"We're in Labor" delves into the pervasive and often insidious nature of "work" in modern society, exploring how it has evolved from a natural human activity to an all-consuming, metrics-driven obsession. 🎧📈
The podcast begins by highlighting a contemporary conundrum: "We're in this era of measurements that we don't know what we should be measuring". This sets the stage for a critical examination of how productivity metrics have infiltrated nearly every aspect of labor, from Amazon warehouses to hospice care.
"shake it up Baby Shake Shake It Up Baby".
Key themes and discussions include:
The Imposition of Time Discipline: The transcript traces the historical shift where workers began to fight "not against time, but about it" as new time disciplines were imposed. This is exemplified by the ubiquitous monitoring in lower-paying jobs, from Kroger cashiers to UPS drivers, with eight of the ten largest private US employers tracking individual worker productivity, often in real-time.
The All-Encompassing Nature of "Work": The phrase "it's just work" becomes a haunting refrain, underscoring how labor has become the sole determinant of value and self-worth. Mike recounts a conversation where he's told, "All that matters is work. He was a lot of things what I remembered most he say I need to bring home the bacon. Somebody's have to bring home the roast". The narrative also touches on historical perceptions, noting how English industrial workers were distinguished by their "regularity" and "methodical playing out of energy" rather than just hard work.
Metrics in Unexpected Places: The podcast shockingly reveals how metrics are applied even to "spiritual care for the dying". Reverend Margot Richardson, a hospice chaplain, found her sacred work reduced to "productivity points," where a visit to the dying was one point, and a phone call to grieving relatives a mere quarter point.
Resistance and Its Consequences: The podcast touches on the resistance to this pervasive work culture. It highlights instances like United Health Social Workers being marked "idle for a lack of keyboard activity while counseling patients" , and grocery cashiers feeling pressure to scan items quickly, degrading customer service. The internal conflict is palpable, as exemplified by a former WorkSmart user who became "anxiety and doubtful about its accuracy" and eventually left the company, recognizing the tool as "powerful but dangerous"12.
The Illusion of Freedom and Escape: Despite the relentless pressure, there's a recurring longing for escape and a different life. Mike dreams of going to New York City to "be somebody" and "a big star," vowing "never to return to burn out on this piss factory".
Historical Context and Conditioning: The podcast reveals a startling piece of trivia: "prior to the Industrial Revolution people had 147 official holidays". This fact serves as a stark contrast to the current work paradigm, suggesting that the relentless focus on labor is a conditioned state, "all part of the conditioning to ensure that we were model workers"1.
The Grind and The Dream: The constant repetition of "work just work" interspersed with moments of raw emotion and defiant aspiration paints a vivid picture of a society trapped in a loop of labor, yet still yearning for something more. 💔🔗
This podcast is a powerful, almost visceral, exploration of the modern human condition under the thumb of "work." It challenges listeners to question the metrics that govern their lives and to reclaim a sense of purpose beyond mere productivity. ✊🌍
