I find most of this to be spot on.

I worked for a couple British Expats here in the U.S. and you could tell their style and expectations were different then my American born and raise managers.

One of these Brits would come by my desk and waste an hour of my time while he regaled me with one or another of his stories which he might have subjected me too just a month earlier. I think I heard the story of his daughter's wedding three times.

My first engineering job, my supervisor told me on my first work day, I was expected to work 5 hours of unpaid overtime each week and the amount of unpaid overtime I worked would be one of the criteria used to evaluate my performance. When paid overtime was authorized we had a five hour gate, you would not be paid for your first 5 hours of overtime unless except for hours worked on weekends or holidays.

When I was laid-off I had 400 hours of unused vacation (accrued over a 29 year period). They did pay me for those hours along with 26 weeks of severance. The 400 hours was the max that we were allowed to accrue so I certainly lost some use it or lose it time.

I was focused on acquiring wealth. Vacations were expensive, accrued vacation appreciated at the rate of my pay raises. I was laid off at age 52 with a vested pension and a fat investment portfolio. I retired. I had achieved financial independence. I missed work and went back to work but on my own terms. My employer knew I could walk out the door anytime I wanted. Give me interesting work and treat me right or I walk.

I think you are right more Americans enjoy or love or are happy with their jobs maybe than Brits or maybe the Brits feel it is not right to love their jobs and hide it.