Walking in the Valley A weekly column for those who live and walk in Silicon Valley by Barbara Dahlgren

Ah So…Karoshi Column for the week of August 1-7, 2004

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Summertime is a time for vacations but not necessarily for Americans. Americans work hard and comparatively take very little vacation time. An article in the July 16, 2004 edition of The Week magazine entitled America On Vacation shows Americans average only 10 vacation days a year. “About one in four Americans either gets no paid vacation or chooses not to take all the vacation time allotted to them.” In fact studies show Americans give employers back 415 million vacation days a year. That’s a pretty good deal for most employers. How do we stack up compared to other nations? Here are a few statistics:

China……………………….. 15 days a year
Japan ………………………. 18 days a year
Australia…………………… 5 weeks a year
Great Britain……………….. 5 weeks a year
Germany…………………… 6 weeks a year
Italy………………………… 6 weeks a year
Norway……………………. 6 weeks a year
Spain………………………. 6 weeks a year
France……………………… 2 months a year (Yes! Months not weeks!)

What about those French? Do the know how to enjoy life, or what? The Japanese are such workaholics they had to add a new word to their language. Karoshi means “death from overwork.” Even they take more time off than Americans. When Americans go on vacation they don’t really get away. With lap top computers, pagers, and cell phones they stay plugged into the work place and accessible to clients even when they aren’t in the office. Why are Americans so reluctant to take time off?

Some say it’s our strong work ethic. Some say it’s the desire to get ahead and buy more toys. Though contributing factors, the main reason is probably simple economics. With the downsizing in the past few years many fear they will lose their jobs if they take their allotted time off. Employees don’t want to appear expendable. Even while at work some companies give very little down time. Many eat lunch while they work.

Not only do we forego taking a yearly vacation, we don’t take much time off at all. The Biblical principle of one day of rest a week seems to have gone out the window. Just a few years ago people devoted one day a week to attending church, spending time with families, resting and recuperating. States had “blue laws” which included giving workers the right to take one day a week off as a day of rest and/or to spend worshipping God. Those days are long gone. Well, except in Virginia when last week their legislature tried to clean up some old “blue laws” and inadvertently reinstituted a law giving people the right to take Saturday or Sunday off each week as a “day of rest.” It caused quite a stir when employees started taking advantage of this loophole. I don’t think they were trying to get off work to go to church. A Virginia judge stopped the state from enforcing the law. A special General Assembly session has been called specifically to correct the issue, an action that hasn’t taken place in over 40 years. Even legislatures (or should I say “especially” legislatures) should learn to read the fine print of what they are signing.

Frankly, I miss the days when people were entitled to take a “day of rest.” But in those days they were doing it to go to church not to Wal-Mart. The July 18, 2004 San Jose Mercury News article ‘Day of Rest’ Is On The Move by Ted Anthony has a quote by labor historian John Hinshaw. “Today, for a lot of Americans, Sunday’s just another day you have to go to work at Wal-Mart.” And if you aren’t going to work there, you are probably stopping by to purchase a few items.

Before Benjamin Franklin flew his kite turning us onto electricity he said, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” No need to go to bed when the sun goes down now or arise when it comes up. With the advent of the light bulb, man could actually work around the clock…now he does. Some cities never shut down for even a little shut eye.

So what is wrong with a city that never sleeps or a person who never takes a day of rest or vacation? America On Vacation says, “Nothing, if you don’t mind dying early.” The results of having no down time cause insomnia, heart disease, hypertension, irritability, burnout, stress, frustration, and negativity. Author of The Overworked American, Juliet Schor, says, “Americans are literally working themselves to death.” Is karoshi in your future?

Be sure to visit this page every week to read the next edition of Walking in the Valley. You can write to the author at bdahlgren@wcgsouthbay.org.