• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Would Americans get better healthcare results IF

RJKarl

Banhammer'd
Joined
Mar 17, 2011
Messages
78,116
Reaction score
3,112
Location
HB, CA
I just off the phone with a business associate in Germany and had a thought about our healthcare results.

The person I normally death with in their office was on holiday in Malta. One of her partners put it this way,"She's on holiday. The German government mandates it and she hadn't used all of her time yet."

I don't think we could immediately do what the Germans and others do and give a mandated six weeks of vacation. How about 3-4 weeks?

Almost every country in the EU does this. They all have better longevity and appear to have less stress type issues than we do. Stress creates all sorts of other medical issues.

If German, Swedish and other businesses can compete in the world market while doing this, why can't American businesses do the same?

In addition to lowering helathcare costs, I think it would also increase productivity.
 
I just off the phone with a business associate in Germany and had a thought about our healthcare results.

The person I normally death with in their office was on holiday in Malta. One of her partners put it this way,"She's on holiday. The German government mandates it and she hadn't used all of her time yet."

I don't think we could immediately do what the Germans and others do and give a mandated six weeks of vacation. How about 3-4 weeks?

Almost every country in the EU does this. They all have better longevity and appear to have less stress type issues than we do. Stress creates all sorts of other medical issues.

If German, Swedish and other businesses can compete in the world market while doing this, why can't American businesses do the same?

In addition to lowering helathcare costs, I think it would also increase productivity.

I take WAY more than six weeks off per year now. Please don't cut me back to just six.
 
I agree that stress reduction would go a long way towards making us a healthier population. As someone who lives a high stress life and has to take blood pressure medication to manage it, I'd love to have an extra couple weeks of no work.

I 100% disagree that the government should be mandating it.

On the other hand, if they want to incentivize businesses to provide more vacation time for their employees - say a 1 point reduction in payroll tax for every extra week of PTO given an employee, I think that would be a great idea.
 
I'd be down with that. I am thoroughly convinced we work too many hours in this country.
 
I'd be down with that. I am thoroughly convinced we work too many hours in this country.

We are a country driven by materialism. We work our asses ragged to be able to buy a bigger house, nicer car, better country club membership etc. And all the while we don't take the time to appreciate the journey.
 
We are a country driven by materialism. We work our asses ragged to be able to buy a bigger house, nicer car, better country club membership etc. And all the while we don't take the time to appreciate the journey.

True and sad.
 
We are a country driven by materialism. We work our asses ragged to be able to buy a bigger house, nicer car, better country club membership etc. And all the while we don't take the time to appreciate the journey.

I agree completely, LK. Not to be a downer, but Wednesday evening I attended the funeral for the wife of one of my golfing buddies. She was 47 years old. We have to learn to appreciate the journey, not just the destination. We don't know how long the journey is going to be.
 
Are German businesses compensated by the government for the mandated vacation hours their employees take?
 
Are German businesses compensated by the government for the mandated vacation hours their employees take?

Having lived in Germany, to my knowledge, they are not. There are government regulations in place regarding the number of vacation days that must be taken as well as maximum number of hours an employee can work each week.
 
I think the biggest reason Europe has better health than Americans is due to better diet. They have better eating habits (less junk food), and better restrictions what is allowed/disallowed in growing, ingredients, and preparation.

But yeah, I'd like some extra vacay, too, so I'll go along with your premise.
 
I think the biggest reason Europe has better health than Americans is due to better diet. They have better eating habits (less junk food), and better restrictions what is allowed/disallowed in growing, ingredients, and preparation.

Ding ding ding!

We're fatasses (collectively), that's why we're less healthy. Nothing to do with not having enough vacation time.

End of thread.
 
Summer reading:

411V3GNXVKL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
 
I think the biggest reason Europe has better health than Americans is due to better diet. They have better eating habits (less junk food), and better restrictions what is allowed/disallowed in growing, ingredients, and preparation.

But yeah, I'd like some extra vacay, too, so I'll go along with your premise.

Exactly. Concluding that they have less stress and are healthier due to mandated vacation is a bit of a stretch, to say the least.

As much as like to say, "If they do X in Europe, why can't we do X here?" we are really not like Europe in so many ways. Gun control, health care, high speed rail, etc...
 
I have about 4.5 weeks paid vacation, plus the standard holidays, so I guess it works out to about 6. But once you are a C level employee, there are no real vacations unless you go off grid, and stress is always present. It's about managing the stress, not eliminating it.

Go exercise. That's really the scrip for a healthier America. Everything else is just lipstick on a pig.
 
ELC, the object for all buinsess is to either to create something that doesn't exist or to take what does and make it better.

Why can't we take something from other places that works and improve upon it?
 
I have about 4.5 weeks paid vacation, plus the standard holidays, so I guess it works out to about 6. But once you are a C level employee, there are no real vacations unless you go off grid, and stress is always present. It's about managing the stress, not eliminating it.

Go exercise. That's really the scrip for a healthier America. Everything else is just lipstick on a pig.

The government should mandate that we exercise. Plus they should pay for health care memberships for all citizens.
 
I've pretty much traveled the world over the last twenty years and I can tell you, unequivocally, that we are the fattest nation on earth.

I was in Germany on business back before Christmas and I visited with some of the same people I'd met when I lived there fifteen years ago. One of them actually asked me how I'd managed to stay so slim over the years. Their impression of Americans is that we are all blimps.
 
Back
Top