New motion for debate: Should Spanish people change their habits and timetables?
Proposed by Paola Sancho García
Spanish timetables have been turned into a hot topic, due to the criticisms received in the last few years from Northern Europe countries like Germany or France, which seem to have more reduced and organized timetables which lead to more free time, less work stress, and even a higher productivity rate.
A survey posted on YA.COM asks the visitors if it is possible to reconcile personal and professional life with the working timetables existing nowadays in Spain.
This question leads to a huge debate, as we are not talking only about the organization of timetables, but also about Spanish habits, as huge meals for lunch or the typical siesta, an everyday fact for thousands of Spaniards.
Would it be worth losing our habits in order to achieve more free time to spend with our families, to look after our own children? Do you think we would manage to change our habits? Do you think Spain could obtain a higher production rate only by changing working timetables?
If you want to participate in the survey, or just see how the percentages go before sending your comment, visit the link: http://encuestas.ya.com/SPoll/$M=expandedpoll$P=43238
Comments»
I can´t understand how changing our timetables the productivity rate, the stress and that kind of things are improving. Because theese habits have existed for many years and it´s very difficult to change them. Another important thing is this kind of things must came from the employees, not from the employers. Because I´m sure many people will be against them, just for this reason.
The special timetable, dear to us, the Spanish people, derfines a wonderful and unique life style well worth leaving unchanged. In contrast to other contemporary societies, the Spanish timetable allows plenty of time for meals, rest and relaxation while working the same or more hours. Our Prime Minister Zapetero has said: ” THIS IS WHO WE ARE.”
I don´t think we have to change our timetables, because they define us and there´s no problem in having different timetables from the rest of the world.
Most of us would like to change something or other or even change somebody else! Well, if we make the choice, and have the commitment there is a lot we can certainly change for ourselves.
Let me propose you something . Firstable begin by exploring our values,thoughts,habits or timetables carefully and then try to weed-out all the unhealthy habits.
But never forget to be patient, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits.
If changing our timetables brings about getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning… Of course no! What’s the problem in opening shops at 10 in the morning? People with Spanish lifestyle are not so stressed as the survey reflects, anyway, the stress is for other reasons, not because of our habits. Besides, it’s proved that the more you sleep, the better your health is, and, sometimes, the night is one of the most interesting periods of the day for spending with your family.
There is no reason to change our timetables because I think they´re part of our customs and what´s more important, I consider that it ´ll be very difficult to change anything we´re get used to do for ages. So, why don´t the Europeans change their habits and turn them into Spanish habits. It´s a good proposition, isn´t it?
I see your points but what about the workers that are not civil servants, what about those who have to get up at six in the morning to deliver newspapers, those who have to make bread for the next day and then work the whole day.
Timetables are perfect for civil servants but absolutely awful for the ones who work for themselves and working from seven in the morning to nine in the night timetables should be revised.
Absolutely not! It’s a vital part of our culture!!! We’re used to get up early and go to bed late, compared to other countries, that if we decided to change it, we would all suffer a massive collapse and our reputation for being night-birds would be seriously damaged.
I´m not very sure about this because on one hand it seems that we have dinner late in the evening but on the other hand when foreigners come here they very rapidly adapt to our timetable, and I don´t really believe in our homes we eat so late, one thing is going out for dinner at weekends (and it is true that we eat late) and other bieng at home where I don´t think spanish have dinner so late, so I´m absolutly in favor of our timetable.
I thank that there´s nothing wrong with our habits or our timetable.Whydon´t other countries change theirs?Form my point of view each person should be responsible to dristribute their time,and that´s all
There’s no problem with our habits and our culture. And also there is no reason for changing them, because then we would be losing part of our culture. Why don´t the rest of the Europeans change their lifestyle? Because they don´t have any problem with it. And so we don´t.
I would really like that timetable in Spain were different, a lot of time would be save and we could enjoy more freetime.
Wouldn´t it be better that parents and children had the same timetible? they would start at 8 or 9 and they would end at 5 or six, so from 6 to 10 they have the whole time in the world to do a lot of things, they would have dinner together, and could do family things.
I think employees in Spain spend more hours in their jobs but the productivity rate is not higher than in other countries. We need to change something, and change our timetables could be positive to reconcilie the profesional life with family
change our habits and timetables? no way! I think that each country or culture has their costums and timetables. why should we change them? Maybe our country isn´t as productive as other countries (as Marta says) However, I think that much more importantly than this, is the fact that we enjoy the life (work isn´t everything). For example, I feel proud of our “siesta”, which is really healthy (and a high amount of countries are agree).
There are many reasons why we´ve different habits, but maybe the weather and climate are essential points. Do you think that these mediterranean factors are decisive?