How America's Insidious Work Culture is Destroying Lives
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Americans are crazy (I can say that proudly, equally an American). We have tons of pride in weird things and piddling to no pride in important things. "Wow, you worked 120 hours this week? You're a rock star!" compared to "Yous stay home with the kids? What practice you do all day?". I struggle so much with this insane work culture in America. We are so freaking proud for working ourselves to death. Why is that? When did American work civilization get so dysfunctional?
What is American Work Culture
We demand to define American piece of work culture before I outset bashing information technology. In my opinion, Americans are in beloved with work. We don't work to alive – we live to piece of work. We boast about our crazy hours, define ourselves based on our occupations, and look down upon others who we feel don't "work as hard". The prototype of the hard-working all-American man is ingrained in our cultural psyche equally something to aspire to. Being a hard worker is one of our nation's cadre values.
American work civilization is a messy heap of these ideas and values surrounding piece of work. Our cultural norms praise piece of work for piece of work's sake and scoff at ideals that would keep employees happy and develop a healthy culture well-nigh work.
Where Did This Obsession With Work Come From?
American piece of work culture seems to be the upshot of a only universe earth view. Besides many American's get defenseless upward in the thought that the world is off-white. If you are a good person and exercise expert things, the world will reward you considering that's just fair. The problem with this idea is that the globe is non off-white. It doesn't advantage people for beingness skilful, and it doesn't punish people for beingness bad. Information technology simply keeps on turning.
But the thought of the just world is what keeps many Americans trapped in the insidious piece of work civilisation. If you truly believe that the world rewards good people and punishes bad people, you lot will work your ass off to testify that you are good and deserve rewards. Because if something bad happens, similar you lose your job and can't pay your bills, y'all must exist bad.
Nobody wants to believe that they are bad, so they continue struggling, keep giving more than and more, and keep accepting that they don't take much to show for it. The worst matter about this is that they've bought into this culture so much that they refuse to vote for policies that would provide existent positive changes in their daily lives. Bad people don't deserve help.
How America'due south Piece of work Culture is Hurting United states
In instance you haven't noticed, this obsession with work comes at a tremendous cost to most Americans. We are overworked, underpaid, and stressed out with no gratis time. And the worst role is that nosotros eat this up! Nosotros add together ping pong tables to offices and call it a positive squad civilization, while at the same fourth dimension expecting employees to sacrifice every aspect of themselves to "fostering corporate values".
Nosotros need to finish information technology. We demand to make a massive cultural alter in regards to piece of work. And to bear witness why, let'south await at two of the biggest ways our electric current culture is pain people.
Stress
An enormous impact of American piece of work culture is that it stresses us all out. Americans are riddled with stress related illnesses (that nosotros don't have the proper healthcare to care for correctly, but that'southward a dissimilar story!). Feet, depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease run rampant in our society. To be fair, I've done absolutely no research to try to decide if this is caused (fifty-fifty partially) by our obsession with piece of work, but it seems highly probable to me.
Not but is working long hours stressful, but beingness trapped in a job is stressful as well. You could argue that people "trapped in jobs" are lucky to even have jobs – and while it's true that it'south great that they can support themselves, information technology's also true that nobody should be stuck in an unhealthy work environment just then that they can survive. In the US, it's all about the company and it'south bottom line. Workers are treated like replaceable cogs. Who cares if one breaks down and tin no longer function? They will just go a new 1.
Lack of Time
Speaking of stress, another reason for it is that we are working so much that nosotros don't have the time to practice annihilation to salvage information technology. Exercise has been proven to help reduce stress levels, just who has time for that when you are working 80 hours per week merely to go on the bills paid? We also consume fast, unhealthy foods, because who has time to melt healthy meals?
This lack of fourth dimension besides leaks over into every other attribute of our lives and leads to a lack of social life and lack of ambition. The mutual rejoinder to this stuff is to just work harder, increment your skills, side hustle, and do all these things and so that you tin ameliorate yourself. Merely those helpful pieces of advice don't consider the fact that at that place is not enough time in the twenty-four hours to do those things when y'all are stuck in a system that wants to piece of work you to death.
Should people exist forced to sacrifice the paltry hour or two they get at domicile each night to side hustles simply to get past? Some people work and then much that they are too tired to piece of work on side projects when they become home, and some just want to spend the tiny scrap of gratuitous time they exercise take with their loved ones. And the worst thing is – this is frowned upon! Hustle Culture tells united states of america that if we aren't spending our entire waking lives working we deserve to be poor!
This is so messed up. Our lives shouldn't be about working so much that nosotros have no time to enjoy annihilation. Life is for living!
Why is Our Work Culture so Horrible?
I know it sounds similar I'm bashing Americans hither, simply I'one thousand really not. I don't think most people really want our piece of work civilisation to exist this style. It'due south turned into this mess considering then many Americans don't have any other options. It's either give into this abusive piece of work culture or go hungry; break your back working for a company or exist homeless. What kind of option is that? Of class we are going to choose to get in line so we tin survive. What other options do we have?
