By CNN Global Public Square
For more “What in the World,” watch "Fareed Zakaria GPS" on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET
The summer holiday season is winding down. But last Monday, Americans got to enjoy one last hurrah. A federal holiday – Columbus Day.
But can we afford all these days off? And how does America compare with the rest of the world?
Well, the consulting firm Mercer ranks countries by the number of holidays each requires by law. The data confirms a number of commonly held stereotypes (and there a few surprises). Take a look. Top of the list is the United Kingdom, with 28 statutory holidays. Nine of the top ten countries are, of course, in Europe who love La Dolce Vita. Eight of those are in Western Europe.
But look further down the list and it continues to be dominated by European countries: about 20 days off for the Germans, Irish, and Italians. Then come a bunch of Latin American states, and then the Asian ones – Hong Kong, Pakistan, and Singapore with just 14 statutory holidays.
Where’s the United States? Dead last, actually. Zero statutory holidays! That’s because federal law does not mandate pay for time not worked. In practice however, Mercer says Americans are allowed about 15 working days off a year – still pretty close to bottom of the list. What’s more, only about half of Americans actually take their full quota of days off, according to the World Tourism Organization. Europeans, once again, have no such qualms.
Columbus Day is early voting in three states
But let’s go back to Columbus Day. Federal holidays like those are counted separately. These are days when government offices and banks are closed – and so businesses have an incentive to follow suit. But even on those, the U.S. lags behind. Mercer puts the U.S. at joint 9th place, with 9 such days. Top of the list are India, with 16 such public holidays, and Colombia even higher, with 18. But Argentina has climbed even higher after the Mercer survey was published. It now has 19 public holidays. They too, had last Monday off. But they don’t call it Columbus Day; in Argentina it is called “Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity.” The Financial Times reports how these holidays have increased by 7 full days since President Cristina Kirchner took office in 2007 – a 60 percent jump. The logic here isn’t simply to keep people happy. The FT points out that domestic tourism during long weekends has increased by 40 percent this year. The government estimates more than 800,000 people traveled around the country last weekend, spending $130 million. So how’s that for a paradox – holidays that boost economic growth.
In fact it’s a tradeoff: the boost to tourism versus a decline in economic activity. But countries also have to juggle political and cultural sensitivities.
Holidays offer a chance to recharge. Americans shouldn’t worry about taking some time off. Look around the world; we are not slackers. Most important, our growth has been fueled not by long hours, but by innovation, productivity, education, and immigration.
One final thought. How about adding one holiday to the U.S. calendar – one which most countries have. Presidential Election Day. If we did that, we might find that many more Americans would take part in what should be an essential act of citizenship.
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Americans are logging in more time at work and skipping vacation time. Most work more than 40 hours a week. Though the shift has helped companies cut expenses and increased U.S. productivity, the extra work is negatively affecting their health, family lives, and effectiveness at work.
If most Americans sat down and calculated what they REALLY earn per hour they'd be shocked. Those on "standard" (non hourly) salaries earn less per hour the more hours they work. They might find that high-dollar dream job isn't so grand after they've worked a year's worth of 60-80 hour weeks.
Who works 80 hours per week? If you average it out, that's about 11.4 hours per day if one worked 7 days a week. If just 6 days a week, that's 13.3 hours per day. I don't know of anyone that works that many hours per day and if they do, it is maybe a day or two max in one week's time. Now maybe doctors do but I personally know several and they are always taking days off, heading somewhere for the weekend, etc. So if they work say 12 hours a day, it's not every single day of the year. 80 hours a week may happen sometimes but I certainly do not think it is normal in any job.
frank 80hrs a week is a low number for ppl in finance.... especially if you are just out of college ....
I regularly work 80+ hour weeks in healthcare, as do most of my colleagues.
That's what we've been talking about. Capitalist works. Any other countries other than US are socialist.
CNN doesn't look at the fact that the rich and famous in US have 365 days off very years.!!!!
Frank,
I don't know anyone in Retail that works LESS that a 65 hour week during the regular year, and 75-80 is easily made during the Holiday season.
Who do you think is at those stores that open at Midnight for Black Friday and on through until Xmas Eve?
It isn't new hires or "extra" staff.
This is very true. Most people who go from hourly to salary end up making less per hour because they end up putting in far more hours. When you are on salary, the day doesn't necessary end at 5:00 or when you clock out and leave the work location. I don't ever seem to get a break anymore. People call and email at home. I can't even go on vacation without being in constant contact with people back at the office. Two days vacation at a time is the most I can take, too, because that's about as long as they can be on their own. Some days I get so frustrated that I would gladly take a pay cut just to get half of my life back. I ended up working several hours from home yesterday and ended up going into the office today. That's not extra time I get paid for. Honestly, if I added up the time I worked and did the math, it would likely come out to around $10-12/hour. But, at least I have a job. That's more than a lot of people can say right now.
Frank, I'm working 6 days per week 12 hours per day right now. I typically do this for at least several months each year – and I'm on salary.
THX1953;
What a lie! My wife works at a nationally known, WELL known retailer and most of their staff is part time and that is the rule for most retail stores. They hire extra part-time people rather than have full timers so they don't have to provide benefits. This is the rule for all of them. You are either lying or delusional or both.
@ meemee
Doofus! No one said hourly got extra hours. Of course they're part time. They get paid by the hour.
Salaried people are the ones that work all the extra hours because they don't make any more no matter how many hours they work.
As a surgeon I average 80 hours per week. Once I worked 124 hours in a week, do the math, I didn't sleep much. So don't think people don't do it because you haven't seen it. When a workDAY can be 40 hours they start to add up.
I.T. workers can get in the long day bind. If you are a system administrator and your system goes down, you work until it is fixed. If that means a 12 hour day, so be it, if it means a 20 hour day? Yep. The only exception would be if you are waiting for a vendor to deliver a part. I don't get too many days like that, but I do get some, and I know others who do it far more often.
The hourly workers who are stuck working for companies that only hire them on a part time basis still work many hours, they just have to spread that time between more than one job. No one can make a living on a part time basis working retail. Even living in a cardboard box costs more than that.
The employees who are worth hiring, get tired of juggling two or three jobs and no benefits, and go find work in some other area, or find a retailer who is willing to treat their workers decently. The part time only strategy is a great way for any company to provide sub-standard service.
Yet the piggies export our jobs to China and India. Does anyone see a problem?
High level executives work all day every day as theyve traded their life for their job, they never spend time at home because they are on some trip and when they are home they are doing work. People like to say that celebrities dont work but when they arent making a show/movie they are constantly on the road going from interview to interview promoting it and only spend a few weeks at home each year.
80 hrs a wk might be high for many, but I've never known any non-gov't worker trying to earn more than the median income, ie, trying to make it, who isn't working a few hundred extra hours a year, on top of endless training, retraining, businesses and work on the side, and still, we can barely make any gains over inflation even. American workers make crap after you figure how much time they put in, and double crap compared to workers in other countries who get far more MANDATED time off. It wasn't such a bad deal 20 yrs ago when it bought us an increasing standard of living. Now though, only the top 10% see their pay and wealth going up nearly 10% a year, over the last two decades, thanks to the endless hours the rest of work, and while the median income has actually shrunk, and that's before factoring in inflation.
Virtually nobody averages 80 hours per week. Nobody. Sure someone will tell you stories about that they do but they don't 80 hours a week is 11+ hours a day, EVERY day EVERY week of the year including weekends and holidays. Most people commute on averate more than 30 minutes per day one way (that's 1 hour round trip) and take at least 1 hour to get ready in the morning. and at least 1 hour to go bed after they get home.
That is over 14 hours per day every day of the year. This also assumes they never take a lunch break... ever.
Assuming you sleep 8 hours, or close to it, that leaves just 2 hours per day of unaccounted for time per day ANYTHING else (shop, lawwork, housework, dr/s appointments, etc).
So essentially you'd do nothing but work. That happens from time to time but rarely for even a full month, and almost never for a full year. I used to average my time at work on a spreadsheet, I did it for a whole year. I thought I was working killer hours and I was, but it doesn't take much to knock your average below 80 hours a week.
Almost nobody averages 80 hours for long periods of time.
As a working middle class American, I completely agree that we don't get enough time off. What's even more of a downer, is where I work it seems like taking my own vacation time is somewhat discouraged. My boss gets all down, or says sarcastic things whenever I try to take a couple days off. Of course he lets me have the time off, but he just discourages it and makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong by leaving for a few days. It shouldn't be that way, but maybe this is unique to the company I work for, I don't know.
