Which Way, L.A.?
Vacation Deprivation
The concept of paid vacation dates back to the 1930's, when organized labor began to bargain collectively with business management. In Europe, where unions had more clout, they got more time off, and they still do. American workers always have lagged behind. After all, the business of America is business, and the Puritan ethic provides that whomever the Devil finds idle, he puts to work. Now, the Devil is finally getting his due. Information Technology has introduced us to "24-7," the idea of non-stop performance. With the Internet, cell phones, Palm pilots and lap-top computers, you never have to stop working. People who supposedly are entitled to vacations don't even take them. Others go on vacation-but take work along. So, isn't it time to ask some important questions: Are we working ourselves to death? Do we need more vacation?
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe concept of paid vacation dates back to the 1930's, when organized labor began to bargain collectively with business management. In Europe, where unions had more clout, they got more time off, and they still do. American workers always have lagged behind. After all, the business of America is business, and the Puritan ethic provides that whomever the Devil finds idle, he puts to work. Now, the Devil is finally getting his due. Information Technology has introduced us to "24-7," the idea of non-stop performance. With the Internet, cell phones, Palm pilots and lap-top computers, you never have to stop working. People who supposedly are entitled to vacations don't even take them. Others go on vacation-but take work along. So, isn't it time to ask some important questions: Are we working ourselves to death? Do we need more vacation?
