Workers everywhere, I welcome you. This blog is about you and your working life. Think of it as your place to come for advice and insight about the workplace, somewhere to blow off steam and share knowledge in the comments, and, hopefully, a useful and amusing way to spend a part of your day.
Every office environment is different but, in a larger sense, work is work. It’s something we alternately seek, curse, embrace, celebrate and try our best to avoid. We look forward to the day when we can get rid of it altogether, or at least have the option to do only the work we choose when we choose to do it. We want work to not be work.
I have been lucky to work in some positive office environments, but every office has its fair share of bullies and incompetents. A wonderful new book from one expert chooses a more direct term: asshole. (Go ahead, take the quiz and see if you are one or work with one.) We all pray we don’t have one for a boss. I didn’t. You may. Perhaps your fellow workers and I can be of service.
As you can read from my bio to the right, my work is freelance journalism. Like approximately 17 per cent of Canadians (as of 2000), that means I operate out of a home office.
It’s a conscious choice on my part, and one that appears to be growing in popularity with Canadians. Telecommuting and flexible hours and schedules are increasingly being offered by companies, though the majority of us still wake up on weekdays and find ourselves leaving for work in one form or another.
I spent several years working in an office and have fond memories of quirky colleagues, interesting projects, office gossip and, of course, getting paycheques every two weeks with full benefits. These days I have a 15-foot commute and no single boss, just a series of temporary ones and the knowledge that my mailbox will be empty of cheques if I slack off. That’s work for me, and I’m eager to hear your stories and experiences.
You can post comments on this blog and contact me by email. Send me links, rants, suggestions, and tips for fellow workers. Sometimes the only way to get through the workday is to commiserate with your fellow wage slaves or find ways to work better. This is the place to do it. Come back often.
For now, though, isn’t there some work you should be doing?
Thought so.