Hello Brady,
I am sorry your boss does that. I had one boss years ago who got upset because I only gave him 3 weeks notice when I planned to take vacation. Like your boss he put the guilt trip on me. I can relate it is no fun.
I'll be taking a week off at the end of October ... do you know when I put in for that vacation? APRIL. I used to feel bad about taking time off, but with what's happened in my office the last few weeks, I no longer worry. Will the company go on just fine without me for a few days if I take some personal time? Most likely, yes. If the whole company inexplicably collapses just because I'm not there for a few days, who's problem is it? Not mine.
This reply is for Frank. You must not know many people in the "executive" field then. A lot of people complain that those "executives" get big paychecks for little work. Well, I'm here to tell you that my husband has been a SVP level employee of large corporations for close to 40 years, and most weeks he works anywhere from 12-14 hour days during the M-F week, and does work at home probably 6-8-10 hours on the weekends. And holidays? Ha, what's that? Christmas & Thanksgiving we can count on– beyond that, I can't remember the last "holiday" he got off. I'm not saying ALL people at his level work like this, but I know he does. Has it affected our home life? You betcha. It has been the source of more than one disagreement, especially when it came to our kids growing up. And the ironic thing– due to companies being so concerned about executives pay scales being perceived so negatively, our annual income is actually now about 12% less than it was 10 years ago. And..... yes, he has developed stress related cardiac problems. Such fun being "at the top". Not!! I wish he would find something less stressful & less time intensive. I'd rather have less pay & more husband.
I've worked more than 80 hours on a REGULAR basis in two different careers: Architecture & publishing. The first was as an hourly low-paid, college-degreed designer but I did NOT get time & a half for overtime (the secretary did...go figure). The second was as a magazine writer who was an expert in my field and who traveled a LOT with no comp time. Photo shoots started before dawn, finished after dark, took the clients to dinner, set up the next shoot, etc, and somehow wrote all my articles & met all the deadlines plus had to do face time in the office. On salary = NO extra income for long, long hours worked. This is the standard in deadline-oriented industries. Same for anyone who is an estimator in construction, etc. You get put on salary because they can't possibly afford to pay you for every hour worked. Not that you get much time off when you need it or want it...not paid nor unpaid time off. Americans are either unemployed or over-employed with nothing in between. Awful way to run an economy. I've also worked crazy long hours in restaurants as a student. Businesses seem to NEVER staff up properly, always short-handed, and will work you to death. Literally. My last editor had a heart attack and did at the office...on a SUNDAY after working many, many, many days in a row with no day off.
My guess is your SVP husband is "working" playing golf or messing around with his girlfriend. There is no reason to work more than 40 hours if you are actually working.
I understand what you are talking about. My father has been SVP level employee for numerous companies, such as PepsiCo., over the last 20 years. Not only did he on average work a 12h day in a M-F workweek and frequently work during weekends and holidays, there were many times he would have to cancel his vacation days because he would have to manage a recall. He frequently travels around the country and spends time away from our family. Although he has not worked as long as your husband, my father has worked hard for our family so that we may have a comfortable life. I only wish though that he could make up the times he missed out on as my brother, sister, and I grew up and the weeks that he had to spend away from our family.
I should probably inform you guys that the average American worker take SIGNIFICANTLY more sick days off a year, take more vacation time, work significantly less hours, get paid significantly more, is not as productive as people with LESS resources as well as wage, and must go through one of the easiest education system to get there. Nothing to be proud of. Americans don't need more holidays, they need less. Kids are already making their own reasons to celebrate like Thirsty Thursdays and Thirsty Tuesdays and Whiskey Wednesdays and the every other day they drink and party only to cause accidents hurting 10 others.
More sick days? The average American takes 3 sick days off per year. That is far far less than ANY WESTERN COUNTRY. You are a troll.
Lets here something from the teachers here in the us!
In Latin America we work to live; up there you live to work. I like the way things are here.
Exactly what I was thinking.We do live to work, our lives revolve around it. Most of us work so hard, and live check to check anyway,..Whats the point? So that someday we might "retire" - with the hopes that "social security" will still be around?
I know - scary, right??
(correction for my above post: My editor DIED at the office on a Sunday. Typo.)
Unfortunately Doc, that is a sad truth of many peoples lives here. The bottom line for most companies and organizations is the almighty dollar. We are expected to put our "personal" family lives last if we want to appear to be valuable employees. In my job, when I was hired the administrators extolled the virtues of 200 Personal Time Off hours per year – that works out to five work weeks. What they didn't tell me was that actually asking for time off and getting it, or getting a major holiday off to spend time with family is like pulling teeth over here. We are expected to kill ourselves and be available 24/7, 365, for jobs that we grow to hate because they slowly become our lives. I have been trying to find another career or line of work that isn't so demanding of me personally before I get too old, but I just passed the 50 mark, and it only gets worse as other employees leave and are not replaced due to budget cuts. What a mess this country has become, the quality of life for the average worker is really the pits.
I work for the largest Telcom in the US and they REQUIRE that we use all of our vacation – no carry over vacation allowed. Additionally, lower level management follow the FLSA rules that say you work 40 hours a week and anything over must be paid overtime. That's for MANAGEMENT. Don't know who you all work for, but I'm happy with what I have. If all those companies requiring people to work 60-80 hours a week, while on vacation, etc., would hire the proper number of people to manage the job, the unemployment would be cut in half.
At Comman..
In the US you get only two weeks vacation.. compared with Europe minimum of four weeks.. Not enough vaction in the US, and then some companies don't want you to take vacation..
Unions. Collective Bargaining. Safety and Power in numbers.
I agree with you %120!! That is 1 reason why I want to move to Europe! Life is too short people!!!!!!
just vote for obama he will take away money from the rich so people like me and you can just enjoy our lives
Frank, you've obviously never worked in a factory. I worked 12 hour days for 90 days straight once.
Frank, I used to work in a factory on a rotating shift, the only rule was, they weren’t allowed to have me work two shifts in a row. So they would have me work 1st, 3rd on Monday 2nd shift on Tuesday and the 1st and 3rd again the next day and so on... So I would work 88 hours per week for a solid year. My company only gave 3 holidays per year, and no vacation time (since everyone working there was a "temp worker") and we would get no time off whatsoever for vacation or sick leave. There should be workplace laws in place that regulate temp agencies... its not like people have a lot of choices on where they work now a days.
What are you talking about..
In aregentina most people have two jobs one early in the morning and another one that starts at 4:00 PM till midnight.
In Chile people go to work at 7:00AM and don't get back home till eight or nine at night.. and so on many countries work very hard..and their moneydoesn't go that far..
Did I miss the link to the list??
where's the link to the list?
And another big difference which has a negative effect on health and family is the relative lack of paid vacation the US.
Fareed should have noted an important nuance: The rise of US companies that give a limitless holiday schedule (mostly Silicon Valley high-growth tech's, but also BestBuy and IBM). The rationale? Get your work done and take off. This immediate-reward vacation policy (the reward being the extra free time) boosts productivity and happiness at work. Being a European working at such a company in the US, I took about 5 weeks off last year (about 25 – 26 days off), and so did most of my firm. Our company grows by about 60% year-on-year. Proof that disruptive innovation, whether technological or about holiday policy, will always come from the US.
On the other hand, my friends in Europe complain about slow growth: Slow salary growth, long corporate ladder, slow processes, slow everything... and they don't know what to do with their 30 days of holidays. They often sit at home for 1/3 of that allocated time-off as they do not have the income to go on trips for all 30 days off. As a result overall productivity is down (sitting at home), and there is no significant increase in leisurely spending on their side (than if they had 20 or 25 days off).
Lucky you. In most US companies you have to sit in your cube 8-5 and listen to everyone talk about holidays, kids, sports and what not since there is no incentive for them to actually work. Then you read the same page 5 times because you keep being distructed by all the noise.
If I could just get my work done in peace and get out of there I could have 6 months vacation.
I KNOW!! I have actually had to tell people at work that I need to focus on work. If they would be quiet, I could be done in 2 hours what it takes all day to do.
Also, I recently switched from hourly to exempt and my hourly rate has gone down. A lot. Today is an extreme example, but I got to work at 7:00 this morning and didn't get home until 11 this evening. I came home to a house where everyone is in bed. Bottle of wine in the kitchen with a post it saying there is a pot pie for me in the freezer. My company recently started a minimum 60 hour work week for all exempt employees.Full time hourly employees may not work more than 35 hours a week and are compensated for sick/vacay at 7 hrs a day. Part timers (most of the company) cannot work more than 30 hours a week so the company can avoid benefits. They also cannot work more than 999 hours per year, b/c our part-timers earn 40 hours of vacation if they work 1000 hours in a year. So the motivation is there...but it isn't. I'd rather go back to making less and having more time with my spouse.
