What is your opinion on American "work culture" and working conditions?

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And it’s easier for a single adult to adjust into living situations like that of finding roommates to better accommodate their situation (even if uncomfortable).

Do you think there is any way we can get back to the norm of providing family-supporting wages for parents? The old model seems to have worked for the majority of traditional families (though we did have more poverty and destitution which safety nets seem to be help alleviated) but I understand that back in the day, single moms had a difficult time, and these were widowers among others.

What are some ways that we can better support ALL families in the present day?
 
RCIAGraduate said:
And it’s easier for a single adult to adjust into living situations like that of finding roommates to better accommodate their situation (even if uncomfortable).
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If employers started paying their employees based upon the employees’ needs as opposed to what the employee can do for the enterprise, it will pose a problem for the enterprise.

Employees would be inclined to seek the easiest/less stressful jobs in the company, instead of challenging assignments- as their pay would be based on THEIR needs not those of the boss.
 
But how can someone function not to mention thrive if they don’t have their basic needs or necessities met? All of us have the same needs, safety, shelter, food, water, basic health coverage, transportation, clothing and nowadays access to internet (for finding jobs and employment).
 
As a Canadian living in The Netherlands, I can vehemently say there is a huge difference in work culture .

Work-life balance is arguably the best in the world in The Netherlands and one of the reasons my family continue to live here. There are a lot of variables that go into what constitutes work-life balance, and I’m drawing my opinions of having worked in a particular field in a major metropolitan area.

Only 0.5% of Dutch employees regularly work very long hours, which is the lowest rate in the OECD, where the average is 13%. Instead, they devote around 16 hours per day to eating, sleeping and leisurely pursuits.
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My wife works for an agency and we often discuss the differences in cultural work experience since they employ many internationals. In one instance, we had a Dutch employee go on stress leave just 3 weeks into his employment, because he was stressed about having to work later than 7 pm on occasion. He repeatidly said that his wife was going to divorce him if this keeps up. From my experience, this just wouldn’t happen west of the pond.

In contrast, she’s noticed that Americans who sign a contract to live here burn themselves out within the first month. The moment they step off the plane, they’re in 5th gear. All other all responsibilities are set aside and there are plenty to deal when you pick up and move your life to another country.

Work-life balance just doesn’t stem from working conditions, rather it comes from all other aspects of life. There is a far less materialism, status is irrelevant and there is more vacation time, to name a few. While things are very similar to North America, there are a million marginally different things and adding this up makes a difference.
 
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I’m not sure payment based on needs is necessary or even possible.

Simply an increased minimum wage would be beneficial for all.
 
But Americans DO have their basic needs met!! What do you think–that we allow people to starve and live in tenements and fish through giant garbage dumps for a bottles to sell?!

I posted earlier that the poor in the U.S. are eligible for free housing, free food (food stamps and other government programs like the free breakfast and lunch programs in the public schools, as well as many local privately-funded programs and food pantries/church meals, etc.) health coverage (medicaid), transportation vouchers (free bus pass), clothing (free thrift stores), internet access (at the public library), and free workshops and seminars on job hunting. Also, every American receives a free public education through 18 years of age. Those with low incomes are eligible for government grants to attend trade schools and colleges, and there are also private scholarships given to low-income people.

NO ONE in the U.S. is forced to go without basic needs! NO ONE!! In our city, a recently-built housing development for the low-income individuals and families consists of condos that cost $240,000.00 dollars each to build! The majority of the condos in the development are reserved for low-income people, but about 20% of the condos are available to be purchased by private individuals who can afford to buy one–and they are all sold.

That’'s two hundred and forty thousand dollars each, brand-new construction. And it’s in a safe neighborhood right next to a police station, and within walking distance of a public school, and two blocks down the road from the major street in our city (bus routes), and lots of nearby employment options,

There are people in the U.S. who choose to live homeless, often because they have a mental illness that makes them suspicious of shelter. During our harsh winters, our Rescue Mission and other homeless shelters fill up, but there are still people who refuse to come in out of the cold and live in a small community under our bridges (we are a river city).

I don’t think the problem in the U.S. is people who are starving and naked and uncared for. I think the problem is that the poor have an extremely difficult time transitioning off being poor into becoming educated, working people who pay their own bills and watch out for their own health and retiement.

Sometimes when too much is given freely, it cripples people. They get used to getting something for nothing, and they literally have no idea how to work for something and earn it. I’m not saying this to disparage these people–I don’t think it’s their fault. I think that our government turns our people into the chronic poor. Our government actually PENALIZES people who try to climb out of poverty; e.g., if a person does get a job, even if it’s very low-income (min. wage), the government takes away the person’s food stamps–this is ridiculous! For many people, getting the job makes them WORSE off!
 
Peeps - a genuine question.

Why do American poor have such a hard time transitioning? Other western cultures don’t have the same issues especially in terms of homeless numbers. What is the difference?
 
