Comments on: The Underworked American

By: Calvin Spealman

Calvin Spealman — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:11:35 +0000

I was talking about this just earlier today. I think it comes down to Americans not having a better attitude about working more, but having a worse attitude about working less.

We have been cultivated to distrust and dislike unions and social programs. We’ll complain about long hours and low pay, but get disgruntled if someone asks us to sign a petition for a union, because unions just try to get more than they deserve. Obviously, this is an oxy-moron.

Is this some big conspiracy to shape the American people into sheeple? More likely, it just worked out that if we got so complacent, we’d encourage the very forces that keep us working so hard. We are our own undoing.

By: el hackin

el hackin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:48:39 +0000

Some “Facts” from Germany (Europe)

35h – 40h work a week normal (In IT 40h)
25 – 30 Days paid leave

If you get unemployed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartz_concept

Taxes: ~45%

Germanys GNI:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GNI_(nominal)_per_capita

By: Ids

Ids — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:28:29 +0000

It is a cultural thing. In Europe we like to have some free time to be able to spent our earned money. And of course our taxes are higher because we have to fund our affordable health-care and social security somehow (which is available for everyone, not just the rich). And, as research shows, you do not become more productive working more than about 40 hours a week.

By: Carl T.

Carl T. — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:51:03 +0000

Disclaimer: I didn’t read the original article.

I’ve seen small family businesses have their kids involved from the time they were old enough to talk, and they work their little butts off. It depends on the environment. On the whole, your observation about our kids is probably not too far off.

Paid leave nowadays means paid leave for whatever you need it for – doctor appts., sick days, family emergencies. So if you have a couple emergencies or inconveniences a year, that pretty much wipes out a good chunk of your four weeks of vacation.

Where I work I accumulate paid leave at a rate of roughly 4.5 hours per 2 weeks worked – you can see that it takes a bit of time before you actually have a month of time accumulated.

The American Dream/American Work Ethic, I think, is more of a cultural thing. We don’t like to work and punish ourselves, but it’s been part of our culture and success for so long, I don’t see it changing. If anything, we’re going in the opposite direction – less benefits, more work.

The flip side is that a lot of folks form elsewhere would like to live here because we’re lighter on taxes than countries are in Europe. Not sure if that is related to the way our work laws are written, but culturally, I believe there is a connection (which, unfortunately, I am not awake or articulate enough to specify).

My 2 cents.

Carl T.