Differences in Work Environments
It's 1:00pm in London, do you know where your co-workers are?
I think it's fascinating that the British workforce literally drops everything at one o'clock to go out to lunch. It's as if a silent bell has rung, signalling the time to take a break from the daily grind. I look around my office, as I sit dutifully working through my lunch (as any self-respecting American workaholic would), amazed that the bull pen has completely cleared out. The spectacle is reminiscent of hastily vacated high school classrooms after the lunch period has started.
The British really take time to live. They go to the theatre on weekdays, take long lunches and leave early on Fridays, make up for overtime with extra days off, treat themselves to tea and galaxy bar mini-breaks, leave at 5:30, take long weekends and two-week summer holidays and don't understand why Americans do things differently. My boss just told me a sad story about working too much. An American was working at a London company seven days a week, utterly obsessed with her work. When she was told she couldn't come in on Sundays anymore (because no one else could keep up), she jumped off the roof of the building. This happened last year. I was doubly sad to hear it, not only because I think working too much is a waste, but because this woman was American.
What is it about the American work-ethic? The idea of the self-made man (or woman) is an intoxicating one, to be sure. "Why, you could be President if you wanted to! All you have to do is give up free time, friendship, the prospect of true love, sleeping and about 30 years of your life. This is America, dammit!"
My father once told me that no one on their deathbed has ever wished they had spent more time at work. My mother told me that even when I die, my inbox will still be full. Even when I'm back in America, I'm going to model my work-life after the British example. I think they're on to something.
I think it's fascinating that the British workforce literally drops everything at one o'clock to go out to lunch. It's as if a silent bell has rung, signalling the time to take a break from the daily grind. I look around my office, as I sit dutifully working through my lunch (as any self-respecting American workaholic would), amazed that the bull pen has completely cleared out. The spectacle is reminiscent of hastily vacated high school classrooms after the lunch period has started.
The British really take time to live. They go to the theatre on weekdays, take long lunches and leave early on Fridays, make up for overtime with extra days off, treat themselves to tea and galaxy bar mini-breaks, leave at 5:30, take long weekends and two-week summer holidays and don't understand why Americans do things differently. My boss just told me a sad story about working too much. An American was working at a London company seven days a week, utterly obsessed with her work. When she was told she couldn't come in on Sundays anymore (because no one else could keep up), she jumped off the roof of the building. This happened last year. I was doubly sad to hear it, not only because I think working too much is a waste, but because this woman was American.
What is it about the American work-ethic? The idea of the self-made man (or woman) is an intoxicating one, to be sure. "Why, you could be President if you wanted to! All you have to do is give up free time, friendship, the prospect of true love, sleeping and about 30 years of your life. This is America, dammit!"
My father once told me that no one on their deathbed has ever wished they had spent more time at work. My mother told me that even when I die, my inbox will still be full. Even when I'm back in America, I'm going to model my work-life after the British example. I think they're on to something.
Post a Comment