Americans work more than any other industrialized country in the world.
According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, the average employed American works a 46-hour work week; 38% of the respondents in their study worked more than 50 hours per week.
(By 2002 the numbers are at 49 hours a week for men and 43.5 hours a week for women.)
We take less vacation and sick time than any other country. On average Americans have just 23 days off each year (average of 12 annual vacation days...Japan averages 25 annual vacation days).
In Germany they have 35hr work weeks and 30 days of vacation and 12 public holidays. (That’s 42 days, which does not include sick days, training and other entitlements). Right now there are massive protests in Germany because the government wants to re-introduce the 40-hour work week.
In Denmark just a few months ago there were HUGE protests across the country; hundreds of thousands of people protesting- why? Because they were pissed off they only had 5 WEEKS OF PAID VACATION A YEAR and they wanted SIX! (That’s 42 days of vacation time a year, not including holidays and sick time!) And guess what? After the protests and strikes the people won and now have 6 weeks of paid vacation a year.
(Italy also offers 42 days of vacation time)
France also has a 35 hour work week and most all European countries average less than 40 hours per week with more than a month of vacation time a year.
Does this surprise anyone? Have you always just figured that 40/hours a week and 1-2 weeks of vacation per year is the norm?
It’s a shame there isn’t any organization amongst the American Workers. We could easily demand and win a 30-35/hr work week and at least 3-4 weeks paid vacation.
According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, the average employed American works a 46-hour work week; 38% of the respondents in their study worked more than 50 hours per week.
(By 2002 the numbers are at 49 hours a week for men and 43.5 hours a week for women.)
We take less vacation and sick time than any other country. On average Americans have just 23 days off each year (average of 12 annual vacation days...Japan averages 25 annual vacation days).
In Germany they have 35hr work weeks and 30 days of vacation and 12 public holidays. (That’s 42 days, which does not include sick days, training and other entitlements). Right now there are massive protests in Germany because the government wants to re-introduce the 40-hour work week.
In Denmark just a few months ago there were HUGE protests across the country; hundreds of thousands of people protesting- why? Because they were pissed off they only had 5 WEEKS OF PAID VACATION A YEAR and they wanted SIX! (That’s 42 days of vacation time a year, not including holidays and sick time!) And guess what? After the protests and strikes the people won and now have 6 weeks of paid vacation a year.
(Italy also offers 42 days of vacation time)
France also has a 35 hour work week and most all European countries average less than 40 hours per week with more than a month of vacation time a year.
Does this surprise anyone? Have you always just figured that 40/hours a week and 1-2 weeks of vacation per year is the norm?
It’s a shame there isn’t any organization amongst the American Workers. We could easily demand and win a 30-35/hr work week and at least 3-4 weeks paid vacation.
