TheSequitur.com Editorial Board
April, 12 2007

For the youth of this country, the arrival of spring brings along with it one of the most celebrated of holidays: Spring Break. But what is there for the hard working people who keep this country functioning? Perhaps it is time that working class got a Spring Break of its own.

Here in the United States, millions people work 40-plus hours each week, in excess of 50 weeks Why should we not enjoy life just a little more like they do?each year – many living from paycheck to paycheck. So what about those people who toil in their hourly-waged jobs, unable to spend time with their families or have time for themselves? In Europe, many countries have a reduced work week and most people are afforded a month-long holiday during the summer. Why should we not enjoy life just a little more like they do?

Before implementing such a plan, there are a couple of questions that need answers. First, who is going to pay for this? It is important to provide a paid block of time to ensure that employees, for instance those in the service industry, can actually afford to take off work. So in this case, the employer should be footing the bill, with government subsidies helping to soften the blow on small businesses. In the end, happy, rested employees make productive employees.

... happy, rested employees make productive employees.So what about the companies’ bottom line? When individuals take their holidays, gaps will be created in a company’s workforce. In many cases, these gaps can be filled with temporary workers, possibly creating new jobs – temp agencies would profit well from this idea. Elsewhere, the open time could provide internship opportunities, allowing both the company and the understudies to profit. Additionally, when workers are given their time off, they will be free to spend money, be it through travel or leisure or anything else outside of their kitchens, offices or factories. This could only benefit the economy.

We believe in family values, and we also assert that everyone who works deserves a break every now and then.In order to bring the idea of a Spring Break for the working class to fruition, there would have to be a slight shift in societal values - a shift in favor of the family, where we work hard, and then go home to spend time with our loved ones. It seems that many work longer hours to produce less; more and more families have two working parents. In lieu of stay-at-home parents, some concessions need to be made to permit parents to have more time with their family. We believe in family values, and we also assert that everyone who works deserves a break every now and then.