Free Republic

A debate on the Working Time Directive is about to start in the European Parliament, with Britain lobbying hard to keep a key opt-out clause. The directive limits the working week in the EU to an average of 48 hours. But some MEPs want an end to the current system whereby individuals can opt out if they want to do more hours. The opt-out is used extensively only in the UK at the moment and the British government is lobbying hard against any changes to the system. The British government says it could reduce competitiveness in business. ...snip...

SICK OF WORK American workers are stressed out, and in an unforgiving economy, they are becoming more so every day. Sixty-two percent say their workload has increased over the last six months; 53 percent say work leaves them "overtired and overwhelmed." Even at home, in the soccer bleachers or at the Labor Day picnic, workers are never really off the clock, bound to BlackBerries, cellphones and laptops. Add iffy job security, rising health care costs, ailing pension plans and the fear that a financial setback could put mortgage payments out of reach, and the office has become, for many, an...