“Rather than trying to isolate hours of the day that are completely free from work or slog through hours totally devoid of leisure, we’re melding the two together,” wrote Alison Stein Wellner in July’s American Demographics.
“Rather than trying to isolate hours of the day that are completely free from work or slog through hours totally devoid of leisure, we’re melding the two together,” wrote Alison Stein Wellner in July’s American Demographics.
Employers, who expect greater productivity from employees, are beginning to help workers manage daily routines and tasks from the office. Some corporations have sought “concierge service” for their employees.
Concierge service operates as a perk for employees, much like health insurance. Concierge staffers handle a variety of chores for a corporation’s employees: travel arrangements, day-care screening, scheduling appointments, ordering tickets, sending flowers and much more.
The idea of combining work and home is nothing new. People have done it for centuries in agricultural settings.
“When people worked and lived on the farm, families were able to juggle both their family needs and their work needs,” said sociologist Jorian Clarke in the article.
The notion of a 24/7 global economy, however, is recent.
“The information revolution may have made this possible, but it’s the advent of wireless communication that put it in hyperdrive,” wrote Wellner.
A recent Gallup poll shows roughly 50 percent of Americans own a cell phone.
“The fact that we’re trying to squeeze more pleasure out of business isn’t all that surprising considering how much Americans work,” wrote Wellner.
The average married couple today works 717 hours more each year than the couple of 30 years ago, according to the article. This figure translates to a full month more of work.
“The blurring of the line between work and leisure is good in some ways because it allows you to spend more time at home with your family,” said Joanne B. Ciulla, author of The Working Life: The Promise and Betrayal of Modern Work, in the article.
However, even more time might fall prey to even more work.
“Work is voracious. Leisure is not,” said Ciulla.
Cliff Vaughn is BCE’s associate director.
Visit American Demographics on the Web at http://www.demographics.com
Media producer at Good Faith Media.
