Santa Quits, Spotted in Fiji, Kudos to Him!
Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, or maybe, if they heard “something crazy like that,” don’t remind them. It’s the holidays. For goodness sake, if we can ignore a whole war, we can certainly deny how hard we worked this year.
Fact is, the average American worker is putting in 200 more hours per year than he or she was in 1973.
The latest report, issued by the International Labor Organization, found that Americans added nearly a full week to their work year during the 1990's, climbing to 1,979 hours on average last year, up 36 hours just from 1990.
By comparison, in the 2000’s, work increased to 137 hours, or about three and one-half weeks, more a year than Japanese workers, 260 hours (about six and one-half weeks) more a year than British workers and 499 hours (about 12 1/2 weeks) more a year than German workers, the report said.
The Japanese had long been at the top for the number of hours worked, but in the mid-1990's the United States surpassed Japan, and since then it has pulled farther ahead.
Well, that’s okay isn’t it? We love our jobs and are happy to have them.
According to a Gallup Poll in 2000, “Attitudes in the American Workplace,” 80% of Americans feel significant stress at work. Crazy—15% of all respondents reported wanting to hit someone—and 10% actually witnessed or participated in an act of violence.
Why all the stress? It might be job security.
Sixty-one per cent Americans say they are concerned that they (or a friend or a relative of theirs) might lose a job because the employer is moving that job to a foreign country, says a Gallup Poll taken in March of 2004.
Stay at a dead-end job? According to a poll by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in April ‘04, 32 percent of the people surveyed were very or somewhat worried they might lose their health care coverage, and 24 percent stayed at their no-love job to keep benefits.
Wow. Working harder than ever for less enjoyment and less benefits. What does that lead to? Hypertension, heart disease, depression, alcoholism or drug addiction, and spousal abuse.
Stress "is an unavoidable consequence of the human condition," says Dr. Paul Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress, “A certain amount of stress can help you stay motivated to do your best. But when tension at work begins to negatively affect your health, your personal life or your overall happiness, it's time to evaluate what you can do to take control.”
Are you in need of an “evaluation?”
I am realistic enough to know that this will not apply to all of you out there in Bloggerland, but here’s a snappy solution. How about working less!
New Year’s resolution: Work less.
Warning: Consequences may include less income to spend on stuff you don’t need. Could mean losing benefits your boss will do away with this year anyway.
May mean quitting a job you don’t like. Could result in more time with family. Might translate into more vacation time.
Visit my website at this link: David Frick
Fact is, the average American worker is putting in 200 more hours per year than he or she was in 1973.
The latest report, issued by the International Labor Organization, found that Americans added nearly a full week to their work year during the 1990's, climbing to 1,979 hours on average last year, up 36 hours just from 1990.
By comparison, in the 2000’s, work increased to 137 hours, or about three and one-half weeks, more a year than Japanese workers, 260 hours (about six and one-half weeks) more a year than British workers and 499 hours (about 12 1/2 weeks) more a year than German workers, the report said.
The Japanese had long been at the top for the number of hours worked, but in the mid-1990's the United States surpassed Japan, and since then it has pulled farther ahead.
Well, that’s okay isn’t it? We love our jobs and are happy to have them.
According to a Gallup Poll in 2000, “Attitudes in the American Workplace,” 80% of Americans feel significant stress at work. Crazy—15% of all respondents reported wanting to hit someone—and 10% actually witnessed or participated in an act of violence.
Why all the stress? It might be job security.
Sixty-one per cent Americans say they are concerned that they (or a friend or a relative of theirs) might lose a job because the employer is moving that job to a foreign country, says a Gallup Poll taken in March of 2004.
Stay at a dead-end job? According to a poll by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in April ‘04, 32 percent of the people surveyed were very or somewhat worried they might lose their health care coverage, and 24 percent stayed at their no-love job to keep benefits.
Wow. Working harder than ever for less enjoyment and less benefits. What does that lead to? Hypertension, heart disease, depression, alcoholism or drug addiction, and spousal abuse.
Stress "is an unavoidable consequence of the human condition," says Dr. Paul Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress, “A certain amount of stress can help you stay motivated to do your best. But when tension at work begins to negatively affect your health, your personal life or your overall happiness, it's time to evaluate what you can do to take control.”
Are you in need of an “evaluation?”
I am realistic enough to know that this will not apply to all of you out there in Bloggerland, but here’s a snappy solution. How about working less!
New Year’s resolution: Work less.
Warning: Consequences may include less income to spend on stuff you don’t need. Could mean losing benefits your boss will do away with this year anyway.
May mean quitting a job you don’t like. Could result in more time with family. Might translate into more vacation time.
Visit my website at this link: David Frick
posted by Not Why, Why Not? @ 5:30 PM
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