Questions for our American friends - Page 461

**Rogerbh** · November 26th, 2018, 05:32 PM

Do you really think those commercials made people dislike recycling or cleaning up the mess that others leave?

The A to B to C connections that you make are not apparent to me. I would think that they helped lead to local governments requiring recycling bins with their garbage cans.

Hell, that crying Italian/Indian commercial led my grade school class to volunteer and clean our local creek because idiots used it as a dump ground. When I take walks, I pick up trash that idiots throw out in the street. Who cares if the actor's DNA wasn't perfect for his role? The commercial had the desired effect.

I am sorry if I am off topic, but when I see something that is apparently wrong, I have a hard time ignoring it.

**Roubignol** · November 30th, 2018, 12:16 PM

I was surprised to learn that American workers have less paid holidays than ... Japaneses.

How can you explain that?
Are free days... a sin?

easyed · November 30th, 2018, 04:40 PM

I get six weeks vacation plus six paid holiday days. It was a graduated increase based on my number of years. I've been in my job for 25 years. Once my vacation balance reaches 1 1/2 times what I earn in a year, I don't accrue anymore. There's the incentive to take vacation. I work for one of those big evil corporations but they do not deny or make it difficult to take vacation. Because of my position, it is painful to return after an extended trip. Work piles up and is waiting for me. I just returned from a two week vacation and never had to worry about my job being filled while I was gone. I am now covering for one of my peers who is in Europe right now. I don't think Americans get vacation at the rate some other developed countries do but it's not as dire as I've read.

**Arturo2nd** · November 30th, 2018, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by easyed

I get six weeks vacation plus six paid holiday days. It was a graduated increase based on my number of years. I've been in my job for 25 years. Once my vacation balance reaches 1 1/2 times what I earn in a year, I don't accrue anymore. There's the incentive to take vacation. I work for one of those big evil corporations but they do not deny or make it difficult to take vacation. Because of my position, it is painful to return after an extended trip. Work piles up and is waiting for me. I just returned from a two week vacation and never had to worry about my job being filled while I was gone. I am now covering for one of my peers who is in Europe right now. I don't think Americans get vacation at the rate some other developed countries do but it's not as dire as I've read.

As an accounting guy, the reality was that one only dared take vacation in the third week of the month during a few particular months per year or be prepared to put in some very long hours to meet legally mandated deadlines.

ShutUpLutz! · November 30th, 2018, 06:07 PM

And there is also the 'expectation' ie order that if you work in certain types of jobs it is very frowned upon if you take time off at particular times of the year, in fact it is forbidden in some companies, mainly retail to take time off between Thanksgiving and February, and that can often mean working on Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years.

Of course if you work for certain companies like LL Bean they will offer you as much overtime as you want even if you are a seasonal worker, which is great 'cause you can get a really big paycheck every week for about 6 weeks, but you have to be careful not to overdo it so you fall asleep driving home and thus fail to see the moose standing on the highway in front of you and plow into it at 65 mph.

The end result was, how can I put this....messy.

**KissArmy** · December 1st, 2018, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigtrain45

You're in a strong position because you've long established yourself at your company after 25 years. That's not common anymore, though it used to be. My Dad worked at the same place for 28 years and didn't retire. Died of a heart attack a week after his 65th birthday.

I'm sorry for your father's early passing. That's way too young after working so hard.

Yes, from my experience, a lot of the private sector in America frowns upon taking a reasonable amount of time off from work. To them it's a sign you're dispensable, and a lot of American men can't deal with that. I've read many a media article glorifying CEO X because he/she works an absurd amount of hours each day and is always on the job... "that's how important he/she is! This is what it's all about!"

I've also seen that more often than not, reasonable time off is available in the US, but many American men don't take it. Because their entire self worth is wrapped up in their job... they've got wives and kids, but the wives and kids are accessories. And the guy probably knows his wife and kids really don't like him anyway. I interviewed with a guy once who told me "If You're Not Willing to Work 70 Hours a Week You Don't Want to Be A [profession I was interviewing for]! No, Dumb Ass, I don't want to be You.

(Retiring very soon... life's too short)

**deepsepia** · December 5th, 2018, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xyzde69

I was surprised to learn that American workers have less paid holidays than ... Japaneses.

How can you explain that?
Are free days... a sin?

Japanese famously work Saturdays-- usually half day. They also put in a lot of unpaid overtime. US workers work a few more hours a year, but both the US and Japan are very close to the OECD average. Interestingly, Korea, Costa Rica, and Mexico are the nations recording the most work hours.

**Roubignol** · December 7th, 2018, 02:53 PM

Since 3 weeks there is an apolitical protestation in France (and even in Belgium) from the middle and poor French classes against their government.

