Many reasons factor into why Americans tend to work longer hours than other countries. Mainly, I think this is due to the culture that is embedded into most American companies. I do think it is beginning to slowly shift to a more flexible work/life balance as the new millennial generation is beginning to join the work force, however, I still think on average people still are working 40+ hours weekly. In my opinion, this American culture is driven by the idea or belief that working longer hours will increase productivity/profit and allow us to achieve more success and advance in our careers and life through hard work. This becomes a feedback loop because American employers incentivize these individuals through higher pay and promotions which reinforces this culture. I’ve found that a lot of companies in the stem field tend to have this culture. When I worked as a contractor (with little PTO days) in an engineering role I always felt the unwritten rule that if you want to move up in the company and become full time you had to put in the grueling hours to succeed. With the very little PTO I had it was very draining and hard to live a normal life which definitely hindered my motivation at work.

I think this is actually an important topic to discuss that should be mentioned more often. I believe all reasons mentioned could serve as a reason that people work 40+ hours a week. But peer pressure may lead as the number one cause. From personal experience watching my family go to work over the years, the narrative was to basically "please" the boss. If they needed an extra 4-5 hrs from you it was seen as disrespectful to say no. The fear of losing your job will make many put in extra time even if it is not healthy for them.

I feel people spend more time working just because they have to. More and more people are driven by responsibility but not by their own willingness. The schedule consists of continuous deadlines. I believe somebody still can finish the task they have been given earlier. But they will be given more jobs. When people get used to this working model, the job will become part of the responsibility that harms motivation. In my opinion, the number of tasks should have a limitation. Working 40 hr a week is reasonable, but people should have options for the rest of the time, whether they choose to work more or have a Friday off after finishing the job earlier. 

I think Americans need to work more hours per week because the cost of living is high in the US due to inflation, unemployment, and low salaries. There is a need to work more than 40 hours a week because the money is needed to survive. I found that to be a demotivation factor because you are not working because you enjoy what you are doing but because you have to do it. What people make these days is not enough and they need to have a secondary job to compensate for their financial needs. 

I think that Americans on average are putting in more work hours per week than other countries, mainly the EU that I can think of, due to the differences in work culture and cost of living in the states. While it may be true that a considerable amount of individuals are working longer hours to "keep up with the Joneses" and support a certain lifestyle, it is also true that there aren't enough resources for the work that is assigned. I can't speak on the trends for the EU, but in my job search, I noticed that many companies that claim that they are hiring entry level positions are still looking for individuals with a certain amount of exposure in a specific skill or area. In my opinion, this is no longer entry level because the way that I interpret it, entry level positions should teach you everything that you would need to know for the job. Because of factors like these, people can find it hard to get started in their career. Or, if they do get started, the wage doesn't match up to their expertise levels. Factoring in bills, medical expenses, and other fun expenses that give you the will to live, Americans need to work a lot to be able to live a happy, fulfilling life. 

In the cases of unpaid overtime, I think that is something that seems to be on a negative trend with my generation. With the people that I have worked with so far, I've noticed that my generation tends to have better work/life boundaries. Unless it was my own personal business or a company that truly values me as an employee, I do not foresee myself putting in unpaid overtime. If I am getting paid to work 40 hours, I will work 40 hours, not more. This is because I won't be paid to work more, and I want to enjoy my life. 

Some industries in the US may have a culture of overworking that promotes long work hours and sees it as a sign of commitment and dedication to the job. Additionally, the lack of mandatory paid vacation time and a lack of work-life balance in many workplaces can contribute to people working more hours than necessary. overworking can lead to burnout, stress, and fatigue, which can ultimately lead to demotivation and decreased productivity. In contrast, having a healthy work-life balance and taking adequate time off can improve job satisfaction, reduce stress, and increase motivation and productivity. Therefore, it is essential to strike a balance between work and leisure time to avoid burnout and maintain motivation and productivity in the long term.

I agree with the notation that Americans work more hours per week than most other countries due to the peer pressure that is felt by others working long hours, even outside of the 40-hour work week. To many in America, working longer hours is critical to advancing in their careers as well as better supporting for themselves and their families in an effort to achieve the "American Dream." Across other countries globally, it is interesting that many individuals work shorter weeks, even in countries where the average pay is much lower than in America. Many countries across the Middle East have individuals that work much fewer hours even with much lower salaries than that of the United States. These individuals spend less time working than Americans and, as a result, have even lesser salaries. There are some motivated individuals that work more due to their motivation but I think it is most likely in order to not fall behind their peers. This, thus, results in overworking which in turn causes demotivation. Working these long, extra hours could result in a decrease in mental health, which would also cause individuals to lose motivation and start to dislike their work. 

I believe that Americans put in a lot of work compared to people of other countries for a few reasons. First, I'll talk about my experiences visiting the countries of my parents in central and south america. In these locations, members of my family and friends both work significantly less than Americans as they value off-time hours. A long lunch and relaxation after work is a natural part of life.These people do not live to work. Work is just work. These friends and family members don't even mention their job to me much at all. They clock in and clock out and then do whatever they want and focus on outside things from their job. They also seem perfectly content with their place in life. Sure they might complain about the government and grumble about life as does anyone, but there is no burnout from what I see. Money isn't everything.

