Post by Chips on May 9, 2008 11:43:27 GMT 9.5
Weakened by the nine-to-five
Nicholas Fintan
May 9, 2008
"THANK God it's Friday!" "Can't wait till the weekend!"
For those of you whose working week actually does run from Monday to Friday, from the hours of 9am to 5pm, please, please, please stop rubbing it in my face.
I am among a large and growing portion of the population that does not work five days a week, from nine to five, does not have a day off on all public holidays, and is not guaranteed four weeks' leave every year.
I don't hang out for the weekend weather report, because my week is not over on the weekend. I don't plan weekends away. I don't enjoy holiday crosswords. I do not grin like an idiot on a Friday afternoon nor am I particularly afraid of Monday mornings.
I, by my own choice, co-run a very small business, and as anyone who works for themselves knows, there is no nine to five. You work as hard as you can, as much as you can, because if you don't, you can't pay the bills and you can't pay your wages, and then you can't pay your rent or eat. So you have to work weekends, you sometimes work public holidays, you get up early, and you go to bed late. I enjoy what I do and I choose to do it. However, I don't appreciate being constantly reminded that I am apparently completely at odds with the entire community.
The notion that we all work from Monday to Friday from nine to five seems to be one of the biggest and strangest lies we've collectively sold ourselves on. So much so that to step outside these sacred boundaries is referred to as working "irregular hours".
It's strange because the number of professions that do not keep these hours surely outweighs those that do. Farmers, retailers, police, tradespeople, hospitality workers, truck drivers, bakers, security guards, doctors, nurses and even those who propagate this antiquated notion of the workforce in all forms of the media do not work Monday to Friday, nine to five.
Let's stop kidding ourselves. As much as our previous prime minister tried, we have not successfully travelled back to the 1950s. It's 2008. So before any of you get the urge to thank God or the deity of your choosing that it's Friday, or a long weekend, or a public holiday, please stop, take a deep breath, and keep it to yourself. I don't want to know and I don't care. And, yes, I am disgustingly jealous.
Nicholas Fintan
May 9, 2008
"THANK God it's Friday!" "Can't wait till the weekend!"
For those of you whose working week actually does run from Monday to Friday, from the hours of 9am to 5pm, please, please, please stop rubbing it in my face.
I am among a large and growing portion of the population that does not work five days a week, from nine to five, does not have a day off on all public holidays, and is not guaranteed four weeks' leave every year.
I don't hang out for the weekend weather report, because my week is not over on the weekend. I don't plan weekends away. I don't enjoy holiday crosswords. I do not grin like an idiot on a Friday afternoon nor am I particularly afraid of Monday mornings.
I, by my own choice, co-run a very small business, and as anyone who works for themselves knows, there is no nine to five. You work as hard as you can, as much as you can, because if you don't, you can't pay the bills and you can't pay your wages, and then you can't pay your rent or eat. So you have to work weekends, you sometimes work public holidays, you get up early, and you go to bed late. I enjoy what I do and I choose to do it. However, I don't appreciate being constantly reminded that I am apparently completely at odds with the entire community.
The notion that we all work from Monday to Friday from nine to five seems to be one of the biggest and strangest lies we've collectively sold ourselves on. So much so that to step outside these sacred boundaries is referred to as working "irregular hours".
It's strange because the number of professions that do not keep these hours surely outweighs those that do. Farmers, retailers, police, tradespeople, hospitality workers, truck drivers, bakers, security guards, doctors, nurses and even those who propagate this antiquated notion of the workforce in all forms of the media do not work Monday to Friday, nine to five.
Let's stop kidding ourselves. As much as our previous prime minister tried, we have not successfully travelled back to the 1950s. It's 2008. So before any of you get the urge to thank God or the deity of your choosing that it's Friday, or a long weekend, or a public holiday, please stop, take a deep breath, and keep it to yourself. I don't want to know and I don't care. And, yes, I am disgustingly jealous.