The Europeans Have It Figured Out
A great quote from Working Smart, Not Long, The Importance of Time Management, by Steve Aranoff & Robert FitzPatrick:
.. a recent article by Stever Robbins, a Harvard Business School graduate, suggests that the time has come to change American work ethos towards working smarter, not longer.Many have wondered why other western countries seem to get along just fine, even though they work far less than we do. Having worked with many European companies in this industry for years, we are forever amazed that in most of Western Europe there are mandatory rules for four to six weeks of vacation and more public holidays than we have here in the States. And yet, The Economist, a well-respected world economic magazine, suggests that when it comes to productivity, "France wins, working only forty hours with lots of vacation."
Gillian Parrillo
Our 4-Hour Workweek
Comments
But are they happier? "Americans tend to score better than Europeans on most happiness surveys. For example, according to the 2002 International Social Survey Programme across 35 countries, 56% of Americans are "completely happy" or "very happy" with their lives, versus 44% of Danes (often cited in surveys as the happiest Europeans), 35% of the French and 31% of Germans. Those sweet five-week vacations and 35-hour workweeks don't seem to be stimulating all that much félicité. A good old-fashioned 50-hour week might be a better option."
Posted by: Mike Posehn | September 20, 2007 4:13 PM