I must take issue with your categorization of Western Europe’s employee benefits as “vestiges of an era when the paternalism of socialist governments was king” (“Europe’s other scandal,” Editorial, May 7).
France’s 35-hour workweek and many countries’ generous vacation time requirements enhance Europeans’ quality of life and demonstrate their value of time and family over money.
Here in the United States it’s quite the opposite.
We are taught to value money above all else.
And, therefore, we are taught not to expect more than two weeks of vacation time, if we’re lucky, and to work unpaid overtime–sometimes 20 or more hours per week beyond the traditional 40-hour work week–in order to get ahead.
These attitudes are unhealthy.
And because of them, Europe is pulling ahead of us in average life span and overall health–as pointed out in “Call it a day, America; Some think it’s time we quit working so hard and start playing a little more” (Health & Family, May 5).
Americans work too much.
It’s that simple.
And we’re paying for it with stress-related health problems, strained family relations, diminished physical activity and numerous other costs.
All so we can have the biggest starter mansion on the block, the gas-guzzlingest SUV, the smallest cell phone, the best-dressed kids and the latest home electronics.
When are we going to admit that sometimes other countries do it better than we do?
More vacation time and shorter workweeks isn’t socialism. France, England, Germany and the rest of them manage to stay competitive and enjoy high qualities of life without literally killing themselves with work-related stress.
We’re not Puritans anymore.
Besides, even the Puritans took off at least one day a week to relax and spend time with their families.
