The Nature of Work

9 to 5 No Longer

A demographic change is affecting all Americans wherever they work and live: the rise of the flexible workforce. The global economy, increasing numbers of two-income families and the need for businesses to retain talent both in the executive suite and among low-paid workers are all having an impact on the way we work. This documentary, hosted by Bonnie Erbe, explores the latest innovations in workplace flexibility (from PBS).

I don’t watch enough PBS. The documentaries that PBS airs are typically very good to excellent. 9 to 5 No Longer was excellent.

I don’t really know what I should be doing with my life. Well, that is not really true. I know that I want to produce fictional stories. I love the act of writing. I can’t seem to find enough time to write in a day. It is the one thing besides my wife, books, and watching TV on DVD that makes me happy.

It is weird, but that one part of my current gig that I enjoy is creating power point presentations and giving them. Also, I enjoy composing email responses to customers. However, I don’t like angry customers, I don’t like talking on the phone, and even if everyone (including my employees) think that I’m a good manager, I don’t feel that I am any good at it.

I’ve gotten off topic. 9 to 5 No Longer is about a change that is taking place in the work force today. Many companies are doing away with the 40 hour work week in exchange for a culture of flexibility, as long as the work gets done and an employee can justify his or her schedule then both the employee and company is happy.

9 to 5 No Longer is change that employees are asking for and many large companies are granting to keep the top talent. The employees that are asking for this change are mostly parents that want to send more time with their children.

The segment within the documentary that I was most interested in were how really large companies allowed even their hourly workers to set their own schedules. This many mean that more employees are need to fill in, but it also meant that employees are happier and tended to stay longer, saving the company money in the long run on training in new hires.

The other part of 9 to 5 No Longer that I wish had even more coverage was service industry. In California, a new law was passed that gave employees in the service industry one hour of paid time off for every 30 hours worked. This should be a federal law. Being sick is not a choice. It happens and employees should have some job protection and paid time off for the unexpected.

What I was hoping that I would find by watching this documentary was hope for a future career or at least more tools to add to my interviewing toolbox. I like going into a situation armed with questions and demands. I’m a hard worker and I love to put in long hours if what I am doing has meaning for both the company and for my self.

I don’t know if my pessimistic nature holds me back, but what I got out of 9 to 5 No Longer is a real sense of despair. There was an interview with a couple that had a start up that helps people find Work and Life balance. However, they were the first to admit that finding that balance is an everyday uphill fight.

So what is my dream job, if I could create it out of thin air? That is the life question that I don’t know how to really answer. However, here is what it might look like:

Aaron’s Dream Job

30% Writing
30% Presenting or Instructing
20% Networking
10% Strategic Planning
10% Travel

The organization would be one that is in the business of helping people find their true potential, and be humanitarian, secular, and ethical.

Wish me luck!

NaBloPoMo