VACATION TIME
BY JULIANNE MALVEAUX

When George W. Bush left the White House yesterday, he was beginning an absence from the White House that will last for 25 days. His spokesman, Ari Fleischer, calls the trip “a vacation”, but the President will host an economic forum on August 13, and he’ll visit a dozen cities raising money for Republicans around the country. The White House has used the term “vacation” very gingerly, telling reporters to describe the 25-day absence from the nation’s power centers however they choose. I don’t blame them for playing the working vacation down. With the economy in the toilet, and more people feeling the pinch, it’s easy to envy a president who has a job perk that few other Americans have. Notwithstanding what Maryland governor Parris Glendening told USA Today last week: “In times of financial crisis and international crisis, the public looks for hands-on, confident leadership. What we're going to see is every-other-day photo ops from the ranch,” at issue here is the concept of the overworked American, a topic that folks as varied as Arlie Hoschschild and Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders have addressed in recent years. The United States, with an average of 13 annual vacation days, follows Japan, which offers employees 25 days of vacation annually and Italy, which offers an almost unfathomable 42 days of vacation to its citizens. In fact, most of Western Europe gets a month off of work, give or take a week depending on the country.

In the United States though, even were workers to get more vacation time, it would likely not accrue until year two or later of their tenure with a particular company. Workers who have held jobs for less than 2 years in the United States customarily only get 2 weeks of vacation time, according to Hewitt Associates. In addition, according to a 2001 study by Oxford Health Plans in New York, 18 percent of workers say they are unable to use their annual vacation time due to job demands—this despite the fact that their vacation time is most certainly less than two measly weeks. And when workers do get a chance to escape, some of them go away burdened with cell phones and pagers, “on call” whether they’re on vacation or not. Low-wage workers may get even less time, and may be forced, by economic circumstances, to work temporary or part time jobs during their “vacation” period. Part-time workers who piece together a living from two or three jobs may get no vacation. Still others get a forced vacation in the forms of layoffs.

The fact that so many workers lack vacation time or lack the ability to take vacation time afforded them should be a serious concern. Employee retention and productivity both would no doubt climb were employers and the government to realize the necessity of time off. Even sadder than the fact that folks don’t get two weeks at the beach during the work year is that some folks don’t get two minutes to themselves during the workday: according to the Oxford Health Plans study, 32 percent of workers eat lunch while they are working—and they’re probably the same 32 percent who never leave their building once they arrive at work.

Rising unemployment rates increase the pressure. Those who were afraid to take time off before rates started rising are petrified now. When their coworkers are laid off, they willingly shoulder extra work, extending their workday and their workoad. In the short run, costs are cut, but in the long run they, and their families suffer. Thus, wihle Mr. Bush is spending quality leisure time home on the range, millions of Americans don’t know the meaning of leisure. While the President is “kicking back”, millions are ramping up their wor and their job search efforts.

President Bush may well be entitled to time off, but so are millions of other hardworking Americans who don’t have the perks he does. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says that those who raise valid questions about the Presiden’ts long break are taking “potshots” at our leader’s well-deserved vacation. The potshots should be put in some context. It is not just that the President has such a long break, but also that some Americans have none. In some ways , we look at the Presdien’s vacation as a way of examining the benefits packages that so many other Americans have. If we think all Americans should be paid fairly, we have to pay attention both to pay and to the terms and conditions of work, the hours, the benefits, and the time off. Too many people don’t gett a break from work, and both their productivity and famly life suffers for it.

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