Working Culture In America: Overtime

What Effects did COVID-19 have on the Working Culture in America?

Nearly everyone is familiar with the "American Dream", which encompasses working from 9 am to 5 pm with a good salary, a nice house, and a nuclear family, but more and more people are coming to the realization that the "American Dream" was nothing more than a glamourization of office life. The truth of the matter is that 9 to 5 jobs are rarely actually 9 to 5. Even putting aside the time spent commuting, preparing for the day, answering phone calls and texts from bosses at home, and after-hours office celebrations or social events, 9 to 5 workplaces usually have the expectation of overtime on one's own time. During the COVID-19 epidemic and quarantine, all non-essential workers were either left without jobs or forced to work from home. Most office workers ended up working remotely, from their own kitchens or bedrooms, but this led to some unprecedented changes in working expectations.

COVID-19 and the adaption to remote employment also created a rise in the expectation that one was to be available at all times, whether by text or email, and overtime became an overt expectation of coworkers and managers, not a show of dedication to the company or a favor to be asked. The recent rise in remote work, while more flexible than being in-person in an office space, has made it increasingly difficult for employees to set boundaries between their official and personal lives.

What is 24/7 Availability and Why Has it Become More Common?

The majority of jobs that need this kind of flexibility reside within healthcare, but with an increasing number of non-essential jobs overtly requiring, implying, or quietly expecting 24/7 availability, it is essential to understand why this is happening and how this hurts workers. 24/7 availability is exactly what it sounds like; being available all day, around the clock in case an emergency comes up. Whenever a manager needs work done, regardless of whether it is noon on Monday or 9 pm on Saturday, an employee can be called and asked to assist the manager in whatever is needed. While most employees won't be constantly called after hours to work, many are burdened with unreasonable demands, for example, getting a report in by the end of the day even though it is already 4 pm and their shift ends at 5 pm, and many are subject to communication about work topics outside of their working hours.

The practice of 24/7 availability was for the most part, nonexistent outside of essential workers in fields that are constantly understaffed, that was until Covid 19 turned the world upside down in nearly every way. With so many workers being set up and capable of working from home, it made it incredibly easy for managers to push workers to do unpaid overtime. Workers no longer needed to come into the office, all they had to do was open up their computers.

The Response to Lack of Boundaries Between Personal and Work-Life

Regardless of pressure from employers, and sometimes even other employees, many members of the workforce have begun to rebel against the expectations of universal loyalty to their company. A large part of this movement is visible on various social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and many people have posted humorous videos about quietly or passive-aggressively refusing their managers' unreasonable expectations. Not only that, but some creators have become very successful, accumulating hundreds of thousands of followers by building their platform by posting videos regarding real scenarios they or their followers have experienced in the workplace.

Some of these creators, aside from posting entertaining skits, also put out practical advice about how to spot red flags in job postings and how to properly negotiate with companies over allotted vacation days, salary, and benefits.

Conclusion

While most workplace trends happen slowly, the COVID-19 epidemic forced employees and employers to adapt quickly. This paired with the forwardness and ambition of younger generations makes for quite an unpredictable pattern in workplace culture. It might seem trivial to keep up with new developments in hiring and employment expectations, it is vital to remain informed on whatever field one plans to join in the future. If you are interested in learning more about business-related topics, check out our Instagram page (@nextstepbusinessofficial)!

Works cited

Kniffin, Kevin, et al. COVID-19 and the Workplace: Implications, Issues, and Insights for Future Research and Action Mark van Vugt. Harvard Business School, 5 June 2020.

Nason, Shawn. "Hello Fellow Leaders, Today I Want to Talk to You about Something That's Been Bothering Me—the Prevalent Myth That We, as C-Suite Executives and Leaders, Need to Be Available 24/7 to Be Effective. Let's Get Real, Heart-To-Heart, and Dissect Why This Notion Is Not Only False but Damaging to the Very." Linkedin.com, 8 Sept. 2023, www.linkedin.com/pulse/myth-247-how-constant-availability-erodes-human-experience-nason. Accessed 31 Aug. 2024.

Overby, Stephanie. "When Work Expects You to Be Available 24/7: How to Push Back | the Enterprisers Project." Enterprisersproject.com, enterprisersproject.com/article/2020/1/work-expects-you-be-available-247-how-push-back.