Working hours? October 19, 2016
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.trackback
This in the IT is a piece that references recent research that purports to:
measure precisely how much more Americans work than Europeans do overall. The answer: the average person in Europe works 19 per cent less than the average person in the United States. That’s about 258 fewer hours per year, or about an hour less each weekday. Another way to look at it: US workers put in almost 25 per cent more hours than Europeans.
Fair enough, but note the phrasing here:
Americans are addicted to their jobs. US workers not only put in more hours than workers do almost anywhere else. They’re also increasingly retiring later and taking fewer vacation days.
I wonder though is ‘addicted’ the right word. Factor in ‘at will’ contracts, lack of unions, instability, an impoverished safety net and perhaps “fearful about losing” might be a more applicable term to place in the sentence ‘Americans are… their jobs’.
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But what about productivity? Greeks work longer hours than Germans but are less productive (due to the level of development). Brits are something like 20% less productive than most of the EU, due to poor investment, yet have worse employment practices (zero hours contracts etc) than many EU countries.
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Very true but its all about presenteeism
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“Some companies in Sweden are moving to a six-hour working day in a bid to increase productivity and make people happier.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sweden-introduces-six-hour-work-day-a6674646.html
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Has to be the way to go.
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Unlimited PTO is another “great” idea. HR are always shocked when the employees react with horror and protest. Still goes ahead regardless.
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Of course, Americans ARE fearful of losing their jobs (are not “addicted” to them), and labor unions ARE destroyed. A tragedy for the U.S. and the world. I write from Chicago.
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+1 Chris
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‘Taking fewer vacation days’ -,as if this were a matter entirely of choice. Generally Americans have,what?, two weeks annual leave?
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Get with the programme SoS, everything is a matter of rational choice don’t you know.
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There is no statutory entitlement in the US, staggering isn’t it?
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Then there’s other stuff like something like 6 weeks Maternity Leave, little or no employment security with little or no redundancy payments and so on.
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It was two weeks when I was there, and some people felt under pressure not to take all of that.
Screw that. I left.
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