Where's my summer vacation?
The average U.S. worker gets 14 days of paid vacation, but anxieties about the economy are making fewer employees take off during the summer. Commentator Robert Reich says Americans still need a summer break.
Robert Reich (APM)
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TEXT OF COMMENTARY
Bob Moon: OK, so what's your summer vacation destination this year and what's the means to get there? Is it the beach? The mountains? Overseas? And is it by car? By air? Or just maybe, by luck?
That's no joke. Commentator Robert Reich says if you're going anywhere at all, consider yourself lucky.
Robert Reich: If you're taking some time off this summer, you're in the minority. A Conference Board poll last April found fewer than 40 percent of Americans planning a summer vacation.
Of course, for most of us, there's not much summer vacation to begin with. The average American employee gets a total of 14 days off each year. If you want to take a few of them around Thanksgiving, between Christmas and New Years, and maybe when the kids are home on spring break, summer vacation is already practically gone.
Those 14 days, by the way, are the fewest vacation days in any advanced economy. The average French worker gets 37 days off annually; In Britain, it's 26.
And even when we take those 14 days, we don't always get paid for them. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us 1 out of 4 workers gets no paid vacation days at all. Every other advanced nation -- and even lots of developing nations -- mandate them.
On top of all this comes the current economic squeeze. That figure of 40 percent of Americans planning a summer vacation is the lowest in 30 years.
Not incidentally, consumer confidence in the economy is the lowest it's been in 28 years. In other words, there's a correlation between the small number of Americans taking a vacation this summer and this very bad economy.
It's not that we're too busy to vacation. Just the opposite: There's not enough work go around. Which means we don't dare leave work, lest we lose us a customer who might just happen to want us when we're gone. Or we could even lose the job, because employees on vacation might seem expendable to an employer looking for a way to cut costs.
Despite all this, Americans need a summer vacation. And any political candidate who aims to win votes this November would be wise to promise them one.
Moon: Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at the University of California Berkeley. He taped this segment last week, by the way, because he's on vacation.
Comments
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From Pittsburgh, PA, 07/24/2008
From the above statement, "Those 14 days, by the way, are the fewest vacation days in any advanced economy. The average French worker gets 37 days off annually; In Britain, it's 26," does this include holidays/personal days?? I work for a company that pays up to 8 holidays and a personal day plus three weeks vacation after six months. The holidays can account for a lot of time off.
From minneapolis, MN, 07/23/2008
Ever hear of ROWE - Results-Only Work Environment? You get paid for what you DO, not how many hours your are in the office.
Gas prices, gen Y, technology and more mean this IS the future of work.
07/23/2008
Somewhat unrelated, but many seniors are now not able to retire with an economy in flux at this point. Some would say that is a good thing as it keeps them active, but I don't think so. A person works hard for 40+ years and you would expect to spend the Golden years doing just the things you want to do and not have to do the daily grind until you die. Life "ain't" so good in America these days, for the middle class and below that is. The wealthy are, some of them, are perpetually "retired" living on trust funds and really enjoying the fruits of our labor.
From Colorado Springs, CO, 07/23/2008
1. Hard work never killed anyone. If anything, it keeps you young.
2. If you want something done timely and correctly, don't ask a Frenchman.
3. America was built on a strong work ethic. That is the reason we are still at nearly full employment despite some terrible decisions by people and institutions on mortgages and an oil price spike.
4. Horrible workplace as it is, people are still trying to get in to enjoy our opportunities.
From Washington, DC, 07/23/2008
I say do less.
It was affirming to hear your report on vacations this morning – on my drive to work. 9 months ago I took a new job which offers only 10 days vacation a year. For that reason alone I almost turned down the job but my only alternative was a consultant offer that required 100% travel. To boot, my current job only offers 3 weeks vacation after 5 years.
Are you kidding me? If 5 years from now I have only had 50 vacation days out of 1300 work days I’ll be burned out, jade and reticent to fully contribute my skills to the company. Productivity will lower as burn out rises. Add to that the effect on my personal health and personal life; I don’t see a win-win recipe. I see a lose-lose scenario.
At 36 years of age I am just 1 of millions, many who are years into this situation of long hours and limited rest. It is bad for our nation; it weakens the fabric of our society and ultimately leads Americans to be more “me” focused instead of “we” focused. And can you blame us; we have such limited time for ourselves in this set up.
We see today the result of such unbalanced living, in the actions of capitalism without prudence. Adam Smith put forth in “The Wealth of Nation” that capitalism is seated on 3 pillars; Free Will, Profit Motive, and PRUDENCE.
I ask you where is prudence today and without it how can capitalism survive?
So I say do less America, be balanced, don’t bite off more then you can chew at work because we all pay for it in the end.
Working hard in America and paying my mortgage every month!
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