The new issue of Smithsonian has an interesting interview with Joe Robinson, whose book Work To Live is about the real benefits of working less and relaxing more. In short, working too much is actually counter-productive.
But can't hard work be a source of pride?
I hear that all the time: "That's what makes this country great." It is a myth we have tricked ourselves into believing. The Dutch, the French, the Norwegians, the Belgians and the Irish are more productive per hour than we are, even with their four- and five-week vacations. We are number one in terms of productivity per person only because of all the overtime we do. And that's the number we count.
But isn't that the most important number?
It depends on your values. What is a gross national product when you don't have a life? A few years ago, the Norwegians found that they were 14 percent more productive than we are. So they elected to take more time off…Wouldn't a minimum paid leave law suppress wages and make things more expensive?
No, if anything, it would raise the bar on the treatment of employees. You would have healthier employees who would lower costs for employers. People made the same argument in the 1930s about Social Security and the minimum wage.
