A time to rest helps productivity

I celebrate Labor Day by laboring. I plan to celebrate the working woman (and man) by seeing clients in my psychotherapy office, setting up my office and finishing required paperwork for the school in which I work, washing my car and preparing my lesson plans for the college classes I teach.

This national holiday offers a break for U.S. citizens to relax and celebrate their employment by not laboring. Interesting concept! One day to celebrate and relax for the American worker, but who benefits from this celebration?

Employers in the United States are not required to offer days off for their employees. Labor Day is a reward for the few who work for large corporations, government entities and caring employers who celebrates and rewards their employees for continuing the macromachine of life that keeps America moving.

Most countries mandate vacation time for their employees. Mandatory vacation time is neither communalistic, capitalistic nor socialist. All political viewpoints value well-rested, happy and stable employees. Australia, China and the United States are the only three major countries where a worker can work 365 days a year without a break. Some say this is progress. I say this is nonsense. Productivity decreases sharply when employees are not valued, are unrested and employees whose social life does not reach outside one’s work.

Italy offers their workers 30 days off a year plus 12 paid holidays, Israel—14 days a year, South Africa—21 days, The United Kingdom—20 days plus 8 bank holidays, Uruguay—14 days, Spain—30 days, Poland—20 days, Latvia—4 weeks and Mexico—7days.

The United States offers their most varied, unskilled and underpaid employees zero days off a year. The next time you buy a Big Mac on Christmas day from a hardworking employee who is missing the celebration of the Christ child with their family, offer a few extra bucks to express your thanks for their labor — an offering for your celebration of the true Labor Day.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and wellbeing of our country.

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe Matthew Maguire, a machinist founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on Sept. 5, 1883.

In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

I am the luckiest guy in the world because I am offered a summer vacation. I need and have earned this vacation because I’m a busy guy and work four jobs. My four jobs include writing this weekly column, “Food For Thought,” for the Cd’A Press (not really work but pleasure), teaching psychology classes for North Idaho College, being a psychotherapist in private practice (Rutherford Education Group) and counseling at Atlas Elementary School. I’m not complaining and conversely am celebrating. I have a job and have the opportunity to support my family doing what I love. I’m a fortunate man.

This summer I’ve nurtured my garden, floated “The River,” picked huckleberries, played guitar, caught many trout, kissed my wife and giggled with my grandchildren. This summer I hiked Tubbs, swam in the lake, visited with friends, grilled meat, climbed rocks and planted vegetables. I feel guilty. I’m having a great summer while many suffer.

Many in our community struggle to pay their house payment and feed their family. Our current national fiscal insecurity has created hard working families in this community who dream of a vacation that might never materialize. Many hardworking families work to eat while dreaming of vacationing at Disneyland or the Grand Canyon. Why can’t this dream come true? Laborers in the United States suffer termination if they wish to vacation against their employer’s will. Employees need time off.

Research strongly supports that people who are happy in life and have the opportunity to celebrate life with the people they love are more productive, happier in their chosen profession and tend to increase their immune system therefore seldom get ill or call in sick to work.

Psychologically everyone needs a break from the stress and struggles of life. I suggest to all my patients and clients to take a break — if even for 20 minutes. Take a walk, leave technology behind, walk with a friend, look deeply at life, breathe fully and celebrate. Taking little breaks from life satisfies one’s unhealthy need to run-a-way from life. Take a 20-minute “Labor Day” vacation everyday. Leave the stress of the world behind and offer yourself a 20-minute vacation. If you feel competitive, add up your mini-vacations and compare them to the vacation days individuals receive from other countries’ mandates — you’ll win. Happy mini-Labor Day!

Bill Rutherford is a psychotherapist, public speaker, elementary school counselor, adjunct college psychology instructor and executive chef, and owner of Rutherford Education Group. E-mail him at bprutherford@hotmail.com.