My son is an engineer in a innovative computer based company like Silicon valley. His work is limitless and he has to be sent home because he never feels finished. He does not take the vacation offered. And he is one of the most productive engineers in the business. "Finish your job and then take off, would have no meaning to him." I think your companies system is a trap for the conscientious.
That's exactly the type of thinking that has brainwashed employees into long hours and fruitless efforts.
yeah well that's his problem... workaholic's are sheep in my eyes- My motto: I'll be down the shore if you need me.. but I don't have good reception on the beach so most likely you wont get me. Call someone else.
Works for Jerks- Schools for fish
Those are problems, but they are the same in the US. Wages have stagnated and unemployment is higher here than most European countries. The logic that more vacation = less productivity makes sense, but I don't see it in real world numbers.
This is only recently, during the slowdown. When I lived there, everyone was going on ski vacations in the winter and trips to the beach every weekend, and often three week trips to the Mediterranean or even farther. They also did a lot of sports; vollyball or tennis every weekend with family and friends on picnics at the many facilities that served them, often ones with swimming pools or on lakes. They also dance at least once a week at a Guest House or somewhere else. Almost everyone went to walks anytime the rain stopped and hiking was the national sport. Walking up a mountain to drink a beer at the summit at a "hut" was common (and wonderful). They generally smoke, eat lots of sweets, drink, eat meat, etc., but where far happier and healthier than most Americans.
They could try picking up a book. One problem with Europeans today is that they don't read or even care to explore their own national history. I was amazed at how many people in France didn't know about French history for example. I was also amazed when in England years earlier at how many middle class English didn't give a hoot about places like Stonehenge. The problem is the media that tells them how unimportant their countries are while all the action is in Africa or some other supposedly exotic place.
Best Buy will soon be of no consideration because it can't help but go broke. the last three times I have been to the store if I hadn't know what I wanted and where it was I would have had to leave. No help, and when someone finally came they tried to tell me that the item I was looking for was no longer manufactured. Don't go to Best Buy in Austin Texas, a store full of id iots.
Just mandate that employers must give employees paid time off to vote.
Federal employees do, PROVIDED that the hours the polls are open would interfere with your work schedule. Most polls open as early as 7 am and close at 8 pm. I cannot imagine anyone not being able to go to the polls either going to work or on the way home.
We don't need more holidays, but employers should allow time for the devout to have paid days off (besides Good Friday). And I STRONGLY want to go back to "blue laws" when businesses are closed Sundays.
We don't need more holidays in America, except for the religious people? Sheesh.
My Sabbath is on Saturday. Can we close all businesses on Saturday too?
The Church of Bob requires at least three days a week off for contemplation.
If I had election day off, I wouldn't vote. I'd spend my time doing something else that mattered. I work at a high-level tech support job. Though it may appear to my boss that I work 50 hours a week, I actually work closer to 24 hours a week – every week. You just have to be smart about it. We do not need more laws for people to enjoy life. You only need to make the decision that you are going to enjoy life more.
Most countries vote on Sunday for this reason.
so wheres the bloody link then?
if it was up your assssss you would know.
In most European countries elections take place on a Sunday, so people can cast their ballots.
The Germans, Swiss and other Northern Europeans have 4 weeks off – 20 working days. Yet they are still productive. So it's the quality of the workforce that counts and not the high number of working hours that matters.
Gives them more time to organize National Socialist rallies.
Oh, now here's a real intelligent comment!
Fareed, I agree a national holiday so the voters can vote makes sense. However, using the economic effect, ie, economic gain, of a national holiday is similiar to using the economic gain from unemployment benefits. The government espouses that for every dollar of unemployment benefit spent, there is 1.78 dollars of economic gain as the unemployment dollar circulated through the economy. If that is true, lets ALL get unemployment and go on a year long holiday.
I for one don't mind that the US "lags behind," as Fareed so tellingly put it, the likes of Argentina, Columbia, India and lebanon in the number of paid mandated holidays. I'm not interested in following the lead of societies that are in so many ways far more disfunctional than our own.
You're following the all too often used American method of comparing this country to what we used to call third world countries. I guess that's because in so many aspects the US fails to measure up to other, more 'advanced' countries. And isn't it telling that the US lags behind not only countries like Germany, Sweden, UK, Italy, Denmark, Norway and many others with very high living standard and great equality, but also the countries that you so summarily dismiss?
No news here! We've known for a long time that, due to corporate greed, American workers are treated worse than those in third world countries.
Amen! Quality of life issues are greatly overlooked in the equation. And it's not as if we get any benefit anymore for all these hours of our lives taken away by work. No pension at all, no 401k matching, no real health insurance, just a chance to pay full-price for health care using pre-tax dollars (no one can afford to even break an arm with that! And forget about treating cancer...) Americans are screwed to the wall and I don't hear any candidates really discussing how we are caught in an endless treadmill.
Just a minor critique, Wilburn, Col"u"mbia with a "u" is actually a poetic name for the United States. The "dysfunctional" country you want to mention is spelled Col"o"mbia with an "o". That's why there was a space shuttle named "Columbia", or did you also think it was named after the South American country?
Don't Forget the Capital of South Carolina...
Interesting
Hey Fareed, please dont tell me or others whats good for them when it comes to time off. I work all the time and love it. Its shown that old people that never retire live longer. You dont want the USA telling the rest of the world what to do, so take some of your own advice. I'm usually feeling recharged when you take a vacation, so the longer the better!
Lee,
I am very jealous of your energy! While I have to agree with you, that people who stay occupied live longer, I don't necessarily think that work is what does it for everyone. I am 28, work 2 jobs at about 70 hours per week. The money isn't too bad because both jobs are comparable with wages and I bring home enough money to cover all the bills and stick a nice wad in savings. However, I am totally beat most of the time and I would rather spend my one day off sleeping as opposed to anything else. It really stinks. I would LOVE more vacation time, especially since I barely qualify for 40 hours right now. I think a lot of people, especially those of us right out of school or young and single and working our butts off to make ends meet would actually benefit from a little extra vacation. I know I would.
(And just to let you know, my idea of "occupied" as I get older isn't a job–it's a full life with lots of family, maybe volunteering or chasing grandkids. So long as my mind and body are kept sharp I think I will live a very long, happy, and full life.)
"people who don't retire live longer"
No selection bias there at all. Have you ever studied any kind of logic, research methods, or science? Seriously, obvious third variable problems here. We need a regression analysis to establish causation. What did they teach people those days?
Lee, the quality fo work matters though. If you had to work 16 hours evey day for years or even 12 hours then it would take toll on you, for sure.
Also, keep in mind that for families with young children 9-10 hours of work is just the beggining, you add about 4 hours of house work on top of that every day. With 7-8 hours of sleep there are just about 2 hours of personal time left in a day, It is hard to maintain this kind of schedule for years and years and not feel burned out.
To compare countries never gives a clear picture. In China, they get a week off for the national holiday, but typically the employees work the weekend before and the weekend after which means they get one net day for the holiday. They also don't typically work a 40 hour work week so having more "holidays" is a trade off.
The "Puritan Work Ethic" is engrained in our society. But at the end of the day - more to the point, at the end of our lives - do we really want our deathbed thoughts to be of how much we produced? We're not an ant colony; should life me about more than that?
Totally with you Syd! I have yet to see a tombstone that says "He/She worked really hard".
Thank you! I can assure you that on my deathbed I won't be thinking about any of the jobs I've had.
Its impossible to mandate a holiday on election day, one the GOP wont aloud it. There are more registered democrats vs republicans therefore having a holiday on voting day will effect them greatly.
Elections are a game, and both teams try to maipulate the rules to their advantage. I am surprised that neither party has pushed for a national election day holiday. I'm sure that the advantage has gone the other way at some point in time. I guess they are both happy with gerrymandering as their main tool for assuring victory in the places they hold the lead.
I'd be fine with a national holiday for that as long as the Democrats concede that only US citizens can vote. Obama has sicced his Attorney General on every state that has attempted to require that only citizens vote.
Oh for cripe's sake.
There needs to be way more days off. And they should be mandated for pay. People need time off to refuel.
I wouldn't vote if you gave me a month off. Simple minded fools thinking they are changing something or that it matters who is in charge. You people are imprisioned and unable to think for yourselves. Go ahead and look to another stupid human that wipes their butt the same way you do to lead and make your life great. Fools!
The last paragraph is awesome
I'd love to have more holidays off, but picked a profession that works every holiday, every other weekend. Wait, so do stores, which is just too sad. Let's go back to keeping only health care workers doing those holidays, no store needs to be open on any holiday.
