Aaron sent a link about game developers and overwork. While I am of course far too ancient to enjoy video games, it is an industry of some note. It may also be on the cutting edge of a social/economic trend of backlash to overwork.
Round-the-clock work schedules have long been common among game developers. Some say the overwork epidemic in the video-game industry is spreading to other professions as financial pressures intensify.
The $10.5 billion U.S. games industry is "kind of like the canary in the coal mine,' said David Fugate, an independent literary agent who is helping Hoffman find a publisher for her book about overwork in America.
[Rest of article here]
According to one report, the Overwork Champion of Asia is Hong Kong. What is interesting is the problem seems to be worse in high-paying jobs like finance or legal work.
It could be the problem is created and fueled here in the US by benefit costs. Since health care, etc. are fixed regardless how much an employee works, business is better off flogging the serfs they own rather than bringing in more help. This also means that temporary help is used as much as possible to prevent placing expensive full-timers on the payroll. Often this creates a two-tiered workforce.
While we think of the tiers as 1) well-paid employees and 2) underpaid temps, they could also be classified as 1) overworked and 2) underemployed.
Universities are doing this to avoid giving tenure to professors. Other industries use temps and consultants to avoid commitment. [You can tell our business world is still dominated by male executives, huh?]
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