Now counter that with my experience, but I feel like Americans on the other hand almost live to work. On off working hours, I still find myself talking about work. Ambition is tied directly to work, and I am not perfectly content with where I am in life and strive to make more, help more, and do more. Many co-workers as well as myself in previous jobs would willingly stay longer to finish up projects or get more hours to get more money. Our society is one of spending culture while other societies may not be. One more thing to mention is that the cost of living here is extremely high in comparison. Rent is expensive, and one has to do what they can to come up with the funds to cover all their expenses, and these expenses don't stop and are way more than what minimum wage can provide.

I agree with your point that a lot of people work extra hours because of peer pressure and expectations, not just motivation. In my experience, it is pretty common to feel like you have to stay busy or be available just because everyone else is.

I also think sometimes people drag out simple tasks to look more productive, which can make them feel overworked even if the actual workload isn’t that high. That kind of thing can hurt motivation and slow the whole team down.

Do you think overworking is more about the actual workload, or the workplace culture?

I think the average American is putting in more than 40 hours a week not because they are more motivated, but because they do not have a choice. The industry currently favors strict deadlines and a lot of weekly deliverables that may not be feasible to realistically complete within the average 40 hour work week. This puts pressure on employees to meet their obligations by putting in more work hours to ensure the task is complete. I would argue that this work environment and culture is ultimately detrimental to employee motivation and is not the sustainable for the long term. Work cultures like these are often the reason why employees choose to move to different companies rather than staying for the long term. In addition, some may feel forced through the monetary compensation that may be achieved with overtime hours. As everyday goods prices continue to increase due to inflation, the choice for some may be a no brainer to try to cash in on extra money for the week to cover their bills. I don't know a single soul who wants to put in the extra hours because they are more motivated, its often done out of necessity or outside pressure. 

I think a big component to overworking is peer pressure and desperation for a job. Especially for recent grads entering into the workforce, you already likely had to struggle and fight for a job, especially in this job market. That leads to feeling like one's position is tenuous, allowing younger workers to be more easily exploited by management. It doesn't help that if they are new entrants into industry, they are less likely to have a family (and those associated time commitments) and are more likely to be healthier. I think starting off by overworking people is incredibly damaging to peoples' mental health, and if you have the implicit pressure of losing your job or the more obvious pressure of needing to financially support yourself, it's easy to fall into working more than 40 hours in a week. In my experience, I've been lucky to work for a company that is fairly laid back. There are weeks where we have to do overtime, but in exchange, in slower weeks, people leave early, so it balances out overall. Because we need people to come in on weekends for a few hours, we trade off whose weekend it is. In the past, I've worked for a far more toxic workplace that would have me doing stuff for them at 11 pm on a Sunday when I needed to be there at 7 am on a Monday anyways, and I absolutely hated it.

I agree with your point that a lot of the extra hours come from workplace culture rather than pure motivation. In many cases, it is not that people are more driven but that there is an expectation, either explicit or unspoken to always be available and match the effort of coworkers. That peer pressure can make working beyond 40 hours feel normal, even when it’s not necessary. I also think overworking can definitely lead to demotivation over time. Consistently long hours can lead to burnout, lower job satisfaction, and reduced efficiency. At that point, employees may still be working long hours, but the quality of their work and engagement can decline. I think there is a balance as some people are genuinely motivated and choose to work more, especially if they feel rewarded or see growth opportunities. The issue is when long hours become expected rather than optional and then it shifts from motivation to obligation, which is where the negative effects start to show.

You raise an important issue about work-life balance and motivation that's particularly relevant in high-stakes fields like medical device development. From my perspective, the reasons Americans work longer hours are multifaceted and context-dependent. In some industries, particularly startups and medical device companies facing regulatory deadlines, there genuinely is too much work compressed into unrealistic timelines think about the CaPoss simulation where Patty was demanding impossible schedules without consulting experts, or the BoneFix scenario where partnership milestones created constant pressure. In those cases, people work long hours because the consequences of delays (lost partnerships, missed market windows, falling behind competitors) feel existential to the business.

The assumption that American workers overwork themselves due to high motivation levels is not a hundred percent accurate since peer pressure seems to play a significant role in this issue. The main reason why workers have to spend extra hours on their job seems to be the pressure of meeting the expectations of their colleagues. For example, in an environment where coworkers do extra shifts to finish all their tasks, another employee may feel obligated to do so as well to avoid standing out or falling behind. From my experience, peer pressure and the need to maintain continuous availability are two of the key reasons for overworking beyond 40 hours a week. Employees are expected to be productive regardless of their schedule. So instead of only working when they are in the office, usually from 9-5, people continue working in the evening when they get home. When there is too much workload that cannot be handled in the usual working hours, this causes people to stay at work longer and become stressed. Deadlines get closer but the piles of work do not decrease. In fact, overworking leads people to be less motivated and more exhausted. Employees will have no energy to finish multiple tasks efficiently. People who are constantly working overtime experience mental and physical tiredness, which results in low motivation and productivity. As far as I am concerned, this phenomenon explains the relatively high stress levels and extra hours worked among American workers compared to workers in other countries.

I think job satisfaction is very important, but it is not the only factor that drives employee retention and productivity. It is really a combination of factors working together. Compensation plays a big role because employees want to feel that their work is valued fairly. At the same time, interpersonal relationships and a positive team environment can strongly influence whether someone enjoys coming to work each day. Authority and autonomy are also important, since people tend to be more motivated when they have some control over their work and feel trusted to make decisions.