work

Don’t shoot–I’m working as fast as I can! Workaholics are like alcoholics–only the ones who have recovered talk about it. One of them calls this “the best-dressed problem of the 21st century.”

With a shortage of jobs, workers who are still employed are running in place. Bryan Robinson says, “I used work to defend myself against unwelcome emotional states–to modulate anxiety, sadness, and frustration the way a pothead uses dope and an alcoholic uses booze.” Now Robinson tries to help other workaholics, but in a society that places high value on work and lauds individuals for their strong work ethic, getting workaholism recognized as a real, dangerous problem has been an uphill battle.
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After World War II, when most Americans worked in factories and punched time cards, few people worked longer than 40 hours a week. Some professions, like law and medicine, have always expected newcomers to work long hours, but young workers looked forward to more leisure time once they “made it.” Today, almost everyone is working more than 40 hours a week and not getting paid any extra, at a time when workers in Europe are dropping down to 35 or even 30 hours a week, along with a mandated 4 to 6 weeks of vacation. What’s wrong with us?
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