--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone working 40 hrs a week should…" description: "\"Everyone working 40 hrs a week should have a shot at a decent life.\" — Joe Biden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/joe-biden-454_decent_everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-ha_2086878.jpg" --- # Everyone working 40 hrs a week should have a shot at a… ![“Everyone working 40 hrs a week should have a shot at a decent life.” quote by Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/joe-biden-454_decent_everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-ha_2086878.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/joe-biden-454_decent_everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-ha_2086878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/joe-biden-454_decent_everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-ha_2086878.jpg) > “Everyone working 40 hrs a week should have a shot at a decent life.” [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Working a standard full‑time schedule should give people a fair chance at a decent standard of living. **In simple terms:** A 40‑hour week should provide a decent life. Key Takeaway Advocate for fair wages and work‑life balance. Themes economics fairness worklife politics socialjustice Mood thoughtful concerned optimistic Type policy social When to use this quote - Job seekers - policy makers - workers seeking better conditions - advocacy groups - economic planners Key Concepts Labor rights income equality social policy Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure decent living standards beyond work hours? A Different Perspective Does a 40‑hour week guarantee a decent life for everyone? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decent life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [You can't criticize people for wanting to have a decent life or wanting to live decently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-can-t-criticize-people-for-wanting-to-have-a-decent-life-or/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [If there is a God, you owe him far more than a morally decent life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-there-is-a-god-you-owe-him-far-more-than-a-morally-decent-life/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [What was wrong with me? I had a decent life. I was healthy. I wasn't starving or maimed by a land mine or orphaned.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/what-was-wrong-with-me-i-had-a-decent-life-i-was-healthy-i-wasn-t/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Sustainable development is not an option! It is the only path that allows all of humanity to share a decent life on this, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sha-zukang/sustainable-development-is-not-an-option-it-is-the-only-path-that/) Sha Zukang > [Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/overcoming-poverty-is-not-a-gesture-of-charity-it-is-an-act-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For half of the world's population, roughly three billion people around the world living on less than two dollars a day, an election is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/for-half-of-the-world-s-population-roughly-three-billion-people/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed money to buy, there was some devilish current pushing me off in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-matter-how-much-i-wanted-all-those-things-that-i-needed-money-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [It is important that our relationship with farm animals is reciprocal. We owe animals a decent life and a painless death. I have observed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/it-is-important-that-our-relationship-with-farm-animals-is-reciprocal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-greiner/entrepreneurs-are-willing-to-work-80-hours-a-week-to-avoid-working-40/) [Lori Greiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-greiner/) > [A person working 45 hours per week averages 44% more income than someone working 40 hours per week. That's 44% more income for 13% more time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/a-person-working-45-hours-per-week-averages-44-more-income-than/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [I know I'm not a hotly in-demand movie star, but I'm good at my job. And I want to keep working for the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-know-i-m-not-a-hotly-in-demand-movie-star-but-i-m-good-at-my-job/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [ I never got to play with Art \[ Blakey\], but he was kind and spoke to me a number of times. He said, "You… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-never-got-to-play-with-art-blakey-but-he-was-kind-and-spoke-to-me-a/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Working 40 hours a week used to mean a minimum standard of living and a foothold on the first rung of the economic ladder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-speier/working-40-hours-a-week-used-to-mean-a-minimum-standard-of-living-and/) [Jackie Speier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-speier/) > [Entrepreneurs: The only people who work 80 hour weeks to avoid working 40 hour weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-greiner/entrepreneurs-the-only-people-who-work-80-hour-weeks-to-avoid-working/) [Lori Greiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-greiner/) > [There are new studies showing that young men and men with more progressive views of what a father should be - which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/there-are-new-studies-showing-that-young-men-and-men-with-more/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) ## More by Joe Biden > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I always kid the president in different circumstances. Mr. President, a country's never going to be more optimistic than the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-always-kid-the-president-in-different-circumstances-mr-president-a/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Anybody who pretends that how you read the 10th and 11th Amendment doesn't have a fundamental impact on the things we care about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/anybody-who-pretends-that-how-you-read-the-10th-and-11th-amendment/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/he-wanted-me-to-understand-two-big-things-first-that-nobody-no-group/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Don't hold against me that I don't own - that I don't own a single stock or bond. Don't hold it - I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/don-t-hold-against-me-that-i-don-t-own-that-i-don-t-own-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“True bravery is when there is very little chance of winning, but you keep fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/true-bravery-is-when-there-is-very-little-chance-of-winning-but-you/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [No public funding for abortion; it imposes a view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/no-public-funding-for-abortion-it-imposes-a-view/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I've known and continue to know every one of these major world leaders by their first names, and I have access to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-ve-known-and-continue-to-know-every-one-of-these-major-world/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [We are working to deploy a powerful new radar network with American early warning systems,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-are-working-to-deploy-a-powerful-new-radar-network-with-american/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I'm joking, I'm joking. Best decision I ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-m-joking-i-m-joking-best-decision-i-ever-made/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [ Somalis have made my city of Wilmington, Delaware, \[their home\] on a smaller scale. There is a large, very identifiable Somali community, i might… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/somalis-have-made-my-city-of-wilmington-delaware-their-home-on-a/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“And don’t any of you, by the way, any of you guys vote Republican. I’m not supposed to say, this isn’t political. …don’t come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/and-don-t-any-of-you-by-the-way-any-of-you-guys-vote-republican-i-m/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [We also wanted to change the story - change the approach to the 21st century on energy, on education, on transportation, on infrastructure, generally,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/we-also-wanted-to-change-the-story-change-the-approach-to-the-21st/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The spirit of Thanksgiving rests in our recognizing the blessings in our lives, and as we all take stock, I hope you will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-spirit-of-thanksgiving-rests-in-our-recognizing-the-blessings-in/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The president has a big stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-president-has-a-big-stick/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) [Explore all 546 Joe Biden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) ## More Decent quotes > [Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what custom hath civilized is become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/be-neither-too-early-in-the-fashion-nor-too-long-out-of-it-nor-too/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [As long as I can sing halfway decent, I'd rather sing than act. There's nothing like being in good voice, feeling good, having good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-keel/as-long-as-i-can-sing-halfway-decent-i-d-rather-sing-than-act-there-s/) [Howard Keel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-keel/) > [You weren't a decent man and you didn't do your best. We none of us were and none of us did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-weren-t-a-decent-man-and-you-didn-t-do-your-best-we-none-of-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes the challenge of beating the jet lag and getting a decent sleep can be as hard to solve as finding the right setup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-grosjean/sometimes-the-challenge-of-beating-the-jet-lag-and-getting-a-decent/) [Romain Grosjean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-grosjean/) > [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Music and the arts feed our souls, but a decent wage puts food on the table. Musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-morello/music-and-the-arts-feed-our-souls-but-a-decent-wage-puts-food-on-the/) [Tom Morello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-morello/) > [The 'key-log' which must be moved to release the evolutionary process for an ethic is simply this: quit thinking about decent land-use as solely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/land-ethic/the-key-log-which-must-be-moved-to-release-the-evolutionary-process/) Land ethic > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Every New Yorker spends a certain amount of nervous energy thinking, "How can I afford to stay here? What do I have to sell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-zukin/every-new-yorker-spends-a-certain-amount-of-nervous-energy-thinking/) [Sharon Zukin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-zukin/) > [It is something that most parents hope for in life: That their children will be moderately successful, polite, decent human beings. Anything on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-kramer/it-is-something-that-most-parents-hope-for-in-life-that-their/) [Jerry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-kramer/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [takes a devil to make a decent angel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-spanbauer/takes-a-devil-to-make-a-decent-angel/) [Tom Spanbauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-spanbauer/) > [I guess the only thing to do now is meet his parents. I'm sure they're decent people. I mean they gotta be if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-guess-the-only-thing-to-do-now-is-meet-his-parents-i-m-sure-they-re/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) Browse all 1,392 Decent quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everyone working 40 hrs a week should have a shot at a decent life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Biden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-have-a-shot-at-a-decent-life/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-have-a-shot-at-a-decent-life/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/joe-biden-454_decent_everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-ha_2086878.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/joe-biden-454_decent_everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-ha_2086878.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89a/joe-biden-454_decent_everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-ha_2086878.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everyone working 40 hrs a week should have a shot at a decent life.” — Joe Biden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joe Biden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everyone working 40 hrs a week...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-have-a-shot-at-a-decent-life/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/everyone-working-40-hrs-a-week-should-have-a-shot-at-a-decent-life/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```