My grandfather grew up in the country and only got to the 6th grade. He founded his own successful business and worked till he was 93. My father worked full time till he was 70 and then took a part time job working 20 hours a week till he was 90. I am 67 and plan to work till I am 70 and then work part time in a school. I like to work - it fulfills me.
 
Peeps said:
I posted earlier that the poor in the U.S. are eligible for free housing, free food (food stamps and other government programs like the free breakfast and lunch programs in the public schools, as well as many local privately-funded programs and food pantries/church meals, etc.) health coverage (medicaid), transportation vouchers (free bus pass), clothing (free thrift stores), internet access (at the public library), and free workshops and seminars on job hunting. Also, every American receives a free public education through 18 years of age. Those with low incomes are eligible for government grants to attend trade schools and colleges, and there are also private scholarships given to low-income people.
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The US has no national program to provide “free housing” (though it does fund public housing). My bias from being in a high cost of living state with a possible housing crisis is speaking but housing affordability is becoming a growing issue as cities (population centers) see their rent and housing prices climb. Making rent or putting a down payment seems to be getting harder and harder especially since wages are not rising in comparable rates (though the unemployment numbers look positive, do they account for underemployment or situations where one is in a job they do not want).

Additionally, the homeless in America face a stigma, those that don’t have great or authentic friends and family are limited to homeless shelters and I read reviews about some of these “shelters” it’s not meant to be a pleasant place but some of these places seem downright dangerous and to make things worse, the homeless are treated badly by the ones who are responsible for helping them through. Knowing the conditions, it is reasonable to understand why some homeless go on a downward spiral but hopefully many get to better place.

I even read a comment which had a story (look up Daisy on the screen) where a woman with a child had to back to someone she was in a toxic relationship (hopefully they’re safe but she seems discouraged) in because her sister and her child couldn’t handle living in the same home with a special needs child (and from what I recall the toxic person sabotaged another living situation before that).

I will give fellow Americans credit on our Food Banks though there is the risk that the Food Bank/Food Pantry might not have enough. School lunches aren’t known to be very good (and as sad as it seems, people grow up on these) but school breakfasts seem like a positive step in the right direction (though I wish school food was better, don’t students deserve good and healthy food). Food stamps helps but eating cheap and healthy is a challenge.
 
Also as harsh as it seems, not everyone has a family they can rely on. I remember reading one story between siblings fighting over a home and when one of them won, the other was homeless for a brief time (fortunately he appeared able to get better). The sibling who lost was the one who put family over career by choosing to care for her mom while the sibling who won was a realtor who kicked out her sibling after their mom’s passing and deciding to sell the house.

Pardon for the hyper-emotional rhetoric, I think I am drawn to stories with a negative and tragic slant and in a disturbing matter. But my point stands, there are issues with America’s safety net. But it does get a job done (but hypothetically isn’t it possible that we can do better?)
 
I remember once as a very young child asking my Dad, who was a factory worker, what if everyone was given enough money to live on? He said, “Well, I guess then no one would want to work.”

At that time, there were no school lunches or school breakfasts. All of us kids took our lunch to school with us, usually a peanut butter or lunchmeat sandwich. My brother would eat nothing but peanut butter sandwiches, so that’s what he had for lunch all through elementary school.

Now, my diocese operates a large public diner, esentially a restaurant, at which anyone can come for a free dinner each day, no questions asked.
 
As I said above, I believe that our government has policies in place that sabotage efforts to get ahead. You get a job, you lose food stamps.

I also believe that when people are 4th or 5th generation of a non-working family (public aid-dependent), it’s just hard to adapt to a new lifestyle. Anyone who is addicted to anything knows how hard it is to stick with the new path.
 
They tried serving good and health food when First Lady Michelle Obama got involved with the School Lunch program. Kids wouldn’t eat it, and there was massive waste. Many schools have gone back to what they used to have (pizza, burgers, fries, chips, ice cream).
 
A few weeks ago, NBC (the television network) did a wonderful 2 hour special on “Homelessness in the U.S.”

They concentrated on Los Angeles, which apparently has 25% of the U.S. homeless living there. (Good weather!).

It was a very fair-minded, well-balanced presentation that placed a lot of the blame for homelessness on addictions and mental illness.

Interestingly, those who actually work with the homeless in L.a. soundly denounced the various “government programs,” and stated that the most effective work is being done by “Angels”–people who take it upon themselves to help out.

I started watching the show because a professional classical musician started playing for the people in the streets (normally his concert tickets cost $200.00!). Then he started a choir for the homeless, and apparently they presented Handel’s Messiah last year! Amazing!

It might sound like feel-good rich people fluff, but there were several examples of how this choir helped homeless people get back on the right path. People were not allowed to come to the choir practices high, so one man wanted so badly to sing that he enrolled in a rehab program and stayed clean so he could join the choir. Once he was sober, he enrolled in a job program and was able to land a job in construction (that’s what he did before he got addicted). He’s now living in a transition apartment and hopes to be in a regular apartment soon.

