Economic Report: 70% Of American Workers Feel Burned Out

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/9014

Economic Report:

Americans are burning our, or at least they feel like they are burning out. A new study from Harris Interactive has found that 78 percent of American workers say they feel burned out. Forty-five percent attribute it to a heavy workload while 23 percent are unhappy with the balance between work and their social lives. However, many workers confuse stress with burning out. Some signs of actual burn out include detachment, isolation, apathy, and hopelessness.

[Warpy]

1. Long hours, either salaried or with overtime,

shitty vacation time (I mean, really, what can you do with two lousy weeks even if you can afford to take them), long commutes---it's a recipe for both personal and productiveness disasters.

Add to that the constant background fear of being laid off, getting one's job offshored, rising prices for everything they use daily, stalled wages, getting sick with insurance bennies that don't quite cover the serious stuff, or just having a sick child at home requiring one parent to be a caregiver. Throw in a declining house value and 401K and it's nothing short of miraculous so many people just keep trudging on that treadmill.

[Skittles]

4. you've described me exactly, Warpy

just because we're still employed doesn't mean we don't feel economic pain - there's just a constant feeling of dread and little hope we ever retire

[Historic NY]

2. Humm I'm retired on disability and feel all those.......

somedays are just WTF. I just go to the gym and power walk everyday. I try to avoid MSM and reg. TV . I've been seeing my standard of living being sucked away everyday and I am only 52.

[elocs]

3. I was feeling burned out and so I've decided to take the summer off.

Fortunately my expenses are small and my living is simple, so I can do it. Another 10 years and I'm done because I don't live to work.

[CrispyQ]

5. Cheers!

I'll have to go back to work in a few months, but in June, I ditched my job that required 15-20 hours of my private life to get the "40 hours" worth of work done. I don't want to work 55-60 hours a week & get paid for it. I sure as hell don't want to work those hours for free!

The company I worked for was diligent about making sure hourly employees didn't put in any time over 40 - or very limited time at the most. But salaried employees? Shit, by the time I finished my work week, my "hourly" rate wasn't even as much as my hourly co-workers.

[elocs]

7. When I was in college I worked the summer for a local radio station.

I did on air work as well as a lot of other needed work. We figured out that with my overtime I was making more money per hour than the station manager at this small station.

My philosophy is that nobody was ever on their deathbed and wishing they had spent more time at work, or that they had spent less time with their family and more time at work. I'll be 56 next month and I'm just going to enjoy some time being lazy while I can.

I've been inspired by the movie "Office Space" (funny movie) to quit my last 2 jobs when I clearly understood that I just didn't want to do them anymore.

[CanonRay]

6. But not bitterness?

:sarcasm:

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

8. Workweeks and commute times are a deadly combination

Who can live with a 55-hour workweek and four hours total commute each workday? Where are the movies? The sports? The outdoor activities?

Honestly, I don't think ANYONE could be happy with so little leisure time.