Comments on: Can Working Less Fight Global Warming? http://www.transitmiami.com/2007/06/27/can-working-less-fight-global-warming/ Moving Together, Faster Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:39:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Anonymous http://www.transitmiami.com/2007/06/27/can-working-less-fight-global-warming/#comment-4887 Anonymous Fri, 29 Jun 2007 02:52:00 +0000 http://www.evolvemiami.org/transitmiami/2007/06/27/can-working-less-fight-global-warming/#comment-4887 The willingness of Americans to work long weeks and take short (though not necessarily *few*) vacations is the #1 reason why the American workforce is still halfway competitive with foreign workers, despite making a lot more money: we're more expensive, and we're (generally) worth it.<br/><br/>Anyone who's ever had to deal with European companies quickly learns that you don't want to do business with them. They have employees who drop off the earth for a month, or close the entire office for weeks at a time. A few months ago I had to run a small circuit board order through a Bulgarian company that's normally pretty reliable... then found out they were closed for the last 2 weeks of December, and first 2 weeks of January. Jesus God. That was when I learned to really, really appreciate the fact that it costs $15 for 2-day FedEx from China to the US (and be even more thankful for the international date line, so I could call them in a state of complete panic on Friday afternoon, and have the prototype boards on my desk, ready to reflow, by Monday morning for less than a hundred bucks). The willingness of Americans to work long weeks and take short (though not necessarily *few*) vacations is the #1 reason why the American workforce is still halfway competitive with foreign workers, despite making a lot more money: we’re more expensive, and we’re (generally) worth it.

Anyone who’s ever had to deal with European companies quickly learns that you don’t want to do business with them. They have employees who drop off the earth for a month, or close the entire office for weeks at a time. A few months ago I had to run a small circuit board order through a Bulgarian company that’s normally pretty reliable… then found out they were closed for the last 2 weeks of December, and first 2 weeks of January. Jesus God. That was when I learned to really, really appreciate the fact that it costs $15 for 2-day FedEx from China to the US (and be even more thankful for the international date line, so I could call them in a state of complete panic on Friday afternoon, and have the prototype boards on my desk, ready to reflow, by Monday morning for less than a hundred bucks).

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.transitmiami.com/2007/06/27/can-working-less-fight-global-warming/#comment-4885 Anonymous Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:58:00 +0000 http://www.evolvemiami.org/transitmiami/2007/06/27/can-working-less-fight-global-warming/#comment-4885 I could use more sleep. Europe is having difficulty competing because of their numerous vacation days, and that has hurt them economically, but it appears that they are doing ok. I could use more sleep. Europe is having difficulty competing because of their numerous vacation days, and that has hurt them economically, but it appears that they are doing ok.

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