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but were afraid to ask: 
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Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
angelfj1
Yoda
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https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25607064/
reported recently, this poor sob died after averaging 80 hours overtime per month.
How many hours do you work? What's fair? When is too much, too much?
I am currently the senior technical person in my division, by age and experience. During 40 years from grunt engineer to middle management and now division chief engineer, I thought I had seen it all. However, after reading about this poor man I have come to recognize a very strange phenomenon amongst the young whippers in our company. These people actually compete with one another to see who can put in the most hours. In addition, on average most don't use more than half of their vacation. When they do take vacation, I regularly get email and phone calls from them.
Some years ago we acquired a European firm in Holland. Iv'e been there and the people are very nice to work with and their product is first class. I was taken back one day when the plant general manager asked me how much vacation we got in the USA. I explained that it depended on how many years you had with the company or perhaps what you might negotiate when hired if a management position. At the time I had over 20 years in the bag and got 5 weeks vacation. He explained that in Europe most employees got 6 weeks paid vacation from the beginning and that they were very concerned that now that they were part of an American firm these benefits would be cut. Well, I didn't know what to say, but I silently believed he had a valid concern. That was 10 years ago, and there have been no changes in their vacation policy. This is a deeply rooted cultural thing. Vacations are sacred and believe me, not much business is done during high summer in Europe. Everyone is happy. Turnover is less than 1 percent and the product is as excellent as ever. Maybe our US culture is trying to follow the Japanese, who have been known for an extreme work ethic.
I have heard the "experts" say we need to do these things and make these sacrifices to stay competitive. But, in my opinion, this is not life. This is not living. Don't get me wrong, I've put in my share of paid and casual overtime during my 40 year career, but this was for extraordinary super important projects, not steady day to day routine.
So, what do you think??? Have you experienced similar behavior where you work.
Please don't commit "karoshi". It's not worth it!
reported recently, this poor sob died after averaging 80 hours overtime per month.
How many hours do you work? What's fair? When is too much, too much?
I am currently the senior technical person in my division, by age and experience. During 40 years from grunt engineer to middle management and now division chief engineer, I thought I had seen it all. However, after reading about this poor man I have come to recognize a very strange phenomenon amongst the young whippers in our company. These people actually compete with one another to see who can put in the most hours. In addition, on average most don't use more than half of their vacation. When they do take vacation, I regularly get email and phone calls from them.
Some years ago we acquired a European firm in Holland. Iv'e been there and the people are very nice to work with and their product is first class. I was taken back one day when the plant general manager asked me how much vacation we got in the USA. I explained that it depended on how many years you had with the company or perhaps what you might negotiate when hired if a management position. At the time I had over 20 years in the bag and got 5 weeks vacation. He explained that in Europe most employees got 6 weeks paid vacation from the beginning and that they were very concerned that now that they were part of an American firm these benefits would be cut. Well, I didn't know what to say, but I silently believed he had a valid concern. That was 10 years ago, and there have been no changes in their vacation policy. This is a deeply rooted cultural thing. Vacations are sacred and believe me, not much business is done during high summer in Europe. Everyone is happy. Turnover is less than 1 percent and the product is as excellent as ever. Maybe our US culture is trying to follow the Japanese, who have been known for an extreme work ethic.
I have heard the "experts" say we need to do these things and make these sacrifices to stay competitive. But, in my opinion, this is not life. This is not living. Don't get me wrong, I've put in my share of paid and casual overtime during my 40 year career, but this was for extraordinary super important projects, not steady day to day routine.
So, what do you think??? Have you experienced similar behavior where you work.
Please don't commit "karoshi". It's not worth it!
