Workaholics!

[Scucca]

UK workers are among the hardest working people in Europe, with only Romanians and Bulgarians putting in longer hours, new research shows.

UK workers in full-time jobs put in an average of 41.4 hours every week, one and a half hours more than the average for the 27 members of the EU.

So says the BBC!

Lower pay, higher hours and New Labour failure!

 

[1069]

So says the BBC!

Lower pay, higher hours and New Labour failure!

And the situation is even worse in the US; the average employed American puts in 46 hours per week; of these, 38% work more than 50 hours a week.

 

[Scucca]

And the situation is even worse in the US; the average employed American puts in 46 hours per week; of these, 38% work more than 50 hours a week.

A good point!

It doesn't surprise me to see the UK and the US so similar in their misery. The problem is that folk really aren't away of the shoddy hand that the cheating capitalists have dealt these Anglo-Saxon right wing nations

 

[RightinNYC]

And the situation is even worse in the US; the average employed American puts in 46 hours per week; of these, 38% work more than 50 hours a week.

OH NOES! How will we ever survive?

 

[Scucca]

OH NOES! How will we ever survive?

It would be better if you tried to contribute to the thread!

Cheers

 

[Kernel Sanders]

And the situation is even worse in the US; the average employed American puts in 46 hours per week; of these, 38% work more than 50 hours a week.

I don't know the numbers, but vacation time taken among Americans is also very, very low compared to the global stats

 

[1069]

I don't know the numbers, but vacation time taken among Americans is also very, very low compared to the global stats

Yes, and my understanding is that not only do most other industrialized nations have universal health care, but many also have state-funded child care for working mothers. I think it would be great if the government took a role in standardizing early childhood education, so that we don't have one kid attending an elite private preschool while another goes to Aunt Suzy's Country Day Home and watches Barney videos all day.

 

[cherokee]

I work anywhere from 65 to 70 hours on a normal week.
Now if the EOC is activated I don't come home at all and work on average 20 hours a day until the crisis is over.
And no even being a supervisor I don't stay in the office or command center.


As for vacations (a week off work, not being sick or injured) I haven't had a real vacation in 6 years.

 

[Mach]

So says the BBC!

Lower pay, higher hours and New Labour failure!

Lower pay for working joes and janes maybe. The executives are getting paid more thanks to those extra hours and lower wages.

-Mach

 

[Mach]

Yes, and my understanding is that not only do most other industrialized nations have universal health care, but many also have state-funded child care for working mothers.

I think the main difference is that our broken government/economy pumps its revenue into big business and the military. That is, the poor subsidize the wealthy and the military. Not programs that they would prefer.

I would vote for heal care and child care in a heatbeat, as long as they took that money from business/military welfare.

-Mach

 

[1069]

I think the main difference is that our broken government/economy pumps its revenue into big business and the military. That is, the poor subsidize the wealthy and the military. Not programs that they would prefer.

I would vote for heal care and child care in a heatbeat, as long as they took that money from business/military welfare.

-Mach

Agreed! These are the sorts of programs which improve the quality of life of all citizens, not just the affluent.
I'd also vote that the money we spend on conquest and occupation abroad could be better applied to cleaning up the environment and improving our infrastructure at home: repairing levees and bridges, building more roads, better public transit systems, etc.

I don't think I care much for Capitalism.

 

[DeeJayH]

41.4 hours is considered a workaholic by Eurofags? how many weeks vacation?
jesus christ what a bunch of ******s
I remember working 80 hours like it was no big deal
i remember my mother working 126 hours per week at $0.05 per line as a medical transcriptionist
she still managed to put me through private HS, College and have 1/2 mm to retire on



Seems to me the West will fall because of how pathetic and weak they have become
that is one thing AQ has gotten right. the west is soft

 

[Zyphlin]

Moderator's Warning:

Words such as "eurofag" are baiting and add nothing to the debate. Please refrain from such use

 

[Scucca]

41.4 hours is considered a workaholic

The important aspect of the figures is that they refers to means! Given full time employment is spiked at a traditional mode, any significant difference in the mean is eyebrow raising

If you need me to send you the formula to work out an average let me know...

 

[Tucker Case]

Lower pay, higher hours and New Labour failure!

Just out of curiosity, can you link a source that shows that, using the same parameters as the study cited (full-time workers only), the average pay is lower for the longer hour countries?

I'm not making a commentary on the statement, I'm just wondering if you have something I can look at that supports it.

Personally, I would love to see a comparative analysis of the average net incomes, the average work hours, and the average cost of living per country is to determine what the adjusted pay per hour of work is relative to nation.

Does anyone know of a study that has done this type of analysis or if it doesn't make sense, why it doesn't make sense? Thanks

 

[Scucca]

Just out of curiosity, can you link a source that shows that, using the same parameters as the study cited (full-time workers only), the average pay is lower for the longer hour countries?

