Comment by apexalpha
1 day ago
As a European, I kind of agree.
In the Netherlands we try to compete globally but as long as we’re rich enough people focus more on free time.
As our income grew the past decades the Dutch have cut back on working hours in stead of just hoarding more money.
The average Dutch person now works 400 hours per year less than the average American.
More than 50% of us now work a 4 day workweek and this will probably be made official before 2035 if I had to guess.
People just dont care enough to become even richer.
And though I am considered a workaholic by family and friends I too enjoy my 16 weeks paid time off this year with my newborn. :)
This seems entirely sensible to me. If I was offered the choice between doubling my salary or keeping the same one but halving my days worked in a year I wouldn't consider the former for more than about half a second.
I am not sure about Netherlands, but in Germany there seems to be no such choice. Getting a higher salary is hard even if you are willing to work more. Freelancing is probably the only way, but freelancing contracts get cut first in the current downturn.
In the US everyone has a contract similar to what you consider freelance...