Americans do need more holidays and time off. Most full-time employed americans work 40+ a week and some hate their jobs. Work for a significant amount of americans is miserable, but they do so to support their family, etc. They should have free time to enjoy their families, hobbies.
Ahhh yes the unlimited holdays....lol I somehow always woked a job where the maximum hoidays was 7 days. The Federal goverment could have had 50 days for all that mattered as employers are not required and really have no
incentive to give more then their bare minimum. Now that I am retired all those good old federal holidays still mean nothing. I only find it that more rustrating when I want to go to the Post office or the bank ad find they all have the day off. So in the end it still no longer matters an I ignore most holidays as for someone else but not me.
Welcome to the American way of life! If you are responsible and dont go robbing people to live, you end up working harder so more lazy liberals can live off gubiment checks at our expense.
Keep working hard! Millions of deadbeat mothers on welfare depend on us!
60% of the "deadbeats" on Welfare are children. Of the remaining 40%, millions are the working poor, who work two and three jobs at little pay and can't make ends meet.
The average Welfare family has two children. Average time on Welfare is 18 months to two years while Welfare helps them get an education and get back on their feet.
The blue states contribute more to the government "welfare" funds than the red states do; the red states consume more of the government "welfare" funds than the blue states do.
I listen to your wisdom, it is easier than thinking. Clearly, it's those welfare mothers that are dragging us all down.
Dont forget food stamps. I was behind some overweight person who bought ton of groceries including three cheescakes (in the express lane no less) with food stamps. Happens all the time according to the disgusted cashier.
Giveaways to these legions of parasites only encourages this type of behaviour.
More vacation time leads to higher productivity. Shockingly, people are more productive when they're well-rested and healthy.
Americans do in fact need more paid holidays rather than PTO. For those of us who do not use the allotted PTO for fear of losing their value in the work place (which is a mindset), we know that a paid holiday is mandatory and provides a sense of relief when taking the day(s) off.
Our lazy, public sector are the only people who can take the holidays we currently have. But I'm sure they're ready pile on as many as you ask them to take.
That must be tragic when you call the Police or EMTs or Fire Department on a Holiday. Oh, wait, they work all Holidays.
IMHO, the break down in trust between the corporate and the worker will ultimately weaken our industrial base. Having worked in a company where there was forced long work weeks burned many out. Having to do that for years on end has had dire consequences on our culture. High dependency on health care, legal and illegal drug abuse, decline in family values and moral vales as a whole. All for the love some spreadsheet's bottom line and the dollar? At some point there will be a breaking point. Its all a question of balance and right now, the work life balance is definitely skewed. Bring on some HOLIDAYS!!!!
Lets start by making election day a national holiday. Maybe that will encourage all our fellow citizens from all sections of our society to get and VOTE and take RESPONSIBILITY for OUR nation. Lets NOT not turn our once proud and noble democracy into a cross between the NFL and WWF. The greatest threat to our nation IS NOT men with box cutters, but everyday ignorance in what is happening to our democracy. Its not just who will be POTUS for years, its about setting a collective set of goals for our Nation so that it my continue to prosper for the next 100!
I have always thought Election day should be a day off and mandatory voting, unless health would prohibit it *(mental and physically).
Exactly! Voting is mandatory in some countries such as Belgium. Their thinking is that with democracy come benefits as well as responsibilities, and voting is one of those responsibilities. There's nothing to stop you from casting an invalid ballot in protest if you want, but if you don't show up to vote and you don't have a valid excuse, you will be fined. It would have the secondary effect of putting an end to all the recent efforts we've seen to suppress the vote in certain areas.
I disagree with the mandated voting. The way I figure, if someone can't be bothered to vote, then we shouldn't consider their vote anyway. In fact, I wish more people would choose not to vote.
YES!!!! Fareed for President.
I discovered a long time ago that they could not give me enough money to make up for the time they could not give me back. There is nothing more precious than the time we have.
I worked for State Farm Insurance for almost 43 years...and in my time working the time off never really changed: New Years, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, 2 days Thanksgiving and Christmas...that's it. And since I retired, I understand my former office is now requiring Mandatory OT and cancelling some scheduled vacation. Corporate America needs to get a life!! They don't seem to understand what has worked in the past and how they became the companies they are...HAPPY EMPLOYEES!! So glad to be retired now and out of the stressful workplace.
Wow you got to retire??? lucky you
We need either need fewer holidays in America or need to make them mandatory so everyone can enjoy then. What we have now is a bunch of people getting the day off and making the rest of us who don't work harder. Holidays = more customers = more work but without any extra pay. Easter is the only holiday I've worked in the last year where I got any holiday pay. New Years? Nope. Memorial Day? Nope. Labor Day? (Freakin' Labor Day!) Nope. Don't even ask me about Thanksgiving or Christmas, those holidays are freakin' nightmares.
Holidays in America are days when people have to work more, not less. Why would I want more of that?
Those of us who work 5 days a week already get 104 days off a year. How many more do you need?
I don't know about you, but I spend those 104 "extra" days running errands, washing clothes, taking care of stuff around the house, and generally trying to make myself feel like I can actually face the commute and the job when the rat race starts again Monday morning.
I just want to let you know Fahreed. Only gov't workers got Columbus Day off.
We who work in the oil field do not get holidays off. We get paid extra to work them though. I work pretty much all holidays. The oil field is a 24/7 business and doesn't care about holidays.
We don't need more holidays, we need more jobs. Getting laid off stinks. But every day is a holiday for me now, right?
Not so much.
I don't work. when my fist child was born I left the workforce and a very lucrative position and I have never regretted it for a moment. However, the people around me are always questioning my decision – "what, you don't work?" "What do you do all day?" "You'll go back when their older...right?" It's very hard not to get defensive to be honest. In this country, unless you are locked in an office all day, you're a loser.
Leigh, I support you unconditionally. I am a man, PhD, university professor and have three small children. In the last three years, I've had double-shift, caring for my home, my children, taking them to school, for hockey, skiing, in addition to teaching and help my students and clients. I cook and clean as well, including clothes, because I have not someone to do these jobs for me. My great discovery and confirmation: there is nothing more precious than working for your children, for your family. This prejudice against (especially women) who decides to "work" at home (and not stuck in an office work) is something ideological and can not make sense in a more advanced society. Please stay strong. Live your life, take care of your child and do not mind the comments. Your option has no price. It's something that few can do, subblime and aware, because the majority are victims of the ideology of organizational work.
You do what is right for you and what you can afford. I am a workgin mother of 2. I could afford to stay home but I want to work. I have no homemaker skills, I find cooking, cleaning, sewing boring beyong belief. I still do it but not full time. Instead I work, I worj with computers and I love y job. A lot of people find this to be wrong as well. But I cannot help it. This is how I was made so to speak. I wasn't meant to be a homemaker.
We should just be more accepting of each other. To each their own.
I absolutely agree: a civic holiday in the day of elections it is something the United States needs. Elections are the great mark of this great nation. The world has been greatly influenced by the American history on democracy and elections in all level. So, why not have a special day for elections, a day of party, to exercise the precious right of choice? Fareed, I am absolutely in favour of it. Think about it lawmakers.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain Unalienable Rights, that among these are LIFE, LIBERTY and the pursuit of HAPPINESS. — " This was WHY the USA Needed to be Created – but we are now OWNED as SLAVES of CAPITALISM where there Soulless, Heartless PEOPLE who are CORPORATIONS only Value the WORK by which the People who are NOT Corporation enrich these DEMONS.
Your analysis is essentially correct.
Americans are the hardest working people in the world. Productivity went up 400% over the last 30 years or so but who gained from this? Not the workers. Wages have stagnated and even gone down due to the Bush recession and the top people in the country have realized all of the gains. Sounds like we are slaves to the corporations.
In all fairness you should've said american machines, computers and robots are the most hard working in the world. This is ow you increase productivity by 400%. The humans themselves are much lazier and less productivethan even 50 years ago. But with tools and computers they cna compensate for that many times over.
YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You bunch of Sorry A$$E$!!! You cry because you have to work more then most well why don't you move to Argentina and suck off their system. I can't make my money if you are taking all of these days off, I need my time because it is SOOOO hard to run such a Large multinational Corporation. Moving to Argentina is just fine by me I can pay you even less there. Grow up people, and get to work you are KILLING my Bonus with all of you Crying and Feeling sorry 4ur self.
You might want to calm your anger down a bit before you have a stroke.
