Oi! Americans! Your country sucks!

[andrewducker]

Says so here.

U.S. workers are putting in longer hours on the job and taking fewer vacation days than any other industrialized countries," ms_sue_collins writes. "Labor statistics show that U.S. workers have even surpassed the Japanese in the number of days at work per year. Working Americans average a little over two weeks' vacation anually, but unlike all other industrialized countries, the U.S. has no legislative requirement guaranteeing a minimum number of days of paid leave. A national survey by Oxford Health plans found that one out of six Americans who receive paid vacation are unable to use it, nearly one-third of employees work through lunch and 19 percent reported feeling obligated to work even when sick or injured. Whether such numbers reflect workers' anxiety or a stronger work ethic, experts worry about the physical and psychological ramifications while policymakers argue over proposed solutions.

Comments

heh

[josephgrossberg.livejournal.com]

Or maybe Americans just don't want that time. Protestant work ethic and all.

I always seem to end up with extra PTO (paid time off) at the end of the year. This is largely because I tend to take long weekends as breaks, because going away for a week would meant the hassle of a cat-sitter.

[odheirre.livejournal.com]

I'd comment, but I have to get back to work.

[rahaeli.livejournal.com]

And don't get me started on the problems with health care.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Whether such numbers reflect workers' anxiety or a stronger work ethic, experts worry about the physical and psychological ramifications while policymakers argue over proposed solutions.

Some of this problem is do to people having a foolish work ethic, but most if it is fear that they will be fired it they take too many days off, including sick days. Most Americans work for moderate to large-sized corporations and such corporations care far more about productivity and enforcing a climate of total obedience than about acting in a human manner. Given the pathetic lack of laws protecting workers from such abuse, it happens all the time. Change those laws and I'm certain that Americans would work considerably less.

[autodidactic.livejournal.com]

Thanks, man. Now I have some more fodder for my thesis.

Love,
A.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

What's your thesis about?

I *know*

[moniqueleigh]

Yes, this country sucks. As for feeling like one can't take time off, I've got 2 examples.

1. Last company for which I worked was a paging service (probably oughtn't mention which one - while I worked there, it was bought by one of the largest telecommunications companies /hint). They had an "occurrence" policy such that if you called in sick, you received the equivalent of a demerit. Earn enough of these & you'd get written up, eventually fired. The only way to take a day off without an occurrence was to request the day, in advance, & pray it would be approved. Yeah. I'm going to plan to eat something really bad next Tuesday evening & will therefore need the following Wednesday as a vacation day. Suuuuuure.

2. Currently working for a house museum which is operated by our state government. The entire Department of Archives & History is in a bit of a crunch. Museum Division is short-staffed. We have 4 employees (including me) to cover Monday - Saturday. We have to have 2 employees on site during open hours (including lunch times). I work Tue-Sat, & my co-workers alternate Saturdays. Days off? What are those? *sigh*

Oh, & btw, just in case my email to you earlier made absolutely no sense (I was in a bit of a rush), I'm the one looking for info on the house in Glasgow. Yes, I know you're in Edinburgh, but I don't think anybody else on my friends list is even in Scotland. :) I'm posting the info I have right now on my journal. I'll see if I can add any more tomorrow.

Re: I *know*

[missedith01.livejournal.com]

You don't know me but I am relatively normal :-) and I have a friend who lives not far from Glasgow. Did you need a local?

[moniqueleigh]

Anybody who can give info on the mystery is most welcome!! You can see more info in my journal... Ummm.... Over here.

[(Anonymous)]

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[missedith01.livejournal.com]

Of course, we have all sorts of lovely legislation in the UK which protects workers and allows them paid time off, but it doesn't always mean that workers can enforce their rights.

The maximum 48 hour week is a fine example. It's a European directive but our govt implemented it so that any worker can give up their right to restrict their working week to 48 hours if they want to. This was intended, so they said, to preserve the individual freedoms of high-flyers and consultants and the like to work long hours if they chose to do do.

Actually (and somewhat predictably) employers are forcing the issue by making their minimum wage staff give up the right as a condition of getting the job in the first place. The very people the legislation was supposed to protect are the ones that often don't benefit at all.

[andrewducker]

Fortunately we lose our exemption this year...

[allorin.livejournal.com]

You should have balanced this by giving the example of where you work.

IE, if you're anything like me, you have circa thirty days paid leave, three public holidays, and a twelve flex-day allowance which means that if you can work up the flex credit, you can increase your annual leave.

So, I have about 9 weeks off this year.