Is there is a reason why workers in the U.S. are significantly less happy than in Europe, according to various surveys looking into working life? According to international executive coach Whitney Breer there are reasons for such consistent findings.
Breer, an ex-pat living in Germany, suggests the reasons for unionizations and strikes in the U.S. are largely due to concerns that most European workers do not face. Breer is the CEO of Lebenskunst, a management consulting firm whose core team specializes in leadership development, change management and personal resilience. As a coach, trainer and motivational keynote speaker, Breer has been sharing her business knowledge for over 25 years.
The types of issues faced include a lack of healthcare and the fear of getting sick and losing everything because of medical bills. More specifically, within the health space is a lack of mental health care coverage, leading to burnout and other issues that could otherwise be easily resolved.
Other factors, from the social welfare perspective reflect poorly on Biden’s administration. These include lack of personal time off as well as government-mandated paid maternity and paternity leave.
In contrast, Europeans seem to strongly dislike inequality.
Another issue impacting U.S. workers are the so-termed “at-will” employment practices (this is weak legislation that makes the firing employees for no significant and legally testable cause significantly easier).
There are also employment inequities. Corporate greed and the widening economic gap between business owners and workers is a major factor. In addition, there is invariably insufficient fair pay and there have been no minimum wage increases in a generation.
“There is power in numbers when people strike,” Breer, author of Leadership Starts With You, tells Digital Journal in a statement. “With companies painfully aware of the war for talent (recruiting and keeping it), headcount matters. When employees join forces and bring companies to a standstill, their voices will be heard.”
Breer, who has worked with clients including Bayer, Unilever, Lufthansa, Rotary Club Wall Street, KPMG and more, has outlined the importance of worker protections for many years.
In addition, Breer has written and discussed the importance of effective management. This includes outlining why coercive leadership strategies are doomed to fail—and what methods to use instead. In contrast, Breer has considered how to consciously create a growth mindset and turn off your “fight or flight” instinct.
