Even before the “new normal” of working from home, many American workers have been doing the job of two or three people. The days of working on a team have been reduced to being a team of one. Companies have been trying to determine how to increase productivity without increasing manpower. Economists use terms such as “right sizing,” while business executives now commonly use phrases like “trimming the fat.”
All of these are just deviant ways of corporations creating more work without adding the expense of more people. Looking at the schedules of many American workers, ten-to-twelve-hour days are becoming the standard and the phrase “work-life balance” seems to be a thing of the past. In looking at the world pre-COVID-19, how many workers were coming in earlier and leaving later? How many have reduced their lunch time or don’t take a lunch at all? What has happened to the walks to clear your head? Do you miss the talks at the water cooler?
Are we sacrificing our mental health for the sake of being more productive? Are companies creating burnout so they can cash out? The question American workers should perhaps ask…