I mean certain, we tin try to better ourselves (but that's difficult given the fourth dimension constraints on our daily lives), and we can vote to modify the system, but at the end of the solar day we take to do what nosotros have to practice to get past. And for millions of u.s.a., that means embracing the American work civilisation.
We can go along and on about the problems credible in America's work civilisation. But instead, let'southward think of means to fix it. How can nosotros improve the civilisation of work in America?
What is A Good Work Culture?
Earlier we can even begin to change the civilization, we have to agree on what a skilful civilisation should exist. What cultural values should we maintain in our work civilisation, and what needs improvement?
In my stance, skillful piece of work civilization is one that includes a work-life rest and decent pay for its employees. It's also one where people are prioritized over everything else, and employee feedback is valued. It'due south a culture where employee engagement is high because employees feel valued and supported.
Why Balance Matters
I remember one of the most important things nosotros could do to change our beliefs almost work is to find remainder. That ways more fourth dimension off – whether it be in the form of shorter workweeks or more than vacation time. Information technology also means more flexibility in scheduling options. With and so much technology available for remote work, it isn't necessary that everyone be in the office at the same time every day. Why not let employees work remotely, come up in subsequently on some days, and leave before on others?
Residue is important because it gives people the opportunity to enjoy their lives outside of work. Having more free time to explore passions, spend time with family, or only take intendance of yourself would brand employees more engaged at work and happier overall. This is a win for everyone.
Pay Needs to Keep Upward
Another matter that would greatly improve our piece of work culture is increasing wages. I mean, if you lot're going to forcefulness people to be dedicated to their jobs, you may as well compensate them well for it. This would allow people to save more money and go out the workforce sooner. Wouldn't it be great if the standard retirement historic period was lowered to 55 or 60, instead of raised every twelvemonth? Wouldn't it exist nice if we celebrated people for working 30 years, then said "you lot did great, at present enjoy the rest of your life!".
We don't practise that. The only option for retiring that early and enjoying the residue of your life is embracing the Burn motion (which I'm manifestly a large fan of). I recollect a lot of people would chose that equally an option if they could beget it.
But, we could also consider taking this payment away from work. We could institute a UBI that would give employees more options. Having just that tiny fleck of animate room to find amend employment options would do a lot to convalesce the stress on American workers, and change our work culture for the ameliorate.
People First
But the best affair we can do to change our insidious work civilization is to shift our mindsets towards people. Humanity is more important than profits. Workers are more of import than the companies that they piece of work for. If we started to put people first in everything that nosotros do, we will meet a shift in our culture towards that mindset.
And in reality, it'south not that difficult of an ask. We can start putting people first in our daily lives. First being more than empathetic towards retail workers and servers. It'due south not their fault that their store won't accolade your coupon or doesn't have your favorite product in stock.
Next, nosotros could vote with our dollars by supporting companies that offer balance and high pay to their employees. Here's a start -a list of ten companies that care for their employees well. Back up these companies, and stay away from companies that treat employees poorly. Sometimes, the only affair large corporations see is dollar signs, so if they run across that its non profitable to treat their employees poorly, they may determine to modify.
Finally, we could demand reform. Nosotros could vote for policies that would really help people. These would be things that requite people options, like healthcare reform, taxation policy reform, and social program reform. If workers had options, companies wouldn't be able to abuse them.
Piece of work Cultures in Other Countries
Earlier you say that instituting these things is impossible, or that spending all of your costless time working is merely part of life, take a look at what some other countries do. Many of our friends in Europe have policies that promote work-life balance and the happiness of their citizens over profits. It tin exist done, if we desire it badly enough.
It can go the other style as well. Japan has an even more than desperate piece of work civilisation than the The states. Workers there also pride themselves on their insanely long hours and are expected to spend their "free fourth dimension" socializing for the visitor. The Japanese work so much that it's killing them, and they've even come up with a term for it: Karoshi. Information technology literally ways expiry by overwork.
Positive Things About American Work Civilization
Are in that location any upsides to American Work Culture? The just matter I can recall of is the adventure (or myth, as I similar to call information technology) of making it big. The American Dream, as they phone call it. The opportunity to work and so difficult that you will eventually exist well off enough to not accept to always work over again. This myth keeps usa engrossed in our work culture. It keeps the peasants on the bottom fighting for scraps and promoting a flawed organisation on the off hazard that they likewise might make information technology to the meridian one day.
Honestly, though, I really tin't see any upsides to information technology. I'd rather we have policies in identify that take intendance of our citizens first and give everyone the opportunity to pursue the lives that they are passionate nigh. What do yous think? I'd honey to hear your opinion!
Source: https://partnersinfire.com/blog/the-downsides-of-american-work-culture/
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