What if the problem with work is money?
Pay should reward value. It clouds our value instead.
The lady came to the till, and I knew what she wanted immediately.
“I left my journal h—”
She barely finished her sentence before I whooped and cheered.
“Yes! Come with me!” If my enthusiasm was overwhelming, she didn’t let on.
In the last few months, I’ve cut the tags off children’s toys for tiny smiley people. I’ve styled a manikin and subsequently sold the Austrian silk scarf I knew deserved the spotlight.
Heck, I’ve reunited a lady with her lost journal – and every event and appointment scrawled in it.
I always had it in my head that I wanted to volunteer. But I wanted to establish my freelance business first.
I’m incredibly privileged that I can afford to volunteer in my mid-20s. And let me tell you, it’s everything I’ve hoped for and more. I love talking to customers, putting out stock, and seeing people who can find a new life for something old, or used.
But an unexpected benefit of volunteering has been the thinking time. When it’s quiet, I can get on with tasks around the shop somewhat absent-mindedly. I get the kind of processing time that only comes when you’re washing up, folding the laundry, or taking a shower.
And during this time I’ve realised something – maybe the problem with work is money.
Don’t get me wrong – I bloody love my paid job. It still dizzies and delights me that people actually pay for my words (and the thinking behind them).
But money complicates things. It puts an often arbitrary value on something that shouldn’t be distilled into a number. Monetary value has a nasty way of clouding the social, interpersonal, and environmental value we create.
And what about all the work we do without pay? Like:
taking care of a sick friend or family member
helping a pal through a messy breakup
teaching your child how to read, write, or get dressed
Are these things less valuable because they’re unpaid? If you want the financial argument, tasks like these are part of the ‘care economy’ – which could have a significant impact on a country’s GDP (if we actually formalised it).
Monetary value has a nasty way of clouding the social, interpersonal, and environmental value we create.
Something else I’ve realised while volunteering: I perceive time differently when it isn’t tied to my income.
When I’m working, I look at how much time I’m spending on a project and how much I’ve earned (or lost) so far. When I’m volunteering, I check the time to see when I should take a break, nip to the bathroom, or start mentally planning my dinner.
Instead of using time spent in the charity shop to judge my value, I measure it by other people’s reactions. How many people I’ve helped find something, or complimented their outfits (charity shops are full of stylish people).
Maybe it sounds a bit feeble, but viewing value without the monetary lens has made me less cynical. A study of 27,250 workers from around the world found that 60% of UK participants would choose not to work if money was no object.
Here’s the thing: I think they were being honest, but I don’t think it’s the truth. I’ve spoken to so many people about how they feel about work – it’s my job, as a writer, to capture those stories.
People would still choose to work. But the definition of work would look very different. It would probably include elements of the care economy, and no doubt for many, time spent volunteering.
If none of us had to work for money, we’d probably work for something more meaningful instead.
Big love,
~ Ebony-Storm x
The resource section
🤖 I’m getting better at filtering out the shitty AI content and finding the good stuff. Here’s a shining example of the latter, from Prof. Ethan Mollick – who explains how AI can be used to help humans be more innovative. Research and examples included.
💼 Young professionals are quitting their big-wig jobs for something more purposeful. Would love to hear your thoughts on this – is it simply a trend, until job changers realise the crushing weight of a shitty income. Or are things taking a turn for good?
🙌 I’m a recent follower of Simone Stolzoff’s work, and I love everything I’ve seen so far. Simone advocates for the ‘good enough job’ over the perfect job – but you can hear all about what that