Work less.
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COMMENT, Global – 24/7 may be good for some individuals, but the majority of us still work some version of 9 to 5.
Our sleep and lives cannot help be impacted by the people around us who work night-shifts.
Society’s need some standards. Rampant individualism impacts the whole.
In last nights hotel I was woken by round-the-clock traffic not there 10 years ago.
At home, in the space of 3 years, there has been a rapid increase in the amount of traffic going to and from work at all hours. Our formerly quiet place is now noisy.
24/7 cities and 24/7 work
Sydney and London are 24/7 cities. Melbourne is becoming one.
New York is also. But not every city can be a New York. Nor should they be.
24/7 has a social cost in terms of accidents caused by broken sleep, depression, families and other social costs.
Studies of night-shift workers are beginning to show the true cost of workplace flexibility.
Depression. Anxiety. Accidents. Colds & flu through lowered immunity.
The night shift destroy people’s lives, and with the exception of a few people; most find it difficult.
But digital device mean even 9-to-5 people are contactable 24/7.
We need some limits. And a government not afraid to consider thoroughly and address quality of life rather than gross-GDP.
Wage slaves with rising rates of clinical depression and broken families are not what we need more of. I agree with the unions on this work-life balance.
Personally, I now won’t answer any call after before 9am or after 6pm.
Why do 24/7?
Money for that mortgage. Habit. Peer pressure. Competition. Politics.
The extra money is only good whilst it is not factored into the cost of everything, which in expensive Sydney and London it already is.
It’s the old story. Wealth is only relative. Advantage is only relative.
Now in some cities you have to work 60-80 hour weeks just to pay the bills, let alone get ahead. Like the Syrian taxi driver I spoke to yesterday.
Whatever happened to equity and fairness? The Common Good?
The work life balance has gone too far towards work.
Mea culpa on working 60-80 hour weeks. Until recently.
Night Shift Worker Story
One couple I know have two high-paid shift jobs, allowing them to pay off their mortgage fast.
They take shifts mainly so they can stay home with their children (dad stays home will mum works and vice versa).
Of course given this also involves complex rosters and weekends, they rarely do anything as a family.
So their kids benefit to some extent (parents home), but the parents may not. Parents need rest too.
The father started a job with better hours, less pay. But soon he was back chasing the money of the 24/7 lifestyle again.
Flexibility is often an over-used word for poor social outcomes. They shouldn’t have to do that. We should be able to do better.
Innovation is a return to 9 to 5
It may be unfashionable to say so for some, but the real innovation would be a recognition that most of us still live 9 to 5.
The 24/7 cities are fine if you like that, but we should not be forced to live the 24/7 life.
And the social cost of 24/7 should not be underestimated.
I like France. The 35 hour week. And the up to 7 weeks holiday per year.
Sometimes protectionism has a benefit.
More on this later…
Take care,
Christopher
Speaker. Author. Editor-In-Chief. Executive Director of Innovation, 2thinknow.
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