Corporate work is a huge timesuck: this is not breaking news. Everyone is aware of this fact. Instead of spending your time doing something you love, or even something that you are kind of ‘meh’ about—but at least it’s your something on your own terms—corporate work demands of most people that they do something they are considerably less than ‘meh’ about on terms dictated entirely by the corporation.
As a stop-gap or in order to make money while working on a side-business this might be tolerable, but over the long term it is not a good deal for any human being.
Realising this, corporations have for the last decade or so become increasingly concerned with ‘culture’, that is, with the so-called ‘shared values’ of the company. In order to ’embed’ these and to ensure that everyone remains superficially ‘happy’ at work, it also often comes with perks like a fridge in the office, fruit days, chill-out areas, bring-your-dog-to-work-day, table football and ping-pong. Beyond these delights you also get staff nights out, Christmas parties, summer balls, awaydays, flexible hours and so on.
When people take pot shots at the corporate world what they most frequently complain about are the long hours, the often unpleasant and overly-political atmosphere, the stiflingly-PC HR policies, the many meetings and the boring, soul-destroying work. And they are right to do so, for each of these things is heinous and substantially degrades the quality of an employee’s life.
But today I’d like to complain about something you may not have immediately thought of: the fun stuff Because all that zany, team-building, you-don’t-have-to-be-mad-to-work-here-but-it-helps, sociable stuff is also soul-destroying for any right-thinking person, as well as being a colossal time-suck.
Baby Shower
Just one tiny example of this: tonight I had to give up my evening to attend the ‘baby shower’ of a woman who I’ve known for just over a month. For a start, what the hell is a ‘baby shower’ and when did it become a thing? And second, why on earth does some lady I work with getting knocked up mean that I have to give up my Tuesday night?
(The lady herself is very pleasant, by the way—this isn’t a personal thing against her, but rather against a trend that is all-too common in London workplaces these days).
Being an introvert, I am not particularly sociable—while I like people and enjoy shooting the shit in small doses, I gain more energy from being alone. And if I am going to hang out with a group I’d far rather they were friends that I’d selected myself rather than a rag-tag of folks I barely know from a job I’m only working to pay the bills.
Be A Team Player
So why didn’t I refuse to go? Well, I could have done. No-one would have said anything. After all, the dinner was outside of work hours. But here that pesky notion of culture raises its ugly head. Perceptions would be created. Tongues would wag. ‘Troy—not much of a team player, is he?’
Above all else, you must be seen to be a team player prepared to go the extra mile. And refusing to go to the baby shower of a well-liked manager would look a little too much like a snub to the business as a whole to be worth the risk at a time when I need to keep the money coming in before I pivot to full-time self-employment.
When you consider taking a corporate job, realise that in 2017 it’s not just about the 40+ hours you have to sit looking at spreadsheets in the cubicle. You also have to factor in the (mandatory) socialising that will doubtless accompany them. And if life is too short to spend most of it working in an office then it is definitely too short to spend your free time knocking back Espresso Martinis with a bunch of people you hardly know and would never be friends with were you not paid for that dubious privilege.
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I don’t have such issue; happy hours, birthdays, team activities, etc., very rarely happen for me. I work remotely from home (Database & BI Developer) to my company located in another country. Sometimes I dislike my job but it pays well enough to have a descent living. The fact that I dont have to deal with office commute and HR personnel is highly appreciated. It is not that I am free from the corporate world but it is a start.
Sounds like a great setup! Thanks for commenting man. Troy