The Myth of Sisyphus

My daughter's friends in Germany are stateside for a bit. They are doing well yadda-yadda-yadda. She is a legal eagle, he is an Info Technocrat. What is supremely interesting to me is the fact that in Germany, one does not have those situations where people work until 10:00 at night and all week-end; you work, work well, and you have rest and relaxation.
How can an economic powerhouse like Germany get by without all the crap our system seems to think it needs: sixty hour weeks, work until late at night, multi-tasking (utter idiocy, but it explains the drop in quality). The quality of life at home, in the community, and in the workplace are all deteriorating; no one is aware of it or seems to care as we run faster than we are able,  just to stay in place. Germany tells us the myth of our Sisyphean Economic Productivity is more cruel deception from our masters seated outside the dog-fight ring where we have at it.