Qu'est-ce Que Sais Overtime?

I don’t really care about the problems of unemployed French actors (as depicted in this story). Sorry, but that’s where my liberal sympathies end.

Here is the paragraph (buried deep down, of course) that got my attention, though:

The French average seven weeks of paid vacation a year -- two more than the country's labor laws stipulate. They work an average of 1,441 hours per year, compared with 1,661 hours for the British, and 1,824 for Americans, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports.

As usual, we in the U.S. work the longest hours. And we’re the ones who have to worry the most about offshoring, cutting back or elimination of our benefits, and foreign workers holding down our wages (not their fault personally – blame the employer).

I’m trying to pick up OA’s slack on this. Just let me know when it’s time to “go to the mattresses,” OK?