There were plenty of other examples of “Angel” work by people who are working to make sure that the city of LA builds enough reasonably-price homes. Apparently one very large group of homeless in L.A. are people who make enough to afford a modest apartment, but if any little thing upsets their income (e.g., a rise in their rent), they can’t afford it and they end up on the street or living in a hotel room. So there are people who are working with the city government to make sure that there is adequate “modest” homes and apartments!

I’m telling you–that special made me feel guilty about HGTV’s “Flip or Flop!”

If you can find it, it’s really worth watching.
 
Thank you for your answers, but if I may ask, do you have any answers for the cases I encountered? Pardon if that sounds rude, it’s just, I would like to hear answers regarding the stories I heard. There are stories out there about people who struggle, people who “lost” out due to being dealt with a bad hand in life (such as being born in the “wrong” family or growing up in a desolate community that lacks hope). This is starting to become more spiritual than political, but where is the hope and recourse for them?
 
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RCIAGraduate, the answer is kindness and love, especially from Christians.

The government can only do so much. The government can’t stop babies from being born to crack mothers.

The government can’t cure people who are mentally ill, or who have some kind of disability that allows them to appear fairly “normal,” but who actually have impairments in mind and/or body, and will never be able to finish school or hold down a job.

The government can’t manage to get drugs off the streets in spite of thousands of laws and billions of government dollars (tax money) spent. The government can’t stop young people from making the decision to work for the mob The government can’t stop evil people from acquiring guns and going on shooting sprees.

The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee everyone success! There comes a time when we have to stop relying on the government to do the work that We, the People should be doing in our own neighborhoods and cities and churches!

Christians and other kind people can’t rescue everyone. But we can each pick a person, someone in our neighborhood or in our circle of friends, and do whatever we can to help that person.

If we are wealthier, we can help more people, perhaps by donating the funds to build and staff a free clinic or a neighborhood recreational center.

If we are not working a job that takes much of our time, we can get involved on a more personal level, perhaps by joining St. Vincent’s, or volunteering to help elementary students with their reading, or building houses with Habitat for Humanity.

Some people have special skills; e.g., training in how to help addicts get clean, or skill in teaching children with attention-deficit disorders how to succeed in school and have a career that can support them.

Some people have no skills, but they can hand out food vouchers to the homeless, or sit with elderly people in the county nursing home.

There are millions of people in the U.S. who claim that we are “Christians.” If each of us picked one person to help, we would make a huge difference.

One thing we can all do is become involved with politics and vote. And we need to urge our politicians to stop playing party games and work together on cost-effective and sustainable solutions to poverty.
 
MarlboroMan said:
This is not a dig at you. You should be proud of your service. However, it should also be noted that the military being turned into a gigantic welfare program for the poor is a very bad idea.
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There’s also the obvious problem that there’s plenty of us who are generally functional at most jobs, but would 100% have never passed a physical. I had a thicker medical file at 18 than many people in their 50’s.
Peeps said:
I mentioned the “Little House” books earlier as a concrete example of how families worked from dawn to dusk.

They definitely didn’t count on having neighbors and relatives help out–they knew that they were responsible for their own lives.
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One big difference I think is that they had a family farm that they worked as a family and saw the profits from together. The average system nowadays, the worker spends the day away from his family. If he’s in a low-end job he’s likely to never get any extra benefit over his wages, no matter how hard he works. He can’t have his family come talk to him at work or help him out. There’s often no incentive for the employer to take care of him, because the employee is seen as replaceable.

I think that is a very different situation from a family farm or business.
JimG said:
Sometimes, good jobs go begging because people won’t take them or there are not enough workers available.
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That brings me to one little gripe - I wish we had a setup to better educate young people about the future. I know for me, I made some choices in part because the adults around me didn’t know better how to guide me. While I’m sure the necessary information was out there, being 18 I don’t think I had the required skills to pick out what information was relevant.
Peeps said:
I posted earlier that the poor in the U.S. are eligible for free housing, free food (food stamps and other government programs like the free breakfast and lunch programs in the public schools, as well as many local privately-funded programs and food pantries/church meals, etc.) health coverage (medicaid), transportation vouchers (free bus pass), clothing (free thrift stores), internet access (at the public library), and free workshops and seminars on job hunting.
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In most areas I’ve been, free housing had years-long waitlists or the waitlists were closed completely due to backlog. Many places still deny medicaid to anyone not legally disabled (by SSI standards). I’ve attended those workshops, and if you say “I’m working 30 hours a week but I can’t pay my bills on that” they can’t help you. Public transportation in most cases is utterly worthless anyway; many jobs, even low income ones, will reject people who rely on public transit because they’re not available enough, and in many places the buses don’t serve low income areas at all.
 
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