I see an article just like this once every 2-3 months. I know CNN has run articles just like this in the past. And the responses in the comments are usually the same. Most people agree and think we should have some form of mandatory vacation time. But what is really ironic is that, even given the strong support for the article, NOTHING EVER HAPPENS. There is NEVER any change. It's just like Groundhog Day. See everyone in a few months when we get to complain again. And NOTHING is changed. So much for the will of the people.
Just because Americans spend more time at work doesn't necessarily mean they accomplish more. Having worked in this country and in 2 different European countries, it was my experience that the Europeans work harder while at work. They were certainly no less productive than Americans, but their holidays and paid vacations are sacred. They take the time to enjoy life, and they're 100% correct. If you don't do it now, just when do you think you WILL do it?
Fareed, I agree with you . We need Election day. Americans are deciding who the next leader of the free world going to be. This is the time of celeberation and requires seriouis attention. We have political parties trying to buy this electioin and we must stand up and put a stop. We need to do better than egyptians..
This only helps middle class Americans who vote for Democratic Party. A day off will help them take time away from tough jobs and go out to work. I bet you the Republicans will never approve this in the congress. Go figure..
Who gets Columbus Day off except for civil servants and the post office? We don't need more holidays. What we need are more paid vacation days for people employed in the private sector.
This has GOT to be a joke, right? Anyone ever heard of the Chinese who are taking our jobs by the millions because they are willing to do these jobs for less money and then turn around and sell us their products at cheap prices? GOOD LORD FOLKS, get a clue.
What you might not realize in majority of white collar jobs while you are on vacation or holiday nobody is doing your job anyway. When you are back you just work harder to catch up. But an extra day off is still worth it since you get to unwind and catch up on errands.
So, inr eality 2-5 extra holidays wouldn't cost business anything in many cases unless we are talking about a plant shutdown.
So, you want the US to be more like how you imagine china to be?
Truth is, they eat our lunch, and they get more days off work. Look at our history, and our parents and grandparents got more time off than we do. The US was never more productive because we slaved harder, it was because we did a better job. We were smarter, more efficient. Now we just try to burn our workers harder and pay them less. More sweat shops will not lead to greater prosperity. Especially now that robots can do that kind of work.
There should be one three-day weekend per month. It will keep our working class from murdering each other.
no. they need more money.
Yah, we need more regulations to help us compete with the rest of the world. We are becoming socialist, and you know that's JUST like communist. It's so much better for us to pay TWICE what they pay in Europe for health care, to leave 70 million of us without health care. So many Americans just want to stay home and subsist on inadequate employment insurance and workfare. Yah, we is all communistic!!
Yeah thank goodness we don't regulate everything! Just think if we had burdened all those medicine compounding companies. They would not have been nearly as profitable. Think of the money saved and the jobs created by not having to follow federal sterilization standards. I mean sure a few people died, but that's just business....
The land of the longest working hours and shortest holidays/vacation days in the world = the most ferocious labor camp on the planet. Being the "Dead last, actually. Zero statutory holidays!" is beyond grotesque ...
It amazes me how many people think we shouldnt have more time off. We are sending more time in our offices with people we hate making us miserabe ( LEADING TO people at work on facebook and blowing time) than having real time off that will make us MORE productive and motivated when we are in the office. People are burnt out in the US- it making us fall behind, because we are worked so hard that eventeully we dont care. We need more time away from our jobs. This mentliaty that we need more face time in the office is disturning to say the least. Anyone saying otherwise probably your boss -that has NO life- and wants to control you and evrything you do. Europeans have it right, take a break and enjoy life. If you think having more time with your co-workers than you do with your kids and spouse- something is very wrong with you! Re-evaluate your priorities! ENJOY YOUR LIFE- we only get one!
I think you are confused.... this is America, we don't have time to "take a break and enjoy life". We are far too busy serving our corporate masters... There's plenty of time to enjoy life when you retire...... er, ah when your dead..... since most of us will never retire. I can only hope I drop dead at work so they have to drag my corpse out.
I love reading all the brainwashed Americans on here pushing the "I love to work like a slave because that makes me a good American" garbage. Take another sip of the kool-aid, brain-dead.
Wait – who gets all of these holidays off? Unless you are a state or government worker or a student – you DON'T!!!!!!
Good Friday should be a public holiday like it is in over 135 countries and already 13 states!!
Majority of Americans are Christians, and it will create 3-day long weekend for spring.
Thats a Catholic holiday, cheeseface... catholics aren't the only christians.
Why isn't Good Friday and Easter Monday a holiday yet? Ridiculous.
Take a look at all other western countries
I can think of another dozen religious holidays. Should we take them off too?
Schools, at least around here, are off on election day. I have the day off from work, but it'd be nice if everyone did. Most holidays on the calendar we don't get off unless you're a government worker, banker, or a teacher.
Personally, I take some of my vacation time to be off the entire week of Thanksgiving. It allows me to wind down before having to deal with family on Thursday. Most one day holidays really just annoy me, though. I end up thinking mostly about work and sometimes end up working from home. I think that in the nutshell is the American thought on work. Our profession identifies us.
We probably should take more time off, but one day in the middle of a work week isn't going to help us unwind enough to serve the purpose of a vacation.
We should move to a four day work week and make every Friday a holiday.
If it get's me more Day's off from work then hell yeah we need more holidays. If I don't get the day off then screw it I am not spending more money on something that I get nothing out of!
Yes American need more holidays if they are free from jobless & job stress as well threats from company in downward trend of business? If income with consistency is there, people will enjoy. If mind is towards company stress, more accidents or other hazardous incidents will happen. However retired are always free if health & income permits. Younger have worries of kid’s growth & education grades. In short breaks are good for mental & material health to freshen and recharge for more stress which alone is way of life in most countries and families in middle class or working class. It is bad to brand anyone middle class that needs to be replaced by Working Class which is more economic than real capitalists with unlimited riches or sources of riches without working for others.
Mr. Zakaria if you read the story Death of a sales man you know all fourty years ago first year in college I took as english and fromit I learn to work hard first worry how to build my future and come the children and you about their future and now I 64 and worry how I finish what left to me from time .
What irritates me in no end and this is something unknownt o Europeans – schools being closed on federal holidays but parents still ahve to work. That means you have to use your vacation time for these holidays in order ot stay home with kids.
And given that US vacation is nothing to be proud of – 2 weeks for starters, it is a huge burden.
Then yout akre vacation for kid being sick, taking then to various docotors and you are lucky if you ahve one week left for real vacation after it all.
You should feel lucky. There are a lot of people who only get 1 week and there are plenty more who don't get any.
I didn't get Columbus Day off. We get Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas Eve through Jan 1. Federal employees luck out in the holiday game. I work to live, but I can't live much because I have to work and can't take much more than a few days at a time because 50% of my job – if I don't do it, it can't get done because no one else is trained to be my back-up. Even then, I'm barely breaking even between paycheck and bills.
Adding your days up:
Good Friday – 1
Memorial Day -1
, July 4, – 1
Labor Day – 1
, Thanksgiving and the day after – 2
and Christmas Eve through Jan 1 -9 (?!)
15 days off.
I am a Federal employee, we get 10. Sounds like you are doing better than us.
you loser! why dont you work in the private sector with no over inflated pensions, government health benefits, and inflated salaries. I work for a living and have to save up my cash for my future. You government workers are nothing more than a leech that dont deserve half of what you get!
Ahhhh the "American Dream" work to die..... It's really just a nightmare for the majority of us. Some mornings I would like to just ram my car into a telephone pole at 90 miles an hour rather than subject myself to the torture of my crappy job... today, tommorow, next week, next month, next year....... The "american way" really sucks anymore for most of us. Especially when we know there isn't much hope of things getting any better.
We actually need less holidays. Take away the stupid holidays like Columbus Day, President's Day. Do we really need a Veterans' Day and a Memorial Day? Can't we combine them and honor all troops living or dead on the same day? Federal Workers should work more and be off less if we still have to pay them. The Private Sector does not have Columbus Day, president's Day or Veteran's Day as paid holidays
Well, yes.
What we really need is a guarantee of at least 3 weeks vacation per year for every employee not matter now long they've worked for the company. And at least 5 weeks of vacation for those who have 5 years of service.
.
Keep dreaming.... most are lucky to get even 2 weeks and that could be after several years of service.
If you average the amount of time off the average U.S. citizen gets with the amount of time off the average CEO, Politician, Judge, gets off, then it averages out.
Working a full 40 hours a week results in lowered efficiency. Simply reducing that to 95%, or taking one day off every 4 weeks, increases efficiency. I'm used to 40-60 hours per week, so maybe that's why I do well with those hours. Maybe reducing work to 90%, or one day off every 2 weeks, would increase efficiency even more.
