Young workers are choosing ‘life ethic’ over ‘work ethic’ and making no apologies for it
I can’t help but laugh when I hear people say young people have no work ethic. I laugh not because I disagree, but rather because the people making that statement are absolutely right. I’m a young person, and I have no work ethic. None at all. You may be stunned that someone might actually put a statement like that in writing, but for my generation “work ethic” is about to retire and we’re not sad to see it go.
We all know a person who shows up at work well ahead of everyone else and leaves well after all others have gone home. This individual has difficulty taking a breather from work, and can often be found in the office on weekends. Most often they have a vacation balance that dwarfs the departmental budget.
These are all symptoms of a person with work ethic. I use the term symptom deliberately, as work ethic can have the same consequences as an illness.
Work ethic has costs, including health, happiness and sacrifices made by the individual’s loved ones. My generation has grown up with parents who have made the choice to put work before family, and we’ve seen and experienced the results. According to Statistics Canada, marital difficulties have increased enormously over the past decade, resulting in increased divorce rates and child-custody battles. Further, Statistics Canada says baby boomers are experiencing stress-related illnesses due to unstable and demanding work hours. This is a common feature of having “work ethic.” The end result of all of this? A person who has work ethic is absolutely unhappy and unhealthy.
Now shift your perspective to that of a young person. Look for a moment at what we’ve experienced and what we are about to begin.
We have seen our parents and loved ones expend their finite time and energy on work ethic, forfeiting relationships with their spouses, children and themselves, all to be complimented with having a work ethic. Now throw in organizational restructuring, labour disputes and disrespect on the part of some organizations. So, as young people, we ask ourselves: “What have our parents gained by having made all of these sacrifices?” The answer is health problems, weak family relationships and a general aura of unhappiness.
So, preparing to begin our careers, we’ve made the obvious choice.
Young professionals have made the conscious, and right, decision to retire work ethic. We’ve seen the end result of “work ethic” and refuse to subject ourselves to it. Instead, we are choosing to have a “life ethic.” We are choosing to be happy from a wholesome perspective by making the choices that support such a goal. It is no longer effective to give young professionals a salary and expect them to work excessive overtime. It’s not healthy and it never was. Young people are aware that life has more to offer than the corporate ladder. I do not want to be the seasoned, well-paid professional sitting in a corner office wishing I had made different life choices or be the person retiring alone because I chose work over family. These rewards of having a work ethic are not appealing to me and my generation.
In order to understand my perspective, you must view life as more than work and see the intrinsic rewards in other areas. You have to realize that having friends, good times and great memories and experiences are the things that count most in life. The great thing is all of this can be had while working. Professional life and personal life have often been viewed as two separate entities at odds with each other. From the perspective of a “life ethic,” professional life and personal life must be able to exist together in a healthy, balanced and more effective way.
Naturally, I make generalizations to which there are always exceptions. But my generation is a very savvy and intelligent one despite our flaws. Our parents have shown us through their actions, experiences and consequences that work ethic hurts. There is no better way for us to prove our savvy and intelligence than by learning from their mistakes and ensuring we absolutely do not make the same ones. We’re choosing life ethic over work ethic and we’re going to be all the better for it.
So happy retirement work ethic. And yes, it’s mandatory.
Christopher Harper is a twentysomething HR professional in the Calgary area. He may be reached at [email protected].
We all know a person who shows up at work well ahead of everyone else and leaves well after all others have gone home. This individual has difficulty taking a breather from work, and can often be found in the office on weekends. Most often they have a vacation balance that dwarfs the departmental budget.
These are all symptoms of a person with work ethic. I use the term symptom deliberately, as work ethic can have the same consequences as an illness.
Work ethic has costs, including health, happiness and sacrifices made by the individual’s loved ones. My generation has grown up with parents who have made the choice to put work before family, and we’ve seen and experienced the results. According to Statistics Canada, marital difficulties have increased enormously over the past decade, resulting in increased divorce rates and child-custody battles. Further, Statistics Canada says baby boomers are experiencing stress-related illnesses due to unstable and demanding work hours. This is a common feature of having “work ethic.” The end result of all of this? A person who has work ethic is absolutely unhappy and unhealthy.
Now shift your perspective to that of a young person. Look for a moment at what we’ve experienced and what we are about to begin.
We have seen our parents and loved ones expend their finite time and energy on work ethic, forfeiting relationships with their spouses, children and themselves, all to be complimented with having a work ethic. Now throw in organizational restructuring, labour disputes and disrespect on the part of some organizations. So, as young people, we ask ourselves: “What have our parents gained by having made all of these sacrifices?” The answer is health problems, weak family relationships and a general aura of unhappiness.
So, preparing to begin our careers, we’ve made the obvious choice.
Young professionals have made the conscious, and right, decision to retire work ethic. We’ve seen the end result of “work ethic” and refuse to subject ourselves to it. Instead, we are choosing to have a “life ethic.” We are choosing to be happy from a wholesome perspective by making the choices that support such a goal. It is no longer effective to give young professionals a salary and expect them to work excessive overtime. It’s not healthy and it never was. Young people are aware that life has more to offer than the corporate ladder. I do not want to be the seasoned, well-paid professional sitting in a corner office wishing I had made different life choices or be the person retiring alone because I chose work over family. These rewards of having a work ethic are not appealing to me and my generation.
In order to understand my perspective, you must view life as more than work and see the intrinsic rewards in other areas. You have to realize that having friends, good times and great memories and experiences are the things that count most in life. The great thing is all of this can be had while working. Professional life and personal life have often been viewed as two separate entities at odds with each other. From the perspective of a “life ethic,” professional life and personal life must be able to exist together in a healthy, balanced and more effective way.
Naturally, I make generalizations to which there are always exceptions. But my generation is a very savvy and intelligent one despite our flaws. Our parents have shown us through their actions, experiences and consequences that work ethic hurts. There is no better way for us to prove our savvy and intelligence than by learning from their mistakes and ensuring we absolutely do not make the same ones. We’re choosing life ethic over work ethic and we’re going to be all the better for it.
So happy retirement work ethic. And yes, it’s mandatory.
Christopher Harper is a twentysomething HR professional in the Calgary area. He may be reached at [email protected].
