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ed4444
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
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 Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:17 am Post subject: Workaholic Americans urged to take more holidays |
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This is from today's Daily Telegraph in England.
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AMERICANS, who are already the hardest workers in the Western world, are taking fewer holidays than they have done for almost 30 years, a new survey says.
In a country where most employees only get two weeks off a year plus 10 public holidays, many people are now so ambitious or so terrified of losing their jobs that they have to be forced to take their meagre allowance.
According to the Conference Board, a private research group, 40pc of American workers are taking no summer holiday at all this year - the lowest percentage recorded for 28 years.
Even President George W Bush, celebrated in previous years for taking most of August off at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, spent only 10 days there earlier this month.
About a quarter of American workers in the private sector do not get any paid holiday at all, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
A third of all American workers only take one week-long holiday a year. The longest summer trip for the average American lasts only six nights.
The idea of somebody going away for two weeks is really becoming a thing of the past," said Mike Pina, a spokesman for the American Automobile Association. "It's kind of sad, really, that people can't seem to leave their jobs any more."
The problem has become so severe that several large companies now close down at holiday periods to force obsessive workers from their desks. The attitude of Americans - who take an average of just 13 annual holiday days, including public holidays - differs greatly from that of European nations.
The Italians, for instance, take an average of 42 days, while the Germans are entitled to 35 days. The average in Britain is 28 days and the French take 37 days.
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It goes with my notion that American Society encourages heavy consumer spending as a substitute for leisure time. I don't think its a good thing.
Give me a stagnant old European Economy with enough time for a few holidays anytime! |
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HydePark
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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Funny no one's replied to this...does no one care about the Americans working hard? Just curious...  |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:43 pm Post subject: Re: Workaholic Americans urged to take more holidays |
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| ed4444 wrote: |
Give me a stagnant old European Economy with enough time for a few holidays anytime! |
Have I got some sad news for you.
In a minor miracle, the euro zone is growing faster and creating more jobs than America.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14533734/site/newsweek/ |
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SOOHWA101
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Location: Makin moves...trying to find 24pyung
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:14 am Post subject: |
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| The rest of the world is just lazy. That's why Americans come to Korea to teach English, this IS our vacation. |
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taobenli
Joined: 26 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:19 am Post subject: |
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| How much vacation time do Canadians get, on average? Somewhere between the U.S. and Europe? |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| SOOHWA101 wrote: |
| The rest of the world is just lazy. That's why Americans come to Korea to teach English, this IS our vacation. |
I have found most Americans (ofcourse there are exceptions, as with everything) are some of the more professional people I have worked with.
Still, for laziness, I find most people from the 5 English speaking countries (haven't worked with any South Africans, so can't say) all work about as hard as the others, depending on the person.
Professionalism varies greatly though among those 5 countries (my opinion from working). |
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