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For Elaine More Info on Workholism I ran across this article this AM. Sharing via cut and paste. It gives additional thought about Elaine's concerns and some of our thoughts expressed in her latest blog. The silly reasons men work (or pretend to work) long hours The culture of working enormously long hours is ingrained in many workplaces. But for men in particular, it also has a lot to do with comparing themselves to peers. When men don’t work as much as colleagues and friends, they report being unhappy and shift their work schedule to match or better them, according to a new working paper from researchers at Maastricht University and Erasmus University in the Netherlands. And that peer-matching isn’t about being as. It’s all about perceived status. The authors call it “conspicuous work.” The study looks at more than a decade of data from working men in the Netherlands whose peers generally also worked. They had data on people’s work hours, their perception of their peer’s hours, and their self-reported happiness. The first major finding, that people’s work hours scale with their peers, could be explained by a few possible things. Working with others is more productive and pleasant than working alone, so people tend to work about the same amount. Plus, people generally like to conform to societal norms, and peer work hours are a good proxy for those expectations. The last, the conspicious work model, suggests that people get extra status from being a “hard worker,” and are unhappy when others are conspicuously busier. The finding that men grow progressively unhappier as their peers work more, controlling for their own hours, indicates that the choice to work is wrapped up in status and personal comparison, and supports the conspicuous work model. This is, of course completely divorced from whether that work is productive. It leads to a norm where people who don’t conform to these work hours can be seen as failing to fit a company culture. Another recent study found that many people go to elaborate lengths to convince everybody around them that they’re working the same insane hours. People who admit that they want a more normal schedule are often punished. This comes against a backdrop of recent data (paywall) that shows work hours increasing overall, and that it can contribute to gender inequity. The one bright side? There appears to be limits. People don’t gain much from working substantially more than colleagues, and those extra hours have negative consequences on quality of life. So true workaholics are likely to be rare. Spiritwoman ^i^ |
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6/1/2015 1:36 pm |
Like you I loved my work and held positions that often demanded long hours, shifts etc. I was always torn between that and family but as you said the family needed money. My first responsibility to them was to provide the necessities. When I first full time work (almost 15 years ago now) I plunged headlong into all of the things that were on hold. Although I am sitting here painting more Gerogia Okeefe flowers before I head to the pool where I will work on strengthening the muscles that are much in need now that I am no longer in constant pain and then sit in the sun contemplate and organize my schedule for tomorrow (Tues is take care of my residence facility business day) , I realize that many would kill to be in my position However, I often contemplate taking at least part time outside work again. Then I think about not having the flexibility I need for the other things I do and decide against it. I do miss the camaraderie with my professional peers and the opportunity to help my clients and seem to do so more as time goes by. Spiritwoman ^i^
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I never thought of myself to be a workaholic, but like you and Pat, I put some hours in, only because I had no choice, I was a single mom raising two daughters. Believe me, I would have rather been at home enjoying my girls than working for companies that really didn't care one way or the other about my family.
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Thanks Spirit but this doesn't apply to my boyfriend. He works out of his basement with his brother. They are audio engineers with over 30 years experience. They are true professionals and that takes a lot of dedication. They work on practically every TV show shot in Toronto. They've met presidents of the United States, The Pope, Queen Elizabeth and all the A list entertainers. The downside is it takes a lot of work and they can't be late or the show won't have audio. They have no peers working alongside them that they are competing with and the divorce rate is high in their industry. I can see why. I do appreciate you trying to help. Thank you. Elaine Shuel
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6/1/2015 7:47 pm |
Cause and effect. We need to work to pay for the necessities. If I had not had the liking to eat and live in a house thing I would have probably done the same sort of work as I did, just in a different setting. Spiritwoman ^i^
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6/1/2015 7:52 pm |
Thanks Spirit but this doesn't apply to my boyfriend. He works out of his basement with his brother. They are audio engineers with over 30 years experience. They are true professionals and that takes a lot of dedication. They work on practically every TV show shot in Toronto. They've met presidents of the United States, The Pope, Queen Elizabeth and all the A list entertainers. The downside is it takes a lot of work and they can't be late or the show won't have audio. They have no peers working alongside them that they are competing with and the divorce rate is high in their industry. I can see why. I do appreciate you trying to help. Thank you. Spiritwoman ^i^
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I know very little about that kind of work other than having a couple of dates with a guy who did this a few years ago. This particular guy ended up traveling back and forth between LA and Fl. Elaine Shuel
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6/3/2015 11:39 pm |
Good thought. Perhaps There also an element of being more self confident at work. I know I often felt far more in control at work than in my personal life. My most significant example is when I worked with DFS and found myself giving a sigh of relief when I got to work. When I became aware of this it was the final confirmation I needed to divorce my first husband. Spiritwoman ^i^
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6/3/2015 11:45 pm |
You are certainly welcome. We can all learn so much when we share real life experiences. This is the reason I stay involved in blogs. After all there may be vast differences in political and religious ideologues but getting through this thing called life is a challenge we all face. Spiritwoman ^i^
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