Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Labor Relations
My office has instituted a “summer flex time” program, and it turns out that doesn’t mean we’re all weight training to slim down for swimsuit season. Instead, we’re being offered one extra day off every two weeks in exchange for additional back-breaking office labor (it’s like a coal mine, but without the blacklung) on the nine days we’re there. Apparently, the theory is that although allowing employees to enjoy their lives would cause the national economy to crumble any time between September and May, summer temperatures themselves exert some magic upward force on the GDP. Now I’m no John Maynard Keynes, but I declare this plan macroecotastic!
Of course, the likely result of all of this is that I will completely waste one extra day every two weeks, unless sleeping in the sun and watching Days of Our Lives now have some form of social utility. I mean, it’s not like I spend weekends learning Portuguese and developing clean-burning substitutes for fossil fuels as it is. The most logical thing would be to travel on my long weekends, but let’s face it, even The Dells (America’s Favorite Waterpark Upstairs) lose their luster after a while. Maybe I should join the Rotary Club or something. Are they the ones with those hats? Because I’m not much for doing stuff, but I really like hats.
My office has instituted a “summer flex time” program, and it turns out that doesn’t mean we’re all weight training to slim down for swimsuit season. Instead, we’re being offered one extra day off every two weeks in exchange for additional back-breaking office labor (it’s like a coal mine, but without the blacklung) on the nine days we’re there. Apparently, the theory is that although allowing employees to enjoy their lives would cause the national economy to crumble any time between September and May, summer temperatures themselves exert some magic upward force on the GDP. Now I’m no John Maynard Keynes, but I declare this plan macroecotastic!
Of course, the likely result of all of this is that I will completely waste one extra day every two weeks, unless sleeping in the sun and watching Days of Our Lives now have some form of social utility. I mean, it’s not like I spend weekends learning Portuguese and developing clean-burning substitutes for fossil fuels as it is. The most logical thing would be to travel on my long weekends, but let’s face it, even The Dells (America’s Favorite Waterpark Upstairs) lose their luster after a while. Maybe I should join the Rotary Club or something. Are they the ones with those hats? Because I’m not much for doing stuff, but I really like hats.