People make mistakes working more than 50 hours a week, and it takes several hours to fix those mistakes. That's not efficient.
I haven't had a vacation in five years. Why? Because I'm afraid when I come back I won't have a job. In Obama's economy employers look for any reason to let you go. And before all his Liberal defenders scream, Unions aren't the answer. They only protect underperforming workers and get rid of any personal responsiblity.
Americans are indoctrinated from a very early age in a culture of corporate exploitation, where accepting employer abuse is called “good work ethics”, taking time off is called “poor work ethics”, getting paid less for doing more is called “dedication” and putting work above one’s own life is called “pride”.
In reality, the average worker is a poor, brainwashed slave whose only purpose in life is to make the rich richer and the Government powerful, in exchange for a few crumbs off their table. Sadly, “work, pray and die as soon as you get old” has always been the American way and unless there’s a major working class revolt, it will only get worse.
Factor in the easy access employers have with employees through email and cell phones and a lot of those days off and vacation days are often interrupted anyway so a lot of employees are never really disconnected from their work during their time off.
I have a job I absolutely despise. Hate it! But I have a job, so I'm happy being miserable.
You and 90% of the rest of us.....
I am in the same boat. It is just a job for now. Something to pay the bills and the millions who can't, don't or refuse to work.
Holidays for Americans and Federal holidays are not the same thing
They forgot Israel. Israel by far has the most!!!
"A federal holiday – Columbus Day"?... The genius who wrote this artical is so displaced from the real world they do not realize most of us do not get off for such "federal holidays"... Like columbus day, MLK day, Vetrans day, etc.... We no longer get "personal days" either. Most of us are forced to use vacation time when we are sick, if were lucky enough to have the vacation time. The only people who always get off for federal holidays are government workers. We keep getting screwed by the public sector, we pay their overbloated wages & benefits and we pay for all these "federal holidays" that most of us have to work through anyway. I had to get my new drivers licences photo taken. Iwent to the DMV on Saturday 10-6 only to find they were closed..... for Columbus day....3 days before the holiday AND they were closed that following Monday, so they got 2 days off for columbus day!? W.T.F.?
Maybe the question should have been "do government employees really need all these paid holidays"? Because most people in the private sector get even less time off than this uninformed "author" realizes.
"Work, work, work. Hello boys I've missed you."
-Governor Willaim J. LePetomane
Columbus Day, Presidents Day these are things that used to mean something to us.
You can keep your holidays as far as I'm concerned. Those are the days I don't get paid. Who needs em?
Do you know that all countries around the world, europe, asia... have national holidays that last 1 whole week??? look at USA...the longest is a 2 day Thanksgiving Hoiday, that is really sad...
I don't get a two day holiday for Thanksgiving ... I get that Thursday off, but still have to be on call "just in case." Friday it's back to my little cubicle, living the dream ...
The more we work, the more Uncle Sam gets in taxes. My husband works 60-70 hours a week. Once he hits that 50th hour, his bring home pay is eaten up in taxes. Not worth it at all!
There is absolutely no way that 20+ extra hours each week are all or mostly eaten up in taxes. Tax brackets suck, but they aren't that bad.
So the facts are in, American workers are suckers!
I think we should have Sarah Palin Day as our next national holiday. Americans can celebrate by stocking up on ammo from Walmart and shooting everything in sight.
If more people keeps turning into Atheism then goodbye all your holidays.There won't be anymore Easter and Christmas or any other holidays connected to religion. Atheism will bring people to work night and day and no more breaks. The perfect working robots. It's good to work for a living, but it's not good to live for working.
I believe we need more vacation paid time off instead of legal holidays. The average vacation time given to regular employee here in USA is in between two weeks to three weeks, while other nations like Germany, Denmark, UK, and etc. gets in between five to six weeks. If you look at these numbers, Denmark, Sweeden and Germany are very productive.
Breaking news: Some guy wants to be paid not to work. More at 11.
Companies don't exist to make sure that you are paid for not doing the thing they're paying you to do.
Yes put congress and and whomever becomes president on permanent holiday leave the rest of America alone.
I just this year eliminated all vacation time for my employees. They now get Christmas off and one half day off on Christmas eve. Even that is just about killing me. I need my employees at work not on vacation.
I doubt you will have very loyal employees for very long unless they are the type that do not have lives of their own.
What kind of God-forsaken business do you run? Even when I worked in healthcare, you got vacations. Sure, someone got stuck with New Year's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, etc., but we got another "float" holiday to make up for it. I doubt whatever business you run you're doing anything that requires that kind of slave driving – you're not curing cancer or saving lives. Hell, even when I worked for a company that DID cure cancer and save lives, we got time off ...
I love the idea of more time off but in reality I don't think it would work here. As a society we have gotten so used to fast and always on serice that to take that away would make many angry. If you need something from your credit card company and the hold time is 60 minutes becuase a chunk of their workforce is always on vacation then what? In my line of work having staffinf levels much lower than they are now would cause huge problems for our customers and I don't even do anything remotely life saving. It's not as simple as a company just choosing to be nice or big brother gov't forcing them to allow more time off.
My company only recognizes 5 holiday's. You can add all the holidays you want, but we will only get 5.
Wow... slave drivers. That sucks...
Sad, how Americans work hardest and are one of the richest nations in the world. Yet we still don't have a decent healthcare system, education system, a high percentage of poverty and hunger, and cannot come up with a reasonable retirement plan for the elderly. We could do so much better as a nation if we just paid attention to these issues. In America, we are not capable of thinking or investing proactively. Things are just thought of "short-term" and myopic.
I'm 30, I live and work in new jersey, and as far as i'm concerned there is no life outside of work. I work 8 to 10 hour days and the one day off i have a week is spent catching up on sleep. I have no wife or GF because frankly i can't afford it, and most days I feel that all i have to look forward to is another 30 years of brutal hard work with no life followed by a slow painful death from cancer or heart disease (runs in my family)... Why am I still going on living? Why is any of us?
We're made to feel guilty if we take even an hour off of work to vote. We're berated if we try to schedule a doctor's appoinment, and "weak" if we stay home sick.
It's amazing how we get worked to death in this country and everyone seems ok with it. There is no safety net here. And it sucks.
I'd vote for more holidays because we all could use a mental break from work. Even just for a day.
Chalk it up to corporate greed gone wild.
If the holiday is justified, yes. If it's a holiday to just 'have' a holiday, like stupid Bush did and made "Jesus" day in Texas, no. I think the question should be, "Do American's need mandated vacation time"....absolutely! Most of the countries on that list whom have mandated national holidays also enjoy mandated vacation, like Germany for example. I think they get 4-5 weeks of PAID vacation per year. I'm lucky enough to work for the state government and holiday time off is mandatory and they pay you for a lot of it or differ you pay to cover the parts that aren't paid (i.e. they lower your pay period check to cover the unpaid mandatory time off.. ) which you get use to. I don't get paid well, but the less stress than working for GE, Lucent, Time Warner, AOL etc (Which I have) is tremendously low as a result and my life is ever more better for it, as well my health!
Why do we need.....Washington-Lincoln birthdays off .....Combine Veterans- Memorial Day as one.....Columbus Day is not needed. My main concern is too many days off from school. When you add in Teachers Conference, training days, superintendents day, plus all the holidays and week ends.....our children are not in class enough. Close the gov't offices, banks, mail service but, leave the schools open. This will give the parents who work in these offices a chance at home without the kids being around.
We need to get rid of holidays only for government workers.
We should completely revamp the holiday calender and select only those holidays that bring true meaning to us. Several holidays are signficant in name but hollow in observance. Whatever we do, we should definitely make EVERY national General Election day a HOLIDAY! This shold be a day in which most employment sites are shut down and no alcohol sold. That day alone (if celebrated correctly) would eliminate 3 or 4 other holidays we now have.
It would be just as logical to shutdown all sales of coffee and tea (aka muddy water) as well.
While you are at it no ice cream or sweets ... at least we might reduce some of the fat walking around.
Could I use more time off? You bet! I'd settle if my employer would comp the extra time back to me but for this company in for the CEO to fart he needs a straight pin and an air compressor.
If I remember correctly, many years ago Election Day used to be a national holiday, wasn't it?
Just need more beer
We need more holidays!!! I don't care what kind of holiday. I'd celebrate Satan's day if it got me a day off of work! We need more days to live and enjoy life and less time cramped in miserable offices pretending to like our jobs.
I'm living in Australia right now. Besides the number of required holidays, including one for a horse race, I get 4 weeks paid vacation per year plus 3 months after working at a company for 10 years. Most other civilized countries are similar. I'm really beginning to wonder just how civilized the U.S. is and I'm an American citizen.
