On Point On Slacking

Wellington Grey writes "This week the NPR show On Point has an excellent episode exploring slacking and the American work ethic. (note that it's audio) It touches on some issues that may be of interest to geeks such as outsourcing, the church of the subgenius and the eternal conflict between wanting to be a lazy bum and wanting to work hard. What do slashdotters think: does America need more slack or more work?" It is summer vacation after all, right?

Comments

Re:The Myth of the 80 Hour Week

[eronysis]

"Then you've obviously never met a factory worker as I used to be, and as such, I have to say this is BS. 30-40 hours? You try that shit on an assmebly line --- the work literally never stops coming, not even for a minute. You don't have time to think, you barely have time to breathe. Don't give me this "you should work harder" shit; you truly cannot work any harder in a job like that because you have to work as hard as you absolutely can to keep up at all. If you don't keep up, you don't keep the job. Vacation? 1 single week a year and you have to have been working there at elast 3 years to get paid for that vacation. Or don't factory workers count? Because if there weren't any factory workers you wouldn't have even half of everything you have now, inlcuding the parts in your computer."

Perhaps this was in indonesia? or a new york basement sweatshop? Or did you forget to mention your Union based pay?
Either you are 150 years old, foreign, spineless or are exagerating a bit here bud.
If in fact you had such a position within my lifetime you were in a very rare one, Kudos for deciding to leave it ;) It would have taken me less than 80hours to decide unless directed to remain at gunpoint.

Re:From a Canadian Perspective...

[Illbay]

Americans work more hours than almost any where else, but are ultimately less productive than most other countries.

That's just flat-out wrong.

And Canadian productivity? Funny you should ask.