Managing leisure

How long does it take to cover a distance of 100 feet? A study revealed that for the average Indonesian it takes 27.2 seconds. The Japanese take first place by clocking in at 20.7 seconds. They are followed by the British with 21.6 seconds and the Americans with 22.5.

We cannot help but be reminded of that survey because of the present debate over the government's decision to introduce a five-day-work week, which is planned to start in August of next year.

Surprisingly, while most people talk about the pro's and con's of the proposed scheme, very few have raised concerns over how the long week-end system will impact our productivity levels. As the survey cited above has shown, the productivity levels of the average Indonesian are not particularly high. In fact, they are some of the lowest in the world. There is no guarantee that giving an additional day off per week is going to ensure that our civil servants and workers will return to work with recharged batteries on Monday and work harder.

What is also surprising is the fact that -- except for some vague expressions of hope that the plan will strengthen family bonds and enable city dwellers to visit villages in the provinces and thus help develop their economies -- even less attention has been given to the question of how people should go about reorganizing their lives in step with the long-weekend plan.

Since it is almost certain that the five-day-week scheme will be implemented next year, given that President Soeharto has given it his stamp of approval, we are of the opinion that we should pay more attention to the problem of the management of leisure.

For one thing, in our present society with its increasing degree of consumerism, spending time on leisure costs money. For a middle class people, the management of leisure is relatively easy since they can afford to bear the costs.

But what about the lower-paid government employees? One of them, in a letter published in this newspaper the other day, voiced his displeasure over the plan because staying home for an additional day would not only cut down his income, it subject him to a "seven-round bout of headaches".

Of course, one could argue that there are many leisure activities which cost almost nothing. But, how many of these little or no-cost activities are really out there? We have too few public parks to offer the public as play grounds. Squares and sport fields where our children could play football are rapidly disappearing. Window-shopping will surely ignite more economic jealousy among people. Parents won't be able to find any relief in letting their children watch television during those extra holidays, because programming contains so much violence and cheap soap operas.

Even reading material is becoming more costly and the recent government clamp down on the freedom of the press has caused the local papers to become more cautious. Their reports are now even more dull and surely now worth spending a holiday with.

We suggest therefore that a concerted and realistic plan be drawn up to see how people, particularly those who would be most affected by the five-day-work-week, should manage their leisure time.

Only by doing this can we reap any real benefits from the five-day-work scheme, including relaxation, intellectual enrichment, getting closer to nature, increased productivity and efficiency, strengthened family bonds and, perhaps, even a boost in the rural economies.