American Working Conditions

A Gallup report from 2014 estimated that the average full-time worker in the United States works 47 hours a week, one of the highest figures in the world, and significantly higher than the rates in Western Europe.  In practice, employees in some countries, like Germany and Sweden, work closer to 35 hours a week.

Vacation time varies from country to country, but Americans seem to get the short end of the stick, with most companies offering around two weeks of paid leave a year. In Sweden workers get five weeks of paid vacation a year. And what little vacation time Americans do receive, they don't always take advantage of. The average US employee who receives paid vacation only actually takes 54% of the allotted time each year. 

The United States doesn't guarantee any paid leave to new parents, instead leaving it up to individual employers. The result is new parents take far less time off after having a child than other parents around the world. In Finland, for example, expecting mothers can start their leave seven weeks before having a child, and can continue for 16 weeks after the birth. Men in Finland are offered eight weeks of paid leave.

Americans have a reputation for being chained to their desks. A 2015 survey found that only one in five Americans actually spends their lunch break away from their desks, with most eating their midday meal while they continue to work. 

On top of that, millions of Americans are skipping lunch altogether to continue working. Meanwhile, in France, Spain, Greece, and other countries, lunch breaks can last an hour or more -- and rarely take place within the office.

Even outside of lunchtime hours, American workers rarely step outside for a break. In Sweden, workers often enjoy a daily breather called fika -- an extended coffee break during which employees can gather and socialize. Many offices offer two breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

One of the worst American work practices is the tendency to send and answer emails after work hours have ended.  France took extreme measures, enacting a measure earlier this year that allows employees to ignore work-related emails sent after working hours. The same goes for weekend emails.