'We've become a nation of workaholics'

Need more evidence that the Five Day Weekend is the way of the future? May we present a new story by MSNBC titled "Take that vacation — it could help your career."

The article tackles America's workaholism and prevalent attitude of "rest is for the weak." What some companies are realizing is that healthy happy employees are better employees. Shocking!

Here's the meaty center of the article:

Companies are beginning to realize the benefits of vacations for their weary workers — fewer sick days, smaller health care bills and a more motivated workforce.

Unfortunately, not all employers get this, and sometimes it’s the workers themselves that don’t get this, either. They have a perverted view that not taking time off and keeping their nose to the grindstone will advance their career, or keep their jobs from ending up on the chopping block.

But in fact, it could lead to burnout, emotional and physical illness, and end up jeopardizing their careers, their lives.

So keep that in mind.

BTW: Today's photo is via gerryriskin.com, a lawyer blog that tackled the issue of workaholism.

The Five Day Weekend: America's salvation? Or harbinger of doom?

When we took the Work Less Express on the road a mere week and a half ago, our No. 1 goal was to start a discussion about how our nation works — and doesn't work.

Well, we've definitely sparked some conversations, with people airing strong opinions on both sides. We thought we'd share a few of the e-mails and online comments we've received, both positive and negative.

LOVING THE FIVE DAY WEEKEND:

"A friend of mine mentioned your cause to me and I was sold immediately. I am sorry I missed you guys yesterday when you were in Atlanta. I would have been there. If there is anything I can do, please let me know." — Mark A.

"Awesome. I've already started the movement here in KC. I'll gladly promote it more." — Darren P.

"I am a high school student and I have taken interest in your movement. However, many of my friends would like to know if the five-day-weekend will apply to school too; if so, I think that I could muster up a whole lot of support for you movement. I hope this goes somewhere, I think it would be really cool to have a five day weekend. Thank you very much." — Eli W.

"Please give me some serious feedback on this plan as I would be happy to look at instituting it with my company." — Kerry L.

"Hats off to your organization. Two-day work week is great. We can use the time to relax and be revived and stop being so grouchy. We Americans are some of the most irritable people in the world. I think it is because we are over worked." — Loraine S. (One of the many, many excellent comments posted on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's story about our rally.)

"I happen to remember when everything close at 12:00 on Wednesday and stores were open till 12:00 on Saturday's and everything was closed on Sunday. Now it seems like the norm is to be open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Something needs to be done now and maybe the 5 day week-end is the best thing." — Chuck

NOT SO MUCH LOVING THE FIVE DAY WEEKEND:

"Please get realistic or give up this lost cause. Your unrealistic plan causes other plans to loose credibility. If you think it is so great in France, MOVE THERE! Their economy is in the toilet and their unemployment rate is through the roof." — David M.

"Most Americans already are a bunch of spoiled, self serving, lazy, over-weight, over paid, slobs now. This idiotic idea will surely put us under, economically and health-wise. ... If this flies are you going to take responsibility for the futher collapse of America's work ethics? If everyone would work 6 days a week for one year America's debt would be paid in full." — Kelly

"Your idea has such a socialist undertone I wonder if you have a liberal hidden agenda since you seem to place the onus on corporations for “making people work so hard”. Well the facts are simple: Nobody is forcing anyone to work beyond what is required of them." — Rick A.

"Y'all are a bunch of ass clowns." — Ryan N.



So ... what do you think?

Did we call this or what?

We were already pumped from our kickoff rally in Asheville, and then we got another boost today with a Reuters story about vacation trends.

OK, so the story isn't exactly positive. In fact, it reiterates the entire reason behind the Five Day Weekend:

NEW YORK - More than half of U.S. workers fail to take all of their vacation days, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

Of the 56 percent who don't take advantage of all their allotted time, a third use half or less of their time off, according to a survey conducted for Hudson, the staffing and outsourcing arm of Hudson Highland Group, based in New York.

So why are we excited? Because we believe the solution to our massively broken vacation system is a longer weekend. And according to this article, we've got a pretty good leg to stand on:

One in five said they planned to take only long weekends off rather than full vacations, the survey also showed.

We all know that Americans are ridiculously deprived of leisure, but this article shines a ray of hope into the wondrous prism that is the Five Day Weekend.

Btw, today's image source is a great BBC story about how the pace of modern life is killing people. Cheers!

Why do vacation days wither and die? The New York Times investigates.

Not that we celebrate finding more evidence of American overwork, but we have to admit feeling a small warm kernel of pride whenever we see this problem getting national media coverage.

Sunday's edition of The New York Times tackles one of the root causes of relaxation withdrawal: U.S. workers feel tacitly discouraged from using their vacation time.

Here's a link to the story, and here's a telling excerpt:

A worker may leave vacation time on the table for many reasons, but they generally boil down to a few: business pressures, particularly on senior executives; a reluctance to appear nonessential; a desire to be paid for unused vacation days down the road; and often, the feeling that one’s workplace is anti-vacation.

This just drives home our point that the vacation system is simply broken. America needs a Five Day Weekend. With our proposal, there's no vacation guilt. Everyone gets an appropriate amount of time off, and you don't have to sweat all the headaches of paid time off.

Rack up another win for the Five Day Weekend.

Got a news bit you'd like to share? E-mail us or just post a link in the comments section. Today's image is via BBC News, from a story about the death of pensions.