Welch Shoots Down Couric's Admiration for European Work Ethic

MRC ^ | Tuesday April 5, 2005 | BrentBaker

[fight_truth_decay]

Katie Couric's admiration for Europe shot down by Jack Welch. During an interview on Monday's Today with former GE Chairman Jack Welch, on to plug his new book, Winning, Couric complained that Americans are overworked and asked: "I mean is there something wrong with this picture? Are we too obsessed with work because the Europeans sure have a very different attitude don't they?"

Welch retorted: "And, and their economy is some trouble. And I don't think people are obsessed with this in China right now and, and you just came back from China. You, you didn't see a lack of work ethic there, I'm sure."

The MRC's Geoff Dickens caught the exchange from the in-studio session which was aired during the 7:30 half hour of the April 4 Today:

Couric: "Let's talk about the work/life balance because as you mention a lot of people, when you speak, I mean I get that question all the time. How do you balance it all? A family and demanding job. What is your best advice in this department? I'm just curious because I've been doing some pieces on Overworked In America. The fact that so many Americans feel overworked and I have, what, I have a statistic 30 percent do not take their full vacation. I mean is there something wrong with this picture? Are we too obsessed with work because the Europeans sure have a very different attitude don't they?"

Welch: "And, and their economy is some trouble. And I don't think people are obsessed with this in China right now and, and you just came back from China. You, you didn't see a lack of work ethic there, I'm sure."

Couric: "No."

For Amazon.com's page on Welch's new book, Winning, go to: www.amazon.com

-- Brent Baker

[fight_truth_decay]

The WorldNewsStories reports: "A new US study by Families and Work Institute, Overwork in America: When the Way We Work Becomes Too Much, reports that one in three American employees are chronically overworked, while 54 percent have felt overwhelmed at some time in the past month by how much work they had to complete. The study of more than 1,000 wage and salaried employees identifies for the first time why being overworked and feeling overwhelmed have become so pervasive in the American workplace."

Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, a nonprofit research group which Katie probably is basing a part of her upcoming report on is also quoted (which is omitted from all other media stories)as saying in the Paris (WOMENSENEWS): "On the other hand, employers have become more flexible and that tends to lessen being overworked, and also, people's priorities have changed."

Worker Shortage Looms

"European citizens are living longer and fertility rates are dropping. If its population keeps falling, the European Union will lack over 20 million workers by 2030, warned a demographics report released this month by the European Commission. Unless new workers are recruited, Europe's economic growth rate--now forecast at 1.6 percent--could slow to 1 percent a year":-reports Emilie Boyer King, WeNews correspondent". King's agenda is to bring more European women into the workplace.

[VRWCisme]

Europeans don't have to have a strong work ethic, because the government is going to take care of everything for them and limit the number of hours they have to work. If Big Brother wants to take all your pay, why not get what you can out of it and work as few hours as possible?

[cspackler]

When the hell did working hard for success become a bad thing?

Ohh boo hoo, I feel overworked...

People today have no real idea what hard work is. If the truth be known, we probably have more free time on our hands than ever before. We've just been spoiled into thinking that "I come first".

I work my butt off, but somehow I found the time to take my daughter fishing on Sunday, and we had a great time.

[dfwgator]

"Let's talk about the work/life balance because as you mention a lot of people, when you speak, I mean I get that question all the time. How do you balance it all? A family and demanding job. What is your best advice in this department?

In Jack's case, how do you balance a family, a mistress, and a demanding job?

[skip_intro]

Well, Katie has complained about having to get soooo early in the morning to go to work. After all, she only makes a lousy $20 million or so per year, so it is tough on her.

[bert]

The number two topic of commercials directed at women is Energy Level. My energy level was raised or I woke with lots of energy. The fact seems that women are learning there is a price for having it all. They 're apparently worn out, worn down to nubs by life.

The first topic is as always vanity..... no wrinkles, no lines no age.

[listenhillary]

Absence of stress = blobs

[OldFriend]

IMHO, Ms. Couric can quit work and stay home and twiddle her thumbs! And I wish she would.

[Last Dakotan]

I have a friend and former engineering classmate who is an executive at GE. She works from 7:00AM to 10-11:00 PM everyday and keeps a laptop set to IM her in the kitchen during the rare times she is home. Her kids are being raised by live in nannies.

She makes a fantastic salary, but you make your choices.

[proxy_user]

I believe that here in the US, some people are working too much, while others work too little.

We are not as capitalist a society as we claim. We have many students, housewives, trust fund kids, older guys drawing disability, etc.

At least those of us who do work really go at it.

[Cogadh na Sith]

GE will prosper. Her kids won't. Good job, mom....

[cotton1706]

Industry and Frugality are the ways to wealth, or so Poor Richard says.

[Polybius]

Europeans don't have to have a strong work ethic, because the government is going to take care of everything for them and limit the number of hours they have to work. If Big Brother wants to take all your pay, why not get what you can out of it and work as few hours as possible?

It's like the old joke of workers in Communist countries:

"The Government pretends that they pay us and we pretend that we work."

[Stand Watch Listen]

Old Soviet adage in days gone by:

"They pretend to pay me...I pretend to work"

[Porterville]

Euro-weanies are just cashing in their chips and partying large just before the complete collapse of their psuedo-culture. Sad; It is like the grasshopper before fall and winter.

[Porterville]

Euro-weanies are just cashing in their chips and partying large just before the complete collapse of their psuedo-culture. Sad; It is like the grasshopper before fall and winter.

[Ditter]

I know a little bit about the French work ethic. My husband has done business in French with French suppliers. Two hours for lunch with wine and a nap. Also while driving across France we have been booted out of French grocery stores at 11:30 (before we made a purchase) because the owner was ready for his lunch wine and nap.

[SBprone]

From what little I've seen, GE is a bad place to work. You can make a lot of money there but you have to sign over your soul in the bargain.

It's a company made in the image of Jack Welch.

[Steve_Seattle]

"She makes a fantastic salary, but you make your choices."

I wonder if those long hours are really necessary or if she has workaholic issues. If the hours are really deemed necessary, then the company should reduce her salary and use the money to hire her an extra assistant. Seven a.m. to eleven p.m. every day is just plain nuts.