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> In Switzerland everything closes

Sure, because there are worker rights and we do not keep people working at night unless there's a reason.

> Japan is notable because there’ll be people everywhere and things will still be clean

What do you mean people will be everywhere? There are people as well in regular European towns and it's clean as well.



I know this a difficult case to win, but I'd always prefer night shifts and get annoyed when my government decides it's not 'the right thing to do'.

Same for Sunday Closures. What's so special about Sunday apart from old religious concerns?


It's for workers' rights. Even ole' John Calvin (who probably started it in Switzerland) wanted Sunday as a day off because it protected workers rights against overwork, not because he saw it as mandated by the Bible.


Hi, Swiss person here. This does not address why it should be Sunday for everyone. Nobody's saying you should work 7 days a week. We could have different off days for different people.


It’s not that Sunday is special pet day, just that they don’t want employers working the disadvantaged 7 days a week with no breaks.


> […] working the disadvantaged 7 days a week with no breaks.

In countries with a high development index, the employment law usually prohibits 7 day long working weeks, and there is a provision of at least one day off (granted, since employment laws vary across jurisdictions, there is no universal rule).

The situation is different for small businesses and self-employed as they are the masters of their own fate (so to speak), e.g. if a cafe owner decides to run the cafe 7 days a week and work there in person themselves, that is their choice.


As a student - that fucked me over, as working Saturday and Sunday in stores would be the easiest way to earn money on side. :P

And then govt decided to stop for brownie points with church.


> And then govt decided to stop for brownie points with church.

Sundays off are about workers rights, little to do with religion.

And you can still work on Sunday - in businesses that are allowed to be open (gastro, petrol stations, certain shops).


>> Sundays off are about workers rights, little to do with religion.

Why did they all happen to pick Sunday?


Last day of the week?

Weekend is only two days long, so it's not like you have a lot of options.


To take it further... why is Sunday the last day of the week in all of those countries?

(Of course, my point is, Sunday is the day off, the last day of the week, and the "core" of the weekend, exactly because of the dominant religion.)


> because there are worker rights

That's a ridiculous answer. People work at night in Japan because there is a market for that.


I disagree with the implication that Swiss/European people are morally superior to those in other parts of the world and their choices are de-facto better than those being made elsewhere. Seems like a common, ignorant and bigoted stance.


Cleanliness and a general sense of respect for the public spaces IS de-facto better than trash everywhere and a society where everyone only cares for number one. If it's offensive to you, your moral compass is wrong.


> Sure, because there are worker rights and we do not keep people working at night unless there's a reason.

Part of this is low wages, but the population density also means you can easily find people who'll work the night shift. Or sometimes the store owner does it.

But no, they aren't like Europeans who think workers should have the right to work five hours a year.


"Five hours a year" is a gross thing to say. Surely we should emulate the Japanese, where death by overwork is a joked about phenomenon


Don't get all your news from 2000s stereotypes. There was a fair amount of reform for that in the last decade.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/AVHWPEJPA065NRUG

China is probably the better example for long work hours right now.


> death by overwork

Stop reading tabloids




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