I work so many hours that I am fearing for my health, this is just not a sustainable existence. Vacation? What the hell is that? Even when you go on "vacation" there is pressure to continue to stay plugged in. I spend 3/4 of my vacation responding to emails, calls, etc. Productivity will eventually decline as workers burn out. If this is the "new normal", for those of you not there yet, go to the doctor and get your anti anxiety meds nowso you can be prepared in advance cause it ain't pretty.
Voting day would be a great day for a holiday, you will never get Republicans to go along with that. They don't want working class people to vote.
I'm thinking that 20 paid holidays would be appropriate for the richest country in the World.
Wait – you guys got Columbus day off as a holiday?
Does not how many holidays one is allowed if American employers do not have sufficent staff to allow employees time off.
We don`t need more holidays,under Obama no one`s working anyway!
Amen to this ... working for a living beats being unemployed, but I'm at one of these companies that expects you to totally give up your life in support of the company. Lunches for me are a rarity at best, plus weekends, plus on call (I work in I.T.), plus we have to have shift work so I don't even get out of the office until 10pm. Nothing beats getting off work at 10pm only to have to come back in at 9am – ON A SATURDAY – followed by another day in the office on Sunday ... and here's the kicker ... they want us in the office Saturday / Sunday even if there is no work to do ... we have to sit there "Just In Case." Families, you say? Foolish worker, you aren't allowed to have families when you work for The Company! And I'm actually better off than some at my company. Oh, how happy I am that I went to college, got a Master's degree, got a job in I.T., and have the life I have ...
people don't have to wait till election day to vote. any voter can vote by mail or in person in the weeks leading up to election day.
May be it is different in other states but in Texas only over 65 and disabled people can vote by mail, also military and expats. Everybody else has to find time to show up at the polling station.
Forcing Americans to work, work, and work some more with diminishing time off to be with family and to raise kids is the republicans' way of ensuring we start dying off earlier so that Social Security is protected. This is part of their plan, along with fighting against healthcare for all of us. Republicans detest the poor and middle class and believe the wealthy should have it all. Republicans then preach about loving Jesus and going to church but in reality they are working for satan. Any American who votes for today's brand of republican cannot declare love for this country. Penguins would never run Antarctica this way.
No one forces anyone to work. Don't want to? Then don't. But don't expect those of us who do to support you. Every dollar that goes to feed someone else is a dollar that isn't going to feed my own family.
The rest of your screed is so incoherent that it's difficult to respond to. Try putting together a cogent argument and posting again instead of this internet equivalent of scribbling on the wall with crayons.
Most companies are about greed at the expense of the employee and the customer. Some pretend to care but lack the integrity to follow through. Other companies are simply "two face" about caring.
Government (mostly Republican administrations) do not give a damn about people and prefer to leave it in the hands of companies (part of the "trickle down" system).
Lastly, many employees are also about greed and work work work for more more more!!!
It is disgusting that our mighty country has so little work life balance and is so out of line with the rest of the world.
The MOST precious resourse (even before customers) are your employees (your HUMAN resourse).
So what you're saying is that you have absolutely no understanding of human nature at all? If there's no benefit to doing something, people aren't going to do it. If there was no profit to be made, businesses would not exist. It's not bad, it's not good, it's just a fact. Our entire civilization is built around people trading goods and services for money to buy other goods and services.
If you really think your life would be better spent sewing your own clothing by candle light, by all means, have at it, but don't sit behind your keyboard (which someone else was paid to build) and pretend that everyone working for free because we "should" is a viable economic strategy.
e dont need more holidays.What we do need is job security and better wages to feed our families and pay our bills.
No, Fareed, we don't *need* more holidays. Sure, I'd like more time off work, who wouldn't? The problem is that your argument (like every other argument you make) is that we should do things more like they are done in Europe.
Right now, we should be focusing on getting more people to work. Forcing businesses to absorb the cost of more paid time off will only discourage new hiring. That's the last thing we need right now.
At the end of the day, no one in this country is forced to do anything they don't want to. People WANT to spend all their time climbing the corporate ladder. If they didn't, they could easily trade in that new car for a used 90-something car, move to a small apartment, and buy second-hand goods. They don't want to do that. They want to live in big houses and drive fancy cars, and so they place themselves into situations that allow them to afford those things. If they were deluded enough to think it would not require sacrifices to get there, I have little sympathy.
Business keeps taking away holidays from employees so until we start getting them back,what's the use of creating even more hoidays.???
Quit complaining fellow Americans. Our children had three Jewish holidays this fall in school. Forced holidays. God forbid US expands the number of holidays and rids these special religious days – oh, I can imagine the whining.
Americans are far behind Europeans in time off, which goes beyond isolated holidays which introduce inefficiencies. The common vacation time off in German, which out competes the U S. in global markets is the legal holidays PLUS six weeks of paid vacation. The holiday inefficiency comes from Europeans celebrating different holidays such that only international trains run on nation holidays. When y oldest son was a Post Doc in Germany, the town where he worked even had a Men's Holiday used primarily for partying and drinking beer. They also had a Repentance Holiday plus the extended paid leave which he used in chunks to tour Europe.
I work for an international company.
When we here in the USA have a holiday, employees in other countries are still at work. We are expected to make ourselves available to support them, if they need anything, even though technically, we are off that day.
While never said specifically, it is an expected part of our jobs. If we don't want to do our jobs, there are others who would gladly take our place.
However, and this is what gets me, when company employees in other countries have a holiday, such as Chinese New Years, they make it clear that they are completely unavailable even for emergencies. I guess what gets me is they don't respect our USA holidays, but demand we respect their holidays.
our company gives the 6 major secular holidays (christmas, new year, memorial day, july 4th, labor day, and thanksgiving) off and 4 floating holidays for personal use.
Gosh,your so generous with vacation that I'm surprised you suffer worker burnout.
Went to Spain, decided while there to visit a factory that I wanted to do business with. It was Friday and all factories are closed on Friday. They work a 4 day week and are bankrupt. Perhaps we have to many holidays, I certainly do not want to go down the path a of worthless currency we seem to be heading down.
What's wrong with doing business with American companies ?
Try doing that yourself sometime. When you realize the cost of labor in the US, you will understand it's either overseas labor or bankruptcy. Wave your flag and shout patriotic slogans all you want, it wont change anything – it's a global economy and if you cant compete, you will sink.
Yes, what is wrong with keeping the work in the USA? You are not part of the solution. You are part of the problem.
Americans require the "Sabbath" re-instated. The option of either a Saturday or Sunday being their 'Holy Day'.... An opportunity to reflect on a 'Spiritual-Self' and to rebuild 'Family Values'.
we need happy taliban day to celebrate terrorism in America
kwanza day for our black muslims living in the USA
black panther day for the murdering terror group in America
Don't look now Jethro, but someone is trying to hotwire your tractor.
We need "Sarah Palin Day". Teabaggers will celebrate by making a large platter of s'mores. Then they will go to Walmart to stock up on guns and ammo. Then they will shoot everthing in sight.
Yes, we need more vaycay!
I had the privilege of working for a digital ad agency in Manhattan that is owned by a French parent company. Now the French know how to take vacations. And they insist that if you're sick, you stay home, even if you were sick the week before. Now this company, Razorfish | Ave A, is an extremely productive company. People are into their jobs, and want to go out of their way for those jobs.
And I think everyone, whether they're making digital ads and facebook campaigns hawking s#*t to people, or sweeping the floor, people do better jobs in less time when they have time off.
There are 10 Federal holidays in the US, not 9, as stated in the article. None of these holidays is religious, except Christmas, which is culturally (and economically) ingrained in American society. The 10 Federal holidays are: New Years Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.
Isn't that our national motto....work harder, not smarter!
What Americans need is more paid vacation time. Compared to other countries we have the smallest number of days off from work. I don't need more holidays. It's ONE day extra, spent on useless stuff. What I need is VACATION to spend with family.
I wonder how many soldiers, airmen, marines, or seamen Frank knows ...
Started the article with skeptisism, but I agree. A national election day would get more people to vote. How many more, would be the question.
While everyone is crying about how much they work keep the following in mind. When this country was founded the average American worked sun up to sun down at their job. That does not count chores at home, which were not done by modern conviences. There were no days off, except for Sundays and Christmas. You wanted time off you lost your job, got injured on the job you lost your job. You wanted money you had to work, you wanted time off you got no money. Makes us all look like wimps doesn't it.
