Do today’s employees work more than those of the past?
Recently, (July 19, 2010) in a nationally syndicated newspaper column (dear abby [by JeannePhillips]) there was a discussion about the work ethic of today’s employees. The debate was proud; with the majority of respondents of the opinion that today’s employees do not work as hard. One writer said, “Years ago, people worked hard for their money. Now, they hardly work.”
Of course, only those who have been in the workforce for a reasonably long career would have the employment history to make an informed opinion based on personal experience. And sometimes the memory is selective (eg, “walk 10 miles in the snow,” “work from dawn to dusk”). However, it seemed that “veterans” thought people worked “really hard” “in the past,” while younger employees felt their current jobs were more demanding.
The nature of work has changed
The nature of work and the types of jobs have changed dramatically in recent decades. While we were a manufacturing economy, we have become a post-industrial service economy; some would say a post-service information economy. This transition has occurred in a relatively short time. Workers recruited from factories, mines, lumberyards, etc. perform physically demanding, often dangerous jobs. Technology has, of course, eliminated and/or made many of these jobs simpler and safer. Backbreaking and physically debilitating work is almost relegated to the dustbin of history in this country.
Instead of physically demanding work, we now have mentally demanding jobs. This makes comparison challenging, perhaps impossible. Who works harder, the guy shoveling coal or the operator of the computerized coal mining equipment?
employees have changed
Surveys of “Generation Y” (post-baby boom) workers show that these workers expect job satisfaction and work-life balance. They don’t have the same level of employee loyalty that previous generations demonstrated, and will “dump” if they feel they are being treated unfairly. They have grown up in a time of prosperity and, despite the recent economic downturn, they don’t feel the need to take just any job. Many employees simply will not endure the conditions endured by their parents and grandparents.
Acting busy is not the same as being busy.
Technology has made it easier to fool your boss into thinking you’re busy working on company business. Surfing the net may seem business related. Computers can be programmed to email colleagues in the middle of the night. while you’re fast asleep. These and similar activities are called “Cyberloafing”. (New York TimesJan. 23, 2009)
Others do “heavy lifting” that may not be productive from their employer’s point of view. Desk jobs are easier to fake than manual work.
Unionization has an impact
Unionized workers are often protected from disciplinary action when they loiter. Fairly or unfairly, unions are obligated to represent and protect their members. Increasingly, unions (especially SEIU [Services Employees International Union] they are organizing the service sector.
The work of “thinking” can be more stressful
Some employees are too stressed to be attentive or productive. Recent studies of: Northwest National Life indicates that 40% of workers report that their work is “very or extremely stressful”, the Families and Work Institute The results indicate that 26% are “often or very often exhausted or stressed” and, Yale UniversityThe study reports that 29% are “fairly or extremely stressed at work.” (As reported by: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh, [publication 99-101]).
And the answer is…
No one knows if people are working harder today than their counterparts in the past. The nature of the jobs defies meaningful comparison. Additionally, job expectations for professionals and managers have been expanded, so there is little downtime. Even if employees are working “normal” hours, they are usually on call most or all of the time. So, as a consequence of technologies, they are “tethered” to the office (by computers and cell phones) 24/7. And, the debate continues.