Barbara Brandt says "The work ethic fosters the widely held belief that people's work is their most important activity and that people who do not work long and hard are lazy, unproductive, and worthless"(246). Put into my own words, I would conclude that the American people agree that working, a lot, is nothing out of the ordinary. The type of job you hold can determine where you live, who your friends are, and eventually who you marry. With so many people being highly qualified, the best workers are those willing to go the extra mile--work longer hours and perform better work. Ultimately, people who do not possess these two qualities would probably be deemed as "lazy, unproductive, and worthless.".
Americans often assume that overwork is inevitable. There is the normal routine of working eight hours a day, 5 days a week, for 50 weeks a year. Author Tomoyuki Iwa*censored*a of "Why I Quit the Company," took on this normal routine while working at a Japanese company. The working day was officially eight hours, but often workers would never leave the office on time. "Working, drinking, sleeping, and standing on a horribly crowded commuter train for an hour and a half each way: this was my life"(Iwa*censored*a 237). He soon lost sight of the world outside the company, as do many Americans. "Families whose members never see each other, women who work double shifts.are all casualties of the crisis of overwork"(Brandt 244).
Ironically, with all the advances in technology today, one would think that employee's workloads would lessens but it has only pushed them to work more on the job. Computers and fax machines keep employees at the office to complete more work, to go the extra mile. Also, many conveniences like TV dinners allow workers to handle more hours at paid work. These types of things make it okay for parents to stay at work longer and spend less time at home. In Japan, married workers had little time to spend with their wives or children, even on the weekends.