麻豆社

A headline this week read, 鈥楯ob vacancies rise above 1 million in new record鈥�, highlighting that many in the retail and the hospitality industry are struggling to fill positions, post Brexit and as many are still on furlough.

We are in flux at the moment; as more jobs become available and more people are set to change career, perhaps this is the time to reset what we think about work.

A global poll conducted by Gallup in 2019 suggested that out of the world鈥檚 full-time workers, only 15% of people are engaged at work. That means a lot of people are unhappy in their jobs. In other words, work is more often a source of frustration than one of fulfilment.

There is a sense of possibility now, two years on, and after all we鈥檝e been through, that maybe this could change. This week I counted ten acquaintances who have given up one job for something completely different. For example, a friend left a job in research for farming.

Lots of people have changed jobs in the last 18 months to explore new horizons, because 鈥榣ife is too short鈥� and 鈥榥ow is the time to try something new!鈥� Or many people have negotiated an extra day working from home and hybrid working, something tech companies have done for a while; with an emphasis on being paid for results rather than time.

Deep in our hearts the desire to work is not just about pay. When asked, children often gravitate towards wanting jobs, when they are older, that help other people, for example a nurse, a train driver, or a doctor. Even at a young age there seems to be an understanding that providing for the needs of others and feeling productive in one鈥檚 work, leads to job satisfaction.

The bible says a lot about working in service of others, in fact that is a Christian call, providing for those who are not well off, but also, the importance of wisdom for leaders who would act fairly and promote a healthy transparent culture. The Old Testament says, 鈥淵ou shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it.鈥�

Why work? It鈥檚 the question on many minds as we set the alarm at night for the following morning. Well beyond a necessity to survive, many long to feel productive, valued, and to be secure in employment.

Observing what is happening in the job market at the moment, maybe this is the time when we rethink what makes a good job, and inject this in to working life; including better pay, especially for key workers and better working conditions, so that work is more fulfilling for more people. For the desire for work, no matter what one does, should not be at any cost.

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