. The environment would also benefit with less congestion on the roads and public transport.

The second is providing full-time government employees with the “option” of working part-time. This will result in more time off to spend with families, a lower tax bracket for employees, and more jobs for new workers. It’s a great way to redistribute the employment wealth during these tough economic times. Yes, government employees would have to learn how to live on marginally less income but this does not mean they will suffer from a lower quality of life. Maybe this will result in a shift in consumer spending priorities and lead to innovation, market ideas, and more affordable goods and services.

What do VO readers think of these two ideas?

Alex Sangha is a Registered Social Worker and Author of The Modern Thinker

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