THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A SECULAR WORK ETHIC:

Do we work too much? (STEVEN THEOBALD, 5/23/06, Toronto Star)

Ahhh, back on the job at last.

Canada ought to cancel the May long weekend.

These words may sound like the rant of a deranged workaholic, but they actually do a pretty good job of describing our society's values when compared with those in many other wealthy countries. The average Canadian worked 1,751 hours in 2004. That's about 300 hours — or 43 seven-hour days — more than the Dutch, Germans, French or Danes.

European societies are at one end of the spectrum while Canada, the United States, Australia and Japan are at the other. [...]

Will Canadians or Americans ever start working less?

The past 25 years suggest not.

Between 1980 and 2000, European countries added, on average, six vacation days or statutory holidays, totalling 36 per year.

Meanwhile, according to Huberman's numbers, Canada actually dropped a day, to 24, while the United States lost two days, to 20 days off.

We've become more Western since the '70s while they've become less.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 23, 2006 8:05 AM