#9to5 #WorkSchedules #JobDescriptions #CompanyManuals #5PM
Time has been memorialized in song:
“It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere,” by Alan Jackson, with Jimmy Buffett; “5 O’Clock World,” by the Vogues; “9 to 5,” by Dolly Parton, to name a few.
These songs presume, among other things, that most people work a regular schedule. And, when the clock strikes 5 p.m., people go home to do whatever they want.
It begs today’s question: Are most people on such a regular schedule?
Chances are, most people are not. Some are on a regular schedule to start the day, but their day doesn’t necessarily end at 5.
Others work complicated shifts – nights, weekends, holidays etc.
For others, the job never ends. They may go home, but work comes with them. The phone always rings. Urgent e-mails pop in. Such a situation has been dubbed “the electronic leash.”
So, if you are actually on a routine schedule, be thankful. But, know that that could change at any moment.
Part of the reason some folks, particularly women, are staying out of the work force since the COVID-19 pandemic, are not only complicated schedules, but also not knowing how they can work and care for children, whose schedules can flex depending on sickness, weather and other circumstances beyond their control.
In short, working is not what it once was for many people.
Certainly, some workers want flexibility. They want to be able to work when they can, and from where they can.
To attract the best people, companies may have to look at some flexibility to make it worth the employees’ whiles to work there.
As a prospective employee during a job interview, are your first questions something like: what time do I start, and what time do I go home?
For a few jobs, those questions may be appropriate. For most jobs in today’s world, at least in the employers’ minds, those questions are irrelevant.
The same goes for written job descriptions and company policy manuals. If companies still use them – some may have to for legal reasons – you, as an employee, must know that these documents are fluid. Job descriptions and policy manuals, if not on paper, in fact will change over time.
It makes one long for the days of set hours, set duties, set expectations etc. Of course, no one wants set pay. Everyone wants to get raises. But, in some jobs, pay is set. Period. Take it or leave it.
A big part of the reason we can create many jobs, yet still have people out of work is NOT because people are lazy and government benefits are paying them to stay home. (Some of those cases may exist, but not many).
The crux of the problem is that work and life have become more complicated. Companies reorganize often. Job descriptions change multiple times. A person may be hired to do Job X, but ends up doing Job Y – a situation that may have been a deal breaker for the employee, had he or she known it was coming.
In summary, don’t presume a job is what it seems. Don’t presume, as employees, that more will not be expected of you than you think, often without more pay.
It’s not a 9 to 5 world for most. You have to have your eyes open to that.
Peter
Tag Archives: work schedules
HUMP DAY: GET OVER IT!
The Geico insurance ad with the camel walking through the office asking everyone what day it is has gone viral.
You see, those who work a Monday through Friday schedule viewed Wednesday as “hump day,” because once Wednesday was over, you were “over the hump” toward the weekend.
Yes, we can be clock watchers, and sometimes, we need to be. But time is precious, and we don’t want to wish away any time. We don’t want to get old too soon. We want to stay young as long as we can, regardless of our current age.
Think of it this way. If Wednesday puts you over the hump toward the weekend, and that makes you happy, how sad are you on Sunday night, knowing that Monday morning is coming?
Some working folks love their jobs so much, it doesn’t matter what day it is. Others work weird schedules, and may have a different “hump day.”
Though many love what they do, most don’t love it so much that they dread their off time. We have families, friends, hobbies and fun activities that deserve our time. Those who love their work may never retire, because they’ll always want to be doing something related to what they love.
There are others for whom work is literally their life. They have few, if any, activities outside of their work. Can these folks truly be happy?
Still, others can’t wait to retire. They are doing jobs that are putting food on the table and roofs over their heads, but they long to be done with them. It’s becoming more difficult by the day to last out your employer until you are able to retire, so these folks are just praying they can hang on as long as possible.
But what if you are not yet retired, and the day of the week doesn’t matter to you? What if your work were done whenever it suited you?
With traditional jobs and employers, that’ usually not possible. But what if you could get there? How much would you sacrifice, and how hard would you work on your own time to make that happen?
If that idea intrigues you, visit www.bign.com/pbilodeau. Not everyone will want it, but if you want to get over the hump toward freedom, it might be for you.
Life has humps we need to get over. Some would like to get over them faster than others. Others can’t see any way to get over them quickly.
In whatever our activities, we need to realize that time is something you can’t recover, or go back to. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. If you have regrets, look at the future and find ways to do things you won’t regret.
Memories can be beautiful, but, generally, they can’t be relived. Waxing nostalgic can be amusing, but, usually, you can’t go back there.
We need to look toward the future. We need to have dreams. And, we need to think about how we are going to realize those dreams.
Not all things are possible, but most things are if we think about the right things, and act in a way that will get us where we want to go.
Once we get there, we won’t worry about “hump days,” for we will realize that all days are valuable and should not be wasted.
If life throws you a hump, just get over it!
Peter