Go ahead and take the day off
TEXT OF STORY
LISA NAPOLI: Back in 1940, the government gave life to the 40-hour work week. In honor of that, today is Take Back Your Time Day. Diantha Parker reports.
DIANTHA PARKER: For many people, the notion of a 40-hour work week sounds as quaint as anything else that’s 66 years old.
But we should slow down says Take Back Your Time board member Bonnie Michaels.
BONNIE MICHAELS: We just don’t have it in this country to take care of those people who are really are burning the candle at all ends. We’ve gotten to the point where people aren’t even taking the time for very basic things.
One of these is the family dinner, which the Take Back Your Time website calls “headed for dodo-land.”
It’s not surprising. Organizers say Americans on average work 10 more years during their working lives than Europeans do.
Take Back Your Time says if that statistic makes you stop and think, you’re already on the right track.
I’m Diantha Parker for Marketplace.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
