The contrast between the USA and Europe when it comes to time off is striking. I spent 27 years in California and the "live to work" mentality never seemed to result in superior outputs. Employees feared taking time off lest they seem insufficiently dedicated because in a fire-at-will environment no matter how much HR babbles mindlessly about corporate values and work-life balance, everyone knows they are nothing but disposable cogs in an impersonal machine. The amount of wasted effort that results from tired and stressed employees working well past their optimal number of hours per week is literally incalculable, but many studies have shown that beyond 37 hours per week we're actually subtracting value rather than incrementally adding it. Perhaps a less fear-driven environment would work better for everyone, but how to get there remains elusive.