When did “9 to 5” become “24/7”?

So, being old enough to be an AARP member, I’ve been in the work world for quite a while.  I started working part time back in high school.  I actually worked at a mini-factory of sorts, making quiches. Not a bad gig, actually.  It did have its down sides, as every job does.  Like when you were assigned the job of processing the huge block of cheese into grated cheese, and you’d break out in hives from the fumes.  But it had its up sides too.  Like getting to take home the ones that came out of the oven with cracked crusts!

But one thing I’ve noticed over the years … what used to be thought of as the “9 to 5” world has now become a “24/7” thing.  And it is NOT a good change!

Back when I first became a paralegal, I worked at a law firm.  Law firms are notorious for having their employees work a TON of hours.  It’s all about the billable.  I would regularly work late.  And I’m not talking 7 or 8 at night, I’m talking 10 or 11 at night.  At times I’d be there would be even later.  And on a rare occasion, I’d never get home.  I had a change of clothes in my office and a sleeping bag stored under my desk for times when I would have to pull an all-nighter, catching a half an hour or so of sleep before starting the next full day.

When I was ready to leave the law firm for an in-house position, I sat down with one of the partners I worked with on a consistent basis.  He didn’t want me to leave and offered to have the law firm pay for me to go to law school.  I was honored that he thought enough of me to make that offer.  But I turned him down. I didn’t want this kind of life.  I want quality of life.  I wanted to earn enough to pay my bills and save for vacations and retirement.  I didn’t need to live in the style of what is commonly thought of as being “rich”, because to me being rich is having a family who loves me, good friends who are like family, and the time to enjoy the things life has to offer.

After the law firm, I worked at jobs that were more reasonable in their hour requirements.  But now, in the past 10-15 years or so, it’s gotten to the point that even the “in-house” hours are getting longer. I know there are certain industries where this is always going to be the case.  But now more companies want to have more done, by less people.  They want everyone on a blackberry or smartphone, connected all the time to the office. 

Taking the weekend, or a vacation, completely away from work related interruptions is practically unheard of!  Weekends and vacations were traditionally meant to let a person recharge their batteries, so they can come back to the office better prepared to tackle the work on their plate.  How is not getting this “off” time having an effect on us?  There is no rest, there is no recharging.  So are we really as productive in the hours we are working?  Now they have desks that you can raise up so you can stand for part of your day, to reduce the risk of stroke.  Seriously?  We have become so glued to our desks that we are risking our very health!

The United States ranks VERY low on the scale of countries that are best for a work-life balance.  It’s not even in the top 10 of the best countries for a good work-life balance. Heck, it’s not even in the top 25! And it’s worse in the metropolitan areas of the country.  These are the areas where leisurely walking down the street will annoy others around you (um, New York, I’m talking about you!) Everyone is rushing around to get more done in less time.  Because we spend so much of our time at work.  Why do we feel that we need to live to work, rather than work to live? 

There are still places in the world where you can have a good quality of life, be able to pay your bills, enjoy life, and not need to work endless hours!  In my searching for how bad the US is on the scale, I saw a number of countries that are much better!  I seriously need to consider moving to Denmark!  At least until that country decides to turn “9 to 5” into “24/7”.