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Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

bloomberg.com

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Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#311

Post by kasey_junk »

wmccullough wrote: post #260
kasey_junk wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm deeply considering going to live on a few acres and go full subsistence to avoid this rat race. Software isn't fun anymore, our generation probably won't retire. Have you ever actually worked on a farm? Its not fun either, its actual hard work. Most farmers don't retire either. The historical way this worked was as you got older your family helped more on the farm until one of them took over. You worked till yo…

So thanks for the lecture, but yes I actually have. I like communicating with people, so please don't patronize me as if I'm some child. Try actually having a dialog. Source: grew up on a farm. I have no desire to sit in a "cushy" job just because it is one. That lifestyle may be harder, but I strongly suspect I'd get to the end of my life with less regrets about the whole thing.

Glad to hear you are entering your next profession with eyes open.

My first job at 13 was on a farm and I lasted about a week before I realized I wasn't made for that life and I started planning on going to college. There is a long tradition of people claiming that life is for them without having ever actually done it successfully (I'm looking at you Thoreau).

If you think that you'd be happier living that way I don't see much reason not to go do it. But the complaints in your comment don't seem to be addressed by your desire to work as a farmer. Your debt levels, insurance rates and chance for retirement are all likely to be much, much worse as a farmer (subsistence or otherwise) than as a software developer. In fact, right now, you would be hard pressed to find an occupation that optimizes for those 3 things better than working as a software engineer.

But, of course those things don't have to be tied to someones happiness. If they aren't tied to yours, don't conflate them.

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#312

Post by snovv_crash »

lg wrote: post #310
snovv_crash wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't seen any US companies offering 25 days of paid vacation a year, plus unlimited sick leave (doctors note required for more than 3 consecutive days), plus extra days off for personal emergencies eg children sick, death in family. All the money in SV could never make me go there if I never have time to spend it.

google provides all of these benefits.

What would my commute to Mountain View be like? 10 minutes by train or bus, while living in affordable accommodation?

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#313

Post by RandomName2020 »

cloverich wrote: post #308
RandomName2020 wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point that BUS DRIVERS working for GOVERNMENT make better wages than BUS DRIVER working for PRIVATE sector. Not that bus drivers in general are rich people.

Ah. I think you've misread the comment in that case. The argument wasn't that the same job was typically better in private than government sector. It was that the types of jobs typically available in government (like the ones you mentioned) are viewed as less desirable in general, despite having good benefits, shorter hours, etc.

For white collars yes, for blue collars - definitely no.

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#314

Post by wldcordeiro »

mtberatwork wrote: post #62
mbillie1 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's almost like working 60+ hour weeks churning out CRUD apps to get a rich person richer isn't the secret path to happiness or something.

The amount of time spent commuting certainly doesn't help either.

Commute time should really be considered part of work. I wouldn't be making the trip if it weren't for going to the job so why shouldn't it be considered work hours?

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#315

Post by snovv_crash »

wil421 wrote: post #301
snovv_crash wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't seen any US companies offering 25 days of paid vacation a year, plus unlimited sick leave (doctors note required for more than 3 consecutive days), plus extra days off for personal emergencies eg children sick, death in family. All the money in SV could never make me go there if I never have time to spend it.

A quick google search and I can't find many places in Europe that offer 25 days, not including the national holidays. If I include national holidays I get 22 days off. No set sick days unless you're out for more than 5 consecutive days. I'm not sure why you'd move to SV, startup life's seems like hell.

From Wikipedia[1], minimum annual days leave are:

UK: 28

Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden: 25

Iceland, Malta: 24

Portugal, Spain: 22

The EU mandates a minimum of 20 days, so all other EU member states have 20.

Of course, these are just the mandated minimums. Many employers will give more to be competitive.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_annual_leave_b...

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#316

Post by eli_gottlieb »

wil421 wrote: post #301
snovv_crash wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't seen any US companies offering 25 days of paid vacation a year, plus unlimited sick leave (doctors note required for more than 3 consecutive days), plus extra days off for personal emergencies eg children sick, death in family. All the money in SV could never make me go there if I never have time to spend it.

A quick google search and I can't find many places in Europe that offer 25 days, not including the national holidays. If I include national holidays I get 22 days off. No set sick days unless you're out for more than 5 consecutive days. I'm not sure why you'd move to SV, startup life's seems like hell.

> A quick google search and I can't find many places in Europe that offer 25 days, not including the national holidays.

The legal minimum in Europe is 20 days' vacation plus national holidays. Competitive employers offer more.

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#317

Post by aianus »

antisthenes wrote: post #271
toomuchtodo wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. Just think of the social safety net and universal healthcare we could have in the US if we taxed the highest marginal income rates appropriately. EDIT: And how much more holiday/vacation time we'd have if it was mandated at the federal level.

You need to tax wealth as well, not just income. Accumulated wealth is what results and continues the inequality, not incomes.

What kind of wealth is currently untaxed?

Stocks or bonds => income tax + capital gains tax

Real estate => property taxes + capital gains tax

Cash => taxed by inflation

Metals => capital gains tax

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#319

Post by gozur88 »

>The U.S.’s shift from traditional pensions to 401(k) plans makes it harder for Americans to know when it’s safe to retire.

That's not really true. Traditional pensions rely on the financial health of whoever is paying the pension. Personally, I'd rather rely on a 401(k) than find out in my dotage the company I was depending on to pay the bills went belly up.

The real problem with retiring under 65 is health care. The situation is so muddled now it's impossible to predict what a health care plan or a serious illness is going to cost you five years hence.

Re: Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds

#320

Post by lovich »

_benedict wrote: post #254
salmon30salmon wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I walk into a government building in my state, I will pick up a pamphlet which has notices in English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Arabic. I can walk down a street and hear each of those languages being spoken. Are you really going to tell me that the Vietnamese experience in the United States is basically the same as the English experience? If so, please come visit on of the top 30 cities in the United State…

There is a huge distinction between an official language and a language that is in common use by an immigrant community. Within the UK there are far more than five commonly used immigrant languages, and many are not European - Health and Safety documents come in 18 languages - mostly not EU languages. To compare your five supported languages with a country that has four official languages, and significant cultural di…

I guess it cant be compared at all since the US doesn't have any official languages. De jure != de facto
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