In most European countries, including France, Italy, and Germany, workers are entitled to about 20 days a year. Many of the shops in Paris are closed in August because so many people have taken vacations. Inconvenient? That’s just how it is. People need time off to relax, replenish, and revive. In Japan and Canada, people are entitled to at least 10 days off. That’s less than the European Union countries, but more than the United States.
What do these countries see that we don’t? They see that a relaxed workforce is a more productive workforce. They see that workplace stress is an issue. They understand that people “snap” when there is an unrelenting amount of pressure they must deal with.
I write about this as a labor economist, a person who studies workplaces, their designs and their outcomes. I write about this as a person who has managed people and who understands their challenges. I write about this as a person who will not take a vacation unless you make me. And I write about this as an African-American who understands how infrequently African-American workers have the opportunity to simply chill.
African-American families earn about $31,000 a year, compared to about $50,000 for Whites. African-Americans have much higher unemployment rates than the overall average. African-Americans are overrepresented in the number of people holding multiple jobs. African-Americans are in the most need of chill time and the least likely to afford it.
Those who work hardest and get the fewest benefits need vacations more than the rest of us do. The Starbucks barista, standing on her feet all day, and fake smiling when somebody asks for a triple chai latte, the housekeeper at a hotel who hopes the person who left her room a mess also left a tip, the sidewalk sweeper who watches the street he just cleaned muck up in an instant, these are the folks who need vacations.
Our national policy does not entitle people to vacation time, sick leave, or other kinds of leave. Too often, employers provide it as a “perk,” not a necessity. Still, when you look at our unproductive Congress taking a month-long break, you have to wonder why everyone doesn’t get his or her perk. Or, at least a week, two weeks, or something.
You can’t do your best without a rest. How can we possibly compete with our European Union colleagues when we treat our workers with less concern?
(Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist, and educator based in Washington, D.C.)
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