Re: American's time shortage

RH wrote:
> The following was copied from:
>
> http://www.simpleliving.net/timeday/
>
> American's are putting  in longer hours on the job now than we did in
> the 1950s...
>
> In fact, we're working more than medieval peasants did, and more than
> the citizens of any other industrial country. 


One European country recently had a national strike for a 6th week of 
annual vacation.  American workers are lucky to get two, and usually 
have to work extra hours before and after to catch up.

Americans (the ones who still work) are being worked to death to support 
the social welfare state.

Prehistoric cavemen had to work about 25 hours per week.

Bob




> Mandatory overtime is at near record levels, in spite of a recession. 
>
> On average, we work nearly nine full weeks (350 hours) LONGER per year
> than our peers in Western Europe do. 
>
> Working Americans average a little over two weeks of vacation per
> year, while Europeans average five to six weeks.
>
>  OVERWORK HURTS ALL OF US IN DIFFERENT WAYS. 
>
> Overwork threatens our health. It leads to fatigue, accidents and
> injuries. It reduces time for exercise and encourages consumption of
> calorie-laden fast foods. Job stress and burnout costs our economy
> more than $200 billion a year. 
>
> Overwork threatens our marriages, families and relationships as we
> find less time for each other, less time to care for our children and
> elders, less time to just hang out. 
>
> It weakens our communities. We have less time to know our neighbors,
> supervise our young people, and volunteer. 
>
> It reduces employment as fewer people are hired and then required to
> work longer hours, or are hired for poor part-time jobs without
> benefits. 
>
> It leaves many of us with little time to vote, much less be informed,
> active citizens. 
>
> It leaves us little time for ourselves, for self-development, or for
> spiritual growth. 
>
> It leads to growing neglect and abuse of pets. 
>
> It even contributes to the destruction of our environment. Studies
> show that lack of time encourages use of convenience and throwaway
> items and reduces recycling. 
>
> WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS EPIDEMIC OF TIME PRESSURE? 
>
> On Friday, October 24, 2003, thousands, perhaps millions, of Americans
> will JUST SAY NO to the overwork, over-scheduling and overstress that
> threaten to overwhelm our lives. They'll take the day or part of it
> off work, and join in hundreds of activities to initiate a much-needed
> national conversation about work/life balance and how we can reclaim
> it. 
>
> The date falls nine weeks before the end of the year, making the point
> that we Americans now work nine weeks more each year than Western
> Europeans do. 
>
> For more information: 
> http://www.simpleliving.net/timeday/