Why work?

Labour Day, or International Workers’ Day, is most often celebrated on 1 May. The day is used to honour the contribution of working-class men and women across the globe. It is a public holiday in South Africa, which originated with the historical struggles of workers and trade unions, long before our first democratic election was held. The global struggle for a shorter workday, dates back to October 1884, when the Federation of Organised Trades and Labour Unions US resolved that a working day should constitute of only eight hours. In 1895, May Day was celebrated for the first time and the movement started gaining traction internationally.

In Economics, labour is defined as the amount of physical, mental, and social effort used to produce goods and services in an economy. It supplies the expertise, manpower, and service needed to turn raw materials into finished products and services. In return, labourers receive a monetary reward to buy the goods and services they don't produce themselves.

In the world of HR, Gallup has been measuring international employee satisfaction for over two decades. In total it has polled 25 million employees in 189 different countries. Their surveys produce alarming results: Only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged (so 87% are disengaged, don’t like their jobs, just show up to earn their salaries, and probably hit the snooze button 9 times every morning). In South Africa, only 9% of the workforce is actively engaged. Of the 91% who are disengaged, 45% are actively disengaged, meaning that they are very negative about their job and work environment, and likely to spread that negativity to co-workers (they are actively busy sabotaging your business/organisation).

People are extremely unhappy at work. How sad is it to show up to work every day to face people you don’t like, to do something you don’t even enjoy? This brings me to the question, why do we work?

Benefits of work

MAKE A LIVING – If you're like most people, work is where you spend the majority of your waking hours. Your work influences every other aspect of your life, including family. Yet for many of us, work can just suck the life out of us. We work to make a living and pay the bills. It provides us with money to support ourselves and explore our interests. Work gives structure to our lives and gives us something to do. But is that it?

WORSHIP – We’re creative beings. Since Genesis 1, when Adam and Eve were invited to work with God in the garden, humans have found an outlet for their creativity through work. According to Doug Spada, author of ‘The Switch: Your Monday Revolution’, work is a form of worship. It takes a mental shift to start working for the audience of One. Believing that you’re stewarding the talents, time and opportunities given to you.

 “Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” – Leo Buscaglia

PURPOSE – Work gives us a sense of purpose. It verifies our identity and provides dignity, value and purpose. David and Wendy Ulrich in their book ‘The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organisations That Win’, wrote: “…an abundant organisation enables its employees to be completely fulfilled by finding meaning and purpose from their work experience. This meaning enables employees to have personal hope for the future and create value for customers and investors. When we ask people how they feel about their work, we can quickly get a sense of how work helps them fulfil the things that matter most in their lives. People find meaning when they see a clear connection between what they highly value and what they spend time doing.”

There is an old fable of the three bricklayers all working on the same wall. Someone asked the bricklayers, “What you are doing?” The first said “I am laying bricks”; the second bricklayer replied, “I am building a wall”; and the third answered, “I am building a great cathedral for God.” The third had a vision of how the daily tasks of laying bricks fit into a broader, more meaningful purpose.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

CHALLENGE – Work keeps us busy, challenges us and gives us the means to develop ourselves. We thrive when we can grow and improve. According to Barry Schwartz, author of “Why We Work”, satisfied workers are engaged by their work. They lose themselves in it. Not all the time, of course, but often enough for that to be salient to them. Satisfied workers are challenged by their work. It forces them to stretch themselves – to go outside their comfort zones. These lucky people think the work they do is fun. Their work day offers them a measure of autonomy and discretion. And they use that autonomy and discretion to achieve a level of mastery or expertise. They learn new things, developing both as workers and as people. 

PRODUCTIVENESS – Work gives us a sense of self-respect, pride, and personal achievement. Feeling productive is energising and good for the soul. Checking items off your to do list or leaving a hard day’s work, leaves you feeling satisfied at the amount of stuff you were able to accomplish. Work provides a sense of productiveness rarely found to the same extent elsewhere. People in work tend to enjoy happier and healthier lives than those who are not in work. It boosts our self-confidence and contributes to our sense of self-worth. Our physical and mental health is generally improved through work – we recover from sickness quicker and are at less risk of long-term illness and incapacity. Being unemployed could be detrimental to your physical and emotional wellbeing.

COMMUNITY – We are social beings. We need interaction with others. Work creates community. It enables us to socialise, build contacts and find support. We also work to make a difference and positively impact others’ lives. We get a sense of fulfilment when helping others. Work enables you to be an active citizen, contributing to positively building society. You help make the economy and your community stronger. If you do your work well, you’ll receive gratitude and recognition, but ultimately, your need to leave a legacy will be fulfilled.