Many US employees feel overworked, stressed....

FettsBabe

Diamond Member
Oct 21, 1999
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DUH! Didn't take a genius to figure that out. :(

Many U.S. employees feel overworked, stressed, study says

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A study released Wednesday suggests that many U.S. workers may be working too hard, leading to more mistakes on the job, neglected personal relationships and higher health-care costs.

In the study, conducted by the New York-based nonprofit Families and Work Institute, 46 percent of respondents said they felt overworked in one way or another.

"This study is a clarion call for all of us -- companies and individuals -- to look at how we're working," said Ellen Galinsky, institute president and co-author of the study.

The survey, which consisted of phone interviews of 1,000 U.S. workers, said that 28 percent of respondents often felt overworked. Twenty-eight percent said they felt overwhelmed by their workload, and 29 percent said they felt they had no time to step back and reflect on their work.

Women respondents tended to say they felt more overworked than men, while baby boomers (workers age 36-54) said they felt more overworked than Gen-Xers (workers age 18-35) or workers 55 and older.

If so many people feel they're being overworked, how much time are they spending working? According to the survey, 24 percent of U.S. workers said they spent 50 or more hours on the job each week. Twenty-two percent said they worked six to seven days a week, and 25 percent said they don't use vacation time to which they're entitled.

Galinsky said the feeling of being overworked is not solely because of the number of hours spent working.

"When you feel pressured and pushed, when you feel not respected, when you feel tension at work, when you feel the work that you do isn't of real value, that leads to overwork," Galinsky said. "Sizable portions of the U.S. work forces have these feelings."

The survey found that those who said they felt overworked were more likely to neglect themselves and less likely to feel successful in their personal and family relationships.

Overworked employees, according to the study, can lead to drastic on-the-job consequences. They are more likely to look for a new job, to feel angry with their employers and to make mistakes. Seventeen percent of respondents who said they felt overworked said they often made mistakes at work, compared with only 1 percent of those who said they did not feel overworked.

Overwork can take its toll on the bottom line, the survey concluded. Overwork tends to raise the cost of health care because of stressed workers. Employees who quit or are dismissed because they are burned out force businesses to spend more money to train replacement workers, the study said.

Survey researchers said it is the cost of overworked employees that, in the end, will prompt U.S. businesses to take action to prevent workers from becoming victims of a workaholic society.
 

gittyup

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2000
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Hmmm, I feel I have it to easy. No stress and not being worked hard. I must be one of the exceptions..:D
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
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There's a big surprise. I guess it would help if I didn't stay up until 1:00 when I have to get up at 4:30.

Viper GTS
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
55,847
13,943
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Hmmm, loosly translated:

* 46% of Americans whine at one time or another.
* 29% of Americans whine all the time.
* Women whine more than men
* Baby Boomers whine more than other generations.

Nothing new here...
 

perry

Diamond Member
Apr 7, 2000
4,018
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I bet some poor reporter sat up until the wee hours of the morning trying to meet a deadline to get that story finished. The irony of it.
 

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
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AmusedOne hit the nail on the head.

Ask the average person if the are overworked and they will say yes. Then check their internet access logs.

Trust me, they aren't working as hard as they could/should be.
 

Russ

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
21,093
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That's strange. I only feel "stressed" if I'm underworked.

Russ, NCNE
 

Shmorq

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2000
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<< That's strange. I only feel &quot;stressed&quot; if I'm underworked. >>

That's pretty funny. It's stressful to look like you're doing work when you really having nothing to do.
 

dcdomain

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2000
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Bleh... we Americans are a bunch of pathetic whiners. We bitch about school, but in other countries in the world, schooling there is way tougher. Then we bitch about work, but at least most of the people if not all of the people on this board don't work in sweatshops where you barely get paid enough to feed a family. All we do is bitch bitch bitch...
 

wyvrn

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
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Well with both parents working now, and longer hours on average, work is putting a stress on family relationships. I don't think this is a good trend. American companies could take a cue from the Japanese and institute excersise and other programs that reduce stress, and provide reliable day care services on-site. Some countries do intentionally address these problems and find ways to solve them instead of making asinine comments like &quot;people whine&quot; and &quot;poor babies&quot;.

EDIT: I should say some companies within Japan do this. I don't think these programs are govt. sponsored, but they could be.
 

Americans are obcessed with working. Not as bad as the asians though.
Take the italians for example, 30 hours work weeks, with a 2 hours lunch/dinner and a nap in the middle.
 

Russ

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
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<< American companies could take a cue from the Japanese >>



Better yet, Federal Piggy could stop bleeding families dry so that both parents are forced to work just so one of those incomes can pay the taxes.

