Too much work, too little time

Photo entitled “bad fr yr health?” by Esthr (Esther Dyson)
(creative commons via flickr)

Read the conversation appended to the photo . . . if you have time.

There’s a very well-done article in the Christian Science Monitor about overworked Americans. The author compares us to Europeans and discusses the causes of the problem and possible future relief from it.

A few points that struck home with me:

Corporate employees aren’t the only ones feeling the strain of overwork. For the growing ranks of the self-employed - consultants, freelancers, independent contractors - the taskmaster who chains them to the desk for long hours is the face staring back at them in the mirror. . . .
[F]eeling stretched thin is not simply a matter of how many hours people work. Working conditions play a part as well. Multitasking, often a demand in short-staffed firms, can contribute to feeling overworked, the study finds. So can being interrupted frequently during work time as well as working evenings, weekends, and even on vacation. . . .

[A]t least a partial solution to overwork will come as Americans redefine success. “When people in this country look at success, the first thing they think of is success in business. That’s not success in the true aspect of life, defined by your family, hobbies, and other interests.”

The American workplace is at a pivotal point, says Richard Mason, a professor of business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In recent years, he says, companies have won productivity gains at the expense of workers’ health and happiness. As the author of a study, “Virtuous Organizations: The Value of Happiness in the Work Place,” he finds that “supporting the humanity of employees returns much more than the widespread focus of incremental productivity gains.”

The Christian Science Monitor: “The ascent of hours on the job; Americans increasingly feel overwhelmed by their workload. A shift in priorities might help.” by Marilyn Gardner

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