Here by your choice
Without education, a child’s choices are sharply reduced, no matter how hard she works in the fields. (Library of Congress photo)
Ever so briefly, I’m back in the land of Uber after many months on the outskirts of civilization.
In fact, I built my itinerary around the gig economy—or tried to. I’ve been declined by two Airbnb hosts for the upcoming weekend (“Oops, I thought I changed our availability. We’re having painting done,”) and I was utterly dependent on ride-sharing to get to and from The Little Middle School’s annual Recognition Ceremony (In person this year! In a park!). If I hadn’t been able to find a ride, I would have been in trouble.
Americans in urban areas have, during the pandemic, heavily relied upon Instacart to DoorDash and all the other vaguely problematic on-demand services. It feels a bit fragile to count on something that is based around individual decisions.
“Thank you so much for driving today,” I said to my Uber driver as we pulled onto the road.
“What, are there not a lot of drivers out today?” she asked.
“No, I’m just acknowledging that you’re here by your choice,” I replied. “And there are a lot of good reasons you could choose not to be.” Especially during the pandemic.
Then again, it’s not lost on me that the same is true for my own employees, and I hope that I acknowledge that often enough. Without them, individually and collectively, my life doesn’t work. If they change their minds about wanting to be part of my organization, today or any day, the impact will be felt.
It’s amazing, when you think about it: so many people, showing up consistently whether they want to or not because someone is counting on them. I was talking to a friend the other day who is bored with his job as an auto mechanic for a luxury vehicle brand. He wants to leave for a new challenge, but he can’t see a clear path toward doing so. In the meantime, though, he continues to work reliably and competently in order to follow through not just on his job responsibilities but also on his family obligations.
It’s a common story that’s often taken for granted. However, it’s actually not that different from the way the gig economy is structured. There may be more benefits in place for the employee and a higher cost to quitting or switching jobs, but it’s still “at will.”
In some areas, people’s choices are beginning to be felt. They can take this job or that job, or they can just stay home. Where I live in Maine, fast food restaurants and big box stores are offering $14 - $17 an hour for entry-level jobs. The companies can no longer find enough willing workers for the same old low wages they had been paying. Naturally, government interventions like unemployment benefits have something to do with this, but in this region, someone who wants a job has options—and therefore, power. They can take the job they want, and if they don’t like what they’re getting, they can take a different one.
Those who have the time to sit around and read my thoughts on this subject undoubtedly have even more options, and it’s time to embrace them. I think it’s a shame that we’ve been taught that changing jobs has a negative impact on one’s resume. Regardless of whether that’s even true, the fact that working in a bad job has a negative impact on one’s life is far more important. Even if it’s not realistic for everyone to pull a 9 to 5 or live out their favorite job-quitting fantasy, we need to at least change the conversation and stop buying unquestioningly into the idea that changing jobs makes us irresponsible, unreliable, or disloyal.
Any business agreement, including employment, is a transaction. Someone provides goods or a service and gets money in return. But beyond the superficial aspects of that transaction are the intangibles, and it is a mistake to ignore them. We might want recognition, opportunities for growth, interesting challenges, novelty, or camaraderie. We might want to work from home in soft pants or have a company vehicle. And we want fair pay. The time will come when the status quo isn’t enough; indeed, it might already be here.
