The word for overtime work in Asian languages is, uniquely, different in Chinese, Korean and Japanese, but they all relate to the idea. In Korean it's "chokwa geunmu"exceeding one's duty," making one's work part of one's duty. In Japanese it's "zangyo" or roughly translated to "leftover work," like after the normally scheduled work is done, there's still some left over. Finally, there's chinese, called "jia ban," or roughly "tacking on a shift to existing shift." I was thinking of some way to explain why theses terms are the way they are based on each country's culture, but it's pretty much just working overtime, and they can all lead to "karoushi," ( 過労死) death from overwork, similarly pronounced in all the languages.
I'm in danger of dying from overwork, but I have experienced some unexpected consequences from working a lot and overtime. Here are some.
1.) Makes one appreciate a 40-hour work week. I sometimes complain that "the weekend was too short" and don't have enough time in the day, but it's all in perspective when I work a 60-hour week, or even an 80-hour week.
2.) HAVE to find a way to cut down the commute. No way it's sustainable if it's like LA and have to travel an hour each way just to get to work. Have to find some lodging nearby for awhile or Uber way early in the morning (or late at night) when no one's out.
3.) It's better to have others working the same hours. I can't imagine working overtime by myself, I'd just start feeling lonely and being lost to the world. At least there's comrades spending time with you spending the (as we jokingly call it) prison sentence.
4.) it's not just one meal (lunch) at work, it's at least 2, sometimes 3. No time to get a decent breakfast and make a decent dinner, just gotta improvise. Can't have pizza or sandwiches ALL the time, so salads and fresh fruit/ vegetables are necessary.
5.) the paychecks are nice. It (kinda) makes the overtime work worth it, especially in California where overtime is mandated by law to be 1.5x the pay rate for every hour worked over 40 per week, but employers stop offering overtime. In Illinois, the overtime rules are more lenient, so people work for a flat rate without the overtime rate, which seems manipulative but also there's more work offered by the employer (similar to the argument against a minimum wage).
6.) If doing an office job, feel like you've been sitting in the same room all the time for your whole life, like you've known nothing else in your life except that small office space. I can't imagine what prison is like for those who have to face it, without the prospect of getting out (or for a very long time). Yes, there are a lot of prison comparisons at our work like "marking a tally on the wall for each day we spend working here."
7.) Appreciate the free time so much more. Want to go out and DO something with my free time! - I can understand why people drink a lot, or why lawyers/ doctors have substance abuse issues. There's almost a physical weight that's dropped after work and you just want to do anything else afterwards and go extreme. For me, sitting down to a mindless movie helps.
8.) Lot of time to follow trending news stories, like the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Plenty of drama, and ironically those senators seem to be in the same dilemma as us, trapped in the same room and repeating the same pattern over and over every day for many days, straight. Working overtime and sometimes walking out (happened today before the vote to confirm Kavanaugh) to air out their frustrations.
9.) Lots of pondering about one's life and how it's led to this point. Is sitting here worth it? Comes to mind a lot, as does, "what will be my future be like?" "is this what I'm doomed to do for the rest of my time?"
10.) need to grab a nice chair for good posture, need a good mouse and good equipment, need to bring extra clothing in case the building gets cold or warm, basically have to take care of oneself because I'm at this building and in this space more than any other place in the world for now. This is my life now.
11.) I will think twice about taking on any jobs or assignments that require being in the same cramped space for long periods of time without ability to get out, like an astronaut, security guard, etc. Unfortunately most of the world's professions require staying in one place all the time, but at least for most there are breaks to do something else just to keep one's sanity. (Being a parent now seems even more difficult because YOU CAN'T QUIT your job as a parent.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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