L.R. Pyle argued in this letter to the editor Tuesday that Americans need to adopt the motto of Chinese workers: “Work more, get more, no free lunch.”
And a survey released Monday backs Pyle up. It says that American workers waste two hours a day at work — not including lunch — by socializing, surfing the Web and “spacing out.”
Apparently, some American workers would have to give up their free extended lunches.
Posted by Melissa Cooley
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6 Comments
I believe that is normal human behaviour. Everybody waste time. We are not machines, nor do I want any humans to be.
It’s nice to sit back and day dream every once in awhile. Good for the mind and soul.
I rarely agree with Joe but I do here.In fairness, I can’t see the survey as my browser has no access.My take on Mr Pyles’ letter? I wonder about the friend Mr Pyle mentions. Why is he in a foreign and not historically un-friendly nation installing equipment to do jobs that are being taken away from Americans? Isn’t that in a way a form of sedition? No doubt Mr. Pyles’ friend is being well compensated. But compensated sedition is still sedition. Perhaps Mr Pyles’ friend is an employee of one of many seditious greedy American corporations. One wonders what Mr Pyles’ friend will do for a living once his work to undermine the American working class is done.Mr. Pyles mentions the Chinese work ethic. Does he note that that work ethic is in most cases under pain of death or imprisonment? Is that what we want for a work ethic in this country? Maybe so conidering that employees are no longer seen as people with families and problems and needs but instead as “human resources” or perhaps as Mr Pyle would advocate, Hunan resources.There is nothing wrong with American workers. What is wrong is sick greed. From investors who care only about short term gains, to CEOS who fill that need by any and all means up to and including the destruction of the American economy and standard of living.
A lot of wasted time is due to bad management. The bigger the company, the more time is wasted. Two hours a day seems to understate the problem.
I’ve gone down entire assembly lines and found only a handful of people actually doing anything productive. Most workers were there just to rush through the fire drills when the right parts finally showed up. Office areas are 25% empty because of all the mindless training sessions forced onto employees to meet the latest fads.
There’s more to the story of course. We could all work harder. In a free economy, we will have to; but shouldn’t management also enable us to be more productive, so we aren’t all reduced to Chinese sweatshops?
In our society work ethic, productivity, company loyalty, and quality work will not protect you from sudden and unexplained job loss. We live in a disposable economy where workers are cast aside just a quickly as an obsolete piece of equipment.
As more large employers move jobs overseas all the work ethic and productivity in the world will not protect you.
No, a good work ethic and loyalty won’t protect you from the capriciousness of company, national, or international developments; but it will enable you to maintain your self-worth and marketability.
China is a Commmunsit country communsim is all about free lunches. As for the Chininse work ethic Eastern culture’s have a different take on work than do western culture.