Russ, NCNE
 

wyvrn

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
10,074
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<<

<< American companies could take a cue from the Japanese >>



Better yet, Federal Piggy could stop bleeding families dry so that both parents are forced to work just so one of those incomes can pay the taxes.

Russ, NCNE
>>



Uh-huh. Make a flat tax rate with no loopholes that applies regardless of income level. But that is another discussion altogether ;)
 

Total Refected Power

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
3,899
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I can handle the stress. Where families need help is:

1. Tax Relief

2. On-site day-care (many companies already do this)

3. Expand limits on retirement savings.

4. College tuition tax deduction.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
55,847
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<< Well with both parents working now, and longer hours on average, work is putting a stress on family relationships. I don't think this is a good trend. American companies could take a cue from the Japanese and institute excersise and other programs that reduce stress, and provide reliable day care services on-site. Some countries do intentionally address these problems and find ways to solve them instead of making asinine comments like &quot;people whine&quot; and &quot;poor babies&quot;. >>



Oh yes! How dare we think workers can be responsible enough to deal with their own stress and exercise! We MUST take care of them <gag>

Sorry, but it is the responsibility of the individual to manage his own stress. Also, if you're going to have kids, it's YOUR responsibility to care for them... not the state's responsibility, not your employer's responsibility, YOUR responsibility. If you need daycare at work, YOU should pay for it through a deduction in your paycheck, and not force all the employees without children to pay for your kid.

Maybe more parents could stay home, if we weren't forced to pay for all this nanny-state crap in the first place, eh?

Oh, and when I see a couple living in a 3000+SF house and driving 30-50K cars complaining about how they both have to work, and child care should be provided free of charge, I want to scream.
 

Total Refected Power

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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Also, if you're going to have kids, it's YOUR responsibility to care for them... not the state's responsibility, not your employer's responsibility, YOUR responsibility.

Of course it is. But providing facilities that are on-site makes a more productive worker. I am not advocating a free service at all. Pay as you go. But having such facilities on-site would make the world of difference to many parents.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
55,847
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<< Also, if you're going to have kids, it's YOUR responsibility to care for them... not the state's responsibility, not your employer's responsibility, YOUR responsibility.

Of course it is. But providing facilities that are on-site makes a more productive worker. I am not advocating a free service at all. Pay as you go. But having such facilities on-site would make the world of difference to many parents.
>>



OK, fine. If the employees who use it pay for it, and the ones who don't use it pay nothing, I'm fine with that. But the reality is often quite different. EVERYONE pays, and the ones with kids benefit.
 

wyvrn

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
10,074
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<< Sorry, but it is the responsibility of the individual to manage his own stress. Also, if you're going to have kids, it's YOUR responsibility to care for them... not the state's responsibility, not your employer's responsibility, YOUR responsibility. >>



Agree with you here. And as a full time employee, I see my employer as a resource for daycare and stress reducing programs. My company already offers these things as benefits. BTW, when did I ever mention the govt. getting involved?



<< Maybe more parents could stay home, if we weren't forced to pay for all this nanny-state crap in the first place, eh? >>



I don't disagree with you here either. What is your point?



<< OK, fine. If the employees who use it pay for it, and the ones who don't use it pay nothing, I'm fine with that. But the reality is often quite different. EVERYONE pays, and the ones with kids benefit. >>



Take healthcare. Having a company-sponsored program benefits everyone by keeping per capita costs down. And if you don't want healthcare, you don't have to pay for it, either. And there are several different plans to choose from. You could make the daycare thing something similar. Calm down just a bit before you break out the flamer, people are agreeing with you here.
 

Total Refected Power

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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But the reality is often quite different. EVERYONE pays, and the ones with kids benefit.

Actually my experience suggests otherwise. Several companies offer this and it is a progessive pay system. The more you earn the more you pay up to some cap. So EVERYONE is not paying just the people using the facility. You could argue that it is unfair to the higher wage earners but that's another matter all together.
 

yakko

Lifer
Apr 18, 2000
25,455
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<< Prison:

Butt sex in the shower.

'Nuff said.

Viper GTS
>>


Sounds like you can't wait to get there.:Q
 

Total Refected Power

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
3,899
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Maybe more parents could stay home, if we weren't forced to pay for all this nanny-state crap in the first place, eh?

Maybe, maybe not. With retirement planning now almost completely on each person's shoulders and concerns for paying for college tuition and aging parents I would guess that tax-relief would help a lot but not supplant the second income.

It is an expensive world.