For the vast majority of us, work is intolerable that is made tolerable via various coping mechanisms. To a fortunate minority, it is tolerable. To an elect few, a minority within a minority, it is enjoyable. How did work, a key marker that once defined identity, become the bane of modern existence? In my view, work has to meet 3 criteria in order for it be fulfilling.
Criteria 1: The work must be useful
In his book “Bullshit Jobs” David Graeber argues that as many of 30% of all jobs within the economy were completely pointless and could be done away with. The pandemic demonstrated to us that this number was much higher. What makes work useful? When the worker can readily see how his labor benefits others in his immediate vicinity. The neighborhood tailor feels pride when he sees someone wearing that new shirt that he produced yesterday. The potter, the blacksmith, and the carpenter likewise feel similar pride when they witness firsthand how their labor benefits others.
Most work today fails this criteria. The vast majority of general labor and white collar workers understand theoretically that their work benefits others, but they cannot see it for themselves. Furthermore, the vast majority of the labor force is employed by the FIRE (Finance/Insurance/Real Estate) sectors alongside retail. The FIRE sectors, as Michael Hudson rightly observed, are largely parasitic and leech off the more productive sectors of the economy (if at all any of them are left). How is the average worker supposed to feel engaged under such circumstances?
Criteria 2: Mastery
Humans love to show off mastery. The blacksmith displaying a finely balanced blade or the calligrapher instructing his new apprentice in the subtle techniques of his art can justifiably feel pride in their work. The industrial revolution and mass production did away with mastery. Thanks to Taylorism, jobs were born. Grouping similar tasks into a position made work so accessible that efficiency was boosted significantly. This efficiency came with a terrible cost as workers became disposable. This disposability then drove down wages and eroded their bargaining power. The power to easily replace employees makes corporations extremely efficient, but at a terrible cost to society itself.
There is a reason why competitive games like Dota, Street Fighter, and League of Legends are excessively popular. These games are perhaps one of the few remining bastions of mastery that are available to people. Since the vast majority of jobs require little mastery (exceptions notwithstanding), it isn't surprising to witness how online gaming has consumed this generation. Nor can it be condemned.
Criteria 3: Giving workers a stake
This point is mainly an extension of criteria 2. Workers feel useful when they are not replaceable. The neighborhood tailor and the carpenter are not so easily replaceable since their trades take time to master and training an apprentice takes a long time. Being also able to pass down their skills to the next generation gives these workers a sense of belonging and a stake in their societies. Most modern jobs fail this criteria too. An employer may score higher revenues for a particular quarter but that will seldom translate into a raise or bonus for the workers. How can an employee feel any sense of belonging when their employment can be terminated at a moment's notice? Corporate Capitalism sends a clear message to workers that the success of the employer is not their success. It's no wonder that most employees are disengaged and shuffle about like animated corpses just waiting for the end of their shift.
In summary, the industrial revolution permanently degraded labor by maximizing efficiency at the cost of diminishing the value of workers. No amount of yoga breaks and corporate team building retreats will permanently boost morale when the prevailing conditions have robbed labor of dignity and value. Modern work is broken and will remain so until we understand the hostile environment that was birthed by the industrial revolution.