That was then. Now is not then. If you think having time off is wimping, you might need some medical attention
Well The Truth, you can thank Unions for giving us the little time off we DO have. Also, the rest of the world has WAY more time off than we do. Europe gets 4 weeks vacation (even the peons do!) several paid bank holidays, and legally mandated maternity leave. Imagine how much happier we'd be if we worked to live...not lived to work.
I work for a company whose department heavily values us enjoying our EARNED time off. We come back relaxed and recharged and ready to do more work. It makes a huge difference.
LOTS of people can thank the unions for giving them a bunch of time off, because they are unemployed. In their zeal to get mo-money, mo-money, mo-money, unions have escalated the cost of labor to the point that it is cheaper for US companies to go overseas for it. So yeah, I'm sure the people wondering how they are gonna pay the mortgage are thanking the unions for all that time off.
Full time, non seasonal employees need 3 weeks vacation minimum, plus the standard holidays and a couple of sick or personal days. So many positives: can cover for the children during school year days off, because they are only in school 180 days average, people on vacation tend to spend, boosting the economy, and its great for some preventive health measures.
Why not ask that question in the debates....how many hours does Rolls Romney figure an average American works in various positions, and same question to Obama. Romney won't know, because he's shipped out so many positions he doesn't remember.
Another stupid idea! Americans are such a lazy lot, always expecting someone (government or employer) to pay for all their leisure time. 6 day work weeks, no vacation and no holidays for a while might get this nation productive again. What do you do with all that time except spend more money and go further in debt, buy more toys, watch more TV – you get the idea. We are a sick society!
You don't know anything about the principles of economics and the circulation of money, do you, Pat? But enjoy your rant.
I do happen to have an understanding of economics. I have a degree in the subject and have worked in many ares of business requiring an understanding of economic principles. Look up the average personal debt in this country and the Federal deficit and tell me that either is being managed by any where close to sound economic principles.
Thanks for your comment!
I hate my job. I hate seeing the same people 5 days a week for 8 hours! And they wonder why I refuse to take my lunch in the break room. I have tried, but during my lunch, they want to talk about work.
Best advice I ever got, I will pass along to you: if you dont like your life, change it – but dont bi.tch about it because no one wants to hear it.
A lot of slackers our there. I work over 168 hours a week. But Ralph, how can you work over 168 hours a week when there are only 168 hours in a week? Relativity my friend. My work demands so much of me that I had to design a mobile office that can travel at speeds near the speed of light!
Holidays? Vacations?? This is the new Romney America folks, we need to take personal responsibility. No time off, it's not owed to us. No medical coverage, we don't deserve it. Free lunch? Only if you can steal it. Look, here's the Deal , borrow a couple million from your folks, get into a hedge fund or start up an investment firm, wine and dine the "better" people in your town, get them investing in your ideas(selling electricity works pretty good), scam the whole bunch of them and run for Congress. Your welcome!
I owe my amazing job to Bain Consulting. Led by a Swiss company. Great work-life balance. Wish people had more jobs created by minds like Mitt.
sorry .. just another liberal take on getting something for nothing. of course this "holiday" must be a PAID holiday off.. so someone has to pay for it..
With each passing column Zakaria shows his lack of knowledge on so many subjects. Now he is saying that domestic tourism is an engine for economic growth. Domestic tourism is just taking money from one pocket and putting it in another pocket. What a person spends on vacation is what he doesn't spend at home. The person hired at Disney World only takes the place of the person laid off in the tourist's home town.
Maybe but we need more money cause everything we have to pay for is making us broke can't even begin to think to take a vacation. Utilities, gas and food way to high use to have a little disposable income now can hardly make it week to week.
Having to work on Election Day is not why people dont go do the polls, apathy is. Very few people actually do anything to actually celebrate what the holiday is for (how many people did anything Columbus-ish on Columbus Day?). Same thing would happen if Election Day were a national holiday; people would sleep in, go boating, have a party, shop at Election Day Sales ... and there would be fewer votes cast because people wouldnt want their holiday interrupted by having to go vote.
What makes copying your neighbor a good idea? Have you seen the state of the EU lately? Why would anyone want to copy anything they are doing??
Just my opinion – 4 day workweek, 8 hour day, two hour lunch, full health care paid by employer.
2 days off a week would be better work only Mon, wed and fri would be better
Bubba I'm with you on that also
How about " Robert E. LEE " Day ?
USA ARE NOT READY TO ELECT NORMAN MORAN NERD FOR PRESIDENT, UN COOL, UN FIT, STUPID, CHANGES HIS MINDS, LIES, AND FIRE PEOPLE MORE THAN HIRE THEM, LET DOWN THE CAR INDUSTRIES DOWN THE 47% OF USA ARE EVIL AS ROMNEY SAID ABOUT USA PEOPLE , ROMNEY SAID HALF OF USA ARE LAZY STUPID AND DONT PAY TAX, CHEAT!!! WHO IS THIS NORMAN CULT MAN WHO HAS HIS OWN GOD AND HIS OWN CULT FAITH!!! HE IS THE ANTICHRIST HIM SELF...DO NOT VOTE FOR HIM AMERICA
Forget what America this writer comes from, what planet is he on.
US workers get 15 paid holidays a year!!!!!!!!!!!!
What crap.
Is this writer a shill for the conservatives, bolstering conservatives / Republican / Rich Folks, ie your bosses view that workers are lazy leeches and a drain on the economy – trying to back that up by making up facts, as Republicans love to do.
I've started working in college, 40 plus years ago and NEVER worked anyplace that gave even 1 holiday a month, that'd be 12 holidays, off. NOT ONE FIRM or GOV"T Job.
I'm real happy this writer has a cushy job with 15 paid holidays.
Happy he probably gets a good 6 figure salary.
Down in middle America, where I am, I can't get a job with anyone who will even give ONE day off with pay. Forget vacations and benefits, and I'm a licensed, registered, professional (problem is I'm over 50, and lack a find list of well placed contacts I can call for jobs, you see, I worked, worked OT, worked weekends, worked, worked, worked to get ahead, and did'nt do the people stuff needed to get ahead in this who you know world.)
But, 'nuf about me.
Then he goes on to say Americans are more productive because we DON"T WORK LONG HOURS!!!!!!!!
Geeze, I guess he dosen't, but I do, did, always have, nearly everyone "working" ie, not rising throught the food chain of the well connected in the places I've worked, have all worked endless hours. THAT IS WHAT MAKES AMERICA MORE PRODUCTIVE, we work our workers to death.
This is the WORST fact checked article I've ever seen.
Germany has something like 4 or 5 weeks paid holidays for most workers and their economy is doing way better than the American one. Not implying causality here but maybe lots of holidays aren't detrimental to a countries GBP
hmm... least amount of holidays, most violence....
americans are scared to take a day off in this free enterprise country. someone will take their job. Too much power for the employer and not enough for the workers. why do you think we did better with unions. God forbid if we elect romney it will get worse for the employees. Employees should be owners and not just for show and few guys control everything in the company. ELECT OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRATS.
Start your own company and you can be the owner. What do you mean "just for show", don't you receive compensation for the job you do? Vote Romney
Wasn't this thing suspended for plagiarism ?
I refuse to work more than 4 days a week. At most 30 hrs a week. I work for myself. I'm not going work my life away making someone else rich.
Election is a holiday in other countries. More people would vote during an election even if they think it doesn't affect their life specifically.
Election day off would be great, and may encourage voting. However, don't ever let it migrate to Monday, as other holidays have. Everyone will go out of town and miss voting, just as they no longer attend Memorial Day parades.
Yes, we need more holidays. How about a holiday for each one birthday. We have a holiday for Christmas, the birth of Jesus.. I am Jesus so make a holiday for me on my birthday.
How about Atheist Week? Have it in June so we don't have to compete for hotels with the Europeans during August.
America doesn't need more holidays. 25 million of us are out of work, anyway.
We also don't need a holiday to vote. We just need early voting, so there is some flexibility, and so the lines aren't 2 blocks long, just to get in the door, on election day.
Election Day off?????? The voter surpressing Republicrooks would never agree to that. You'd have to have a filibuster-proof Senate and a huge House majority to pull that off. You know, we just can't have too many citizens voting..... Bad for the plutocracy, you see.
28 statutory holidays in the UK? I don’t think so!
Yes, we do need more holidays
Americans need 2 days off eve of Presidential Election 2012 – so that they can seriously think hard, for once, about using their heads in casting their voting, versus allowing their hearts to do it.
Great and meaningful article to read,learn and it’s really great
The hospital I work for in (WV) makes you accrue your pto.....which you use for holidays!.....you must work get any paid time off!...bunch of crap and looking for another place to work!
Musikschule Münster MOTET Internationale Musikschule Muenster(NRW)