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  1. The New YorkerTim Wu8/21/155 min
    45 reads15 comments
    9.0
    The New Yorker
    45 reads
    9.0
    You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • bartadamley3 years ago

      Insightful article; especially given the work-from-home movement.. As the office perpetually follows us everywhere.

      How do workplaces create a separation for their employees for the sake of their personal life? This will be the challenge for employers moving forward; or else I would be shocked to not see a growth in freelancers/contract work which is a whole different beast in itself.

      The fact that employees are now always reachable eliminates what was once a natural barrier of sorts, the idea that work was something that happened during office hours or at the physical office. With no limits, work becomes like a football game where the whistle is never blown.

    • Florian3 years ago

      in 2006, the top twenty per cent of earners were twice as likely to work more than fifty hours a week than the bottom twenty per cent, a reversal of historic conditions

      I can’t really decide how I feel about that. I guess the scary part is that despite this fact, the lower income brackets are still pressured to work harder than they should - especially when you consider a amazon warehouse worker or similar

      • thorgalle
        Top reader this weekScoutScribe
        3 years ago

        Pressured how? To make ends meet by working more? Or because of bad working conditions?

        There doesn't seem to be a situation without issues, but earning high while working hard for 50+ hours seems the lesser evil. From The Whiners Who Earn $200,000 and Complain They’re Broke:

        In an increasingly class-segmented America, facing the prospect of a long economic downturn, the complaints to take seriously come from our fellow citizens who lack jobs, health insurance, decent housing, quality educations, and many, many other things that the wealthy simply take for granted.

        • Florian3 years ago

          This wasn’t about rich people complaining. It’s about the “reversal” this article claims. I disagree with it being called a reversal as the low income earners also face unreasonable pressure.

          I was referring to being pressured by KPIs that push people to the edge of suicide. Thinking about amazon warehouse workers or iPhone assembly lines or the contractors who are reviewing content on Facebook. All of which are underpaid and exploited.

          Actually, now that I think of it, maybe my issue is with rich people having a cry because they work 50+h in a nice comfortable office for six digits while they make their factory workers run like slaves.

    • thorgalle
      Top reader this weekScoutScribe
      3 years ago

      The "make-work arms race" by mere technological possibility is an interesting insight. I'll try to be on the lookout for this in other contexts. But there's not much you can do against it when you're a lawyer caught in the situation, is there?

      The article also reminds of You’re Not Just Imagining It. Your Job Is Absolute BS. Good to see people thinking about the futility of modern work! :)

    • bill
      Top reader of all time
      3 years ago

      “There must be a better way.”

      • angle_dance4683 years ago

        How do I "like" articles ?

        • jeff3 years ago

          As bill mentioned, reading an article to completion and commenting on it both result in a higher number of points assigned to that article by the ranking algorithm.

          Additionally you can rate an article on a scale of 1-10 when you post it or at any other time by tapping on the rating control. The average rating score also affects the points assigned during ranking.

          Rating Control Screenshot

          • angle_dance4683 years ago

            Thanks guys! Jeff's answer has elucidated things for me -- the algo takes all these signals into account when assessing the read-worthiness of an article, which makes perfect sense.

        • bill
          Top reader of all time
          3 years ago

          Heyo!!

          So you effectively just “liked” this one, by reading it and commenting on it. ;) (Did you not feel the warm and fuzzies of your contribution, lol?) Joking aside: We hammer on this throughout onboarding, but it’s still not obvious to many folks that we don’t have likes for a reason and instead you vote with your attention.

          Hmm... Ideas welcome! 💡

          (What are you trying to get out of the like?)

    • chrissetiana
      Top reader of all time
      3 years ago

      but the irony is that the people at the top are often as unhappy and overworked as those at the bottom: it is a system that serves almost no one

      Doesn’t matter whether you’re the boss or an average employee. Work still enslaves us all.

    • kellyalysia
      ScoutScribe
      3 years ago

      I mean yup.

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        3 years ago

        Yup!

        Five years later, it’s easy to see that the breakneck speed (and overall soullessness) of white-collar America isn’t just making people sad. It’s also making the entire world crazy.

        • jeff3 years ago

          Definitely read Doing Business In Japan if you're under the impression that this is an American phenomenon. From that article:

          It is highly unlikely that anyone will ever tell you “We need you here until 3 AM. Yeah, sorry, tell you what, take off early at 9 PM tomorrow.” The company is just steeped in an environment which will make this decision seem like the most natural thing in the world to you. To leave early would let your team down. To make a habit of it would cause people to question your commitment to the company and to the important work that the company does. It will become so natural to work salaryman hours that you’ll teach their necessity to junior employees who you mentor, probably without you even realizing you’re doing it.

          • bill
            Top reader of all time
            3 years ago

            👍👍