Are you after something like an earnings measure in PPP terms? The literature tends to shy away from direct comparison of earnings in absolute numbers, given the meaning of those comparisons is limited. Typically, a low wage threshold will be constructed (e.g. 2/3s of the national median) and then the percentages defined as working poor are compared.

 

[Tucker Case]

Are you after something like an earnings measure in PPP terms? The literature tends to shy away from direct comparison of earnings in absolute numbers, given the meaning of those comparisons is limited. Typically, a low wage threshold will be constructed (e.g. 2/3s of the national median) and then the percentages defined as working poor are compared.

Yes, in PPP terms. I'm not looking for a comparison of earnings in general, just by the measure used in the hour-per-work-week discussion. Meaning in relation to full-time employment only (as was done with the BBC study).

The low wage threshold and the working poor comparisons don't necessarily apply in this discussion because the hourly rate of the working poor is not compared directly, just their yearly wage.

Hypothetically, the working poor in France could work more hours than the working poor in the UK so the argument about longer hours for less pay would remain unsupported.

I'd just like to know the real average hourly incomes per country of full-time employees. This would be the most direct argument to support the lower wages/longer hours comparison.

I was wondering if anyone has a direct comparison of average hourly wages (both gross and net) for full-time employees. I would prefered to get those data with details about how much that amount is relative to the cost of living because obviously that has relevancy. €20 doesn't stretch the same everywhere. If that is not possible, or would have too many confounding details, I understand. But that fact would probably also nullify the "longer hours for less pay" statement as well.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

not only do most other industrialized nations have universal health care, but many also have state-funded child care for working mothers.

Universal healthcare is not quite what it used to be - the Germans, French and Scandinavians have better systems than say the Brits now - and you will also find equal state funded child care for working fathers in some countries too.

 

[DeeJayH]

Just out of curiosity, can you link a source that shows that, using the same parameters as the study cited (full-time workers only), the average pay is lower for the longer hour countries?

I'm not making a commentary on the statement, I'm just wondering if you have something I can look at that supports it Thanks

I am sure he does, just so long as you dont mind paying for it
he is big on 'linking' to pay sites

 

[PeteEU]

Universal healthcare is not quite what it used to be - the Germans, French and Scandinavians have better systems than say the Brits now - and you will also find equal state funded child care for working fathers in some countries too.

The British system was ruined by Thatcher and is now in a very bad shape.

Funny enough, most countries in Europe went the same way as Thatcher wanted, but did it differently, and it worked out far better. Europe's universal healthcare is a mix match of private and public systems and varies from country to country.

You can go through the public system or pay your way in the private, but you will get the care you need and every one is covered regardless of income, sex, sexual orientation, religion or age and even nationality.

 

[DeeJayH]

The British system was ruined by Thatcher and is now in a very bad shape.

is it as bad as their teeth? :lol:

figured with all the french surrender jokes we could use a change

 

[Scucca]

Yes, in PPP terms. I'm not looking for a comparison of earnings in general, just by the measure used in the hour-per-work-week discussion. Meaning in relation to full-time employment only (as was done with the BBC study).

Off hand I don't know. Its not a measure that is typically used. As I said, given the nature of relative poverty and low wage measures, there is no need to use a common currency (and run the risk of adding the 'error' created by something like a less-than-reliable PPP measure). I could calculate it for you, but I'm too busy at the mo and I'd also be using non-standardised data. You'd need to use an internationally comparable data set, such as the European Community Household Panel, to avoid problems in terms of survey definitions.

Hypothetically, the working poor in France could work more hours than the working poor in the UK so the argument about longer hours for less pay would remain unsupported.

You're taking my comment too far. I referred to lower pay because Britain has a relatively high rate of low paid employment. I certainly wouldn't combine pay and hours. First, they're likely to be linked. Part time labour tends to have higher rates of low pay (and such labour was encouraged by Thatcherism as differences in labour market regulations between part time and full time labour were enforced). Second, low pay refers to hourly rates and- at the lower end of the distribution- hours worked have relatively little impact on the probability of escaping poverty (being mainly a means to reduce the 'poverty gap')

I'd just like to know the real average hourly incomes per country of full-time employees. This would be the most direct argument to support the lower wages/longer hours comparison.

Given the issue of the wage distribution, it wouldn't actually be of much use.

 

[PeteEU]

is it as bad as their teeth? :lol:

figured with all the french surrender jokes we could use a change

yes, and as bad as their tans... yes Brits come in 2 colours... pale white or red sunburn. and yes that was a joke too.

 

[Harshaw]

So, let me get this straight . . .

The evil of a society is directly proportional to the number of hours per week its people work?

A 46-hour work week is a crime against humanity?

 

[Scucca]

The evil of a society is directly proportional to the number of hours per week its people work?

Has anyone mentioned morality? If not, why have you?