They disagree about the new taxes on gazoline, but it's not only that. They are tired to see their lifestyle becoming worse and worse when their President made tax gift to the richest people.
Pictures broadcasted on foreing TV mainly showed brutal riots in Paris, but during 3 weeks there were very very few accidents.

Do you think that this kind of protestation against social disparity could happen in the US or in some specific States or is it not at all in the modern American mentality?

**Rogerbh** · December 7th, 2018, 03:59 PM

The Extreme left and some homeless advocates were doing the 99% protests, not as violent as the Yellow Vest protests.

Given enough time and if Trump doesn't get taken down, we may see similar protests in the US.

**laberbacke** · December 7th, 2018, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xyzde69

Do you think that this kind of protestation against social disparity could happen in the US or in some specific States or is it not at all in the modern American mentality?

The French work to live - Americans live to work. They're a nation of 325 million temporarily inconvenienced millionaires willing to put up with a lot of inequality that simply wouldn't fly in the old world.

That being said, if gas prices in the US (currently $ 3.15/gallon) were as high as they are in France ($ 6.90) or Germany ($ 6.70), there'd be blood in the streets.

November 26th, 2018, 05:32 PM	#4601
Rogerbh Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of the free within reasonable limitations Posts: 10,922 Thanks: 50,549 Thanked 91,287 Times in 10,771 Posts	Do you really think those commercials made people dislike recycling or cleaning up the mess that others leave? The A to B to C connections that you make are not apparent to me. I would think that they helped lead to local governments requiring recycling bins with their garbage cans. Hell, that crying Italian/Indian commercial led my grade school class to volunteer and clean our local creek because idiots used it as a dump ground. When I take walks, I pick up trash that idiots throw out in the street. Who cares if the actor's DNA wasn't perfect for his role? The commercial had the desired effect. I am sorry if I am off topic, but when I see something that is apparently wrong, I have a hard time ignoring it.

November 30th, 2018, 12:16 PM	#4602
Roubignol Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mice Planet Posts: 3,882 Thanks: 15,974 Thanked 29,726 Times in 3,826 Posts	I was surprised to learn that American workers have less paid holidays than ... Japaneses. How can you explain that? Are free days... a sin?

November 30th, 2018, 04:40 PM	#4603
easyed Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 33 Thanks: 1,314 Thanked 276 Times in 31 Posts	I get six weeks vacation plus six paid holiday days. It was a graduated increase based on my number of years. I've been in my job for 25 years. Once my vacation balance reaches 1 1/2 times what I earn in a year, I don't accrue anymore. There's the incentive to take vacation. I work for one of those big evil corporations but they do not deny or make it difficult to take vacation. Because of my position, it is painful to return after an extended trip. Work piles up and is waiting for me. I just returned from a two week vacation and never had to worry about my job being filled while I was gone. I am now covering for one of my peers who is in Europe right now. I don't think Americans get vacation at the rate some other developed countries do but it's not as dire as I've read.

November 30th, 2018, 06:07 PM	#4605
ShutUpLutz! Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Posts: 390 Thanks: 182 Thanked 2,436 Times in 368 Posts	And there is also the 'expectation' ie order that if you work in certain types of jobs it is very frowned upon if you take time off at particular times of the year, in fact it is forbidden in some companies, mainly retail to take time off between Thanksgiving and February, and that can often mean working on Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years. Of course if you work for certain companies like LL Bean they will offer you as much overtime as you want even if you are a seasonal worker, which is great 'cause you can get a really big paycheck every week for about 6 weeks, but you have to be careful not to overdo it so you fall asleep driving home and thus fail to see the moose standing on the highway in front of you and plow into it at 65 mph. The end result was, how can I put this....messy.

December 7th, 2018, 02:53 PM	#4608
Roubignol Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mice Planet Posts: 3,882 Thanks: 15,974 Thanked 29,726 Times in 3,826 Posts	Since 3 weeks there is an apolitical protestation in France (and even in Belgium) from the middle and poor French classes against their government. They disagree about the new taxes on gazoline, but it's not only that. They are tired to see their lifestyle becoming worse and worse when their President made tax gift to the richest people. Pictures broadcasted on foreing TV mainly showed brutal riots in Paris, but during 3 weeks there were very very few accidents. Do you think that this kind of protestation against social disparity could happen in the US or in some specific States or is it not at all in the modern American mentality?

December 7th, 2018, 03:59 PM	#4609
Rogerbh Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of the free within reasonable limitations Posts: 10,922 Thanks: 50,549 Thanked 91,287 Times in 10,771 Posts	The Extreme left and some homeless advocates were doing the 99% protests, not as violent as the Yellow Vest protests. Given enough time and if Trump doesn't get taken down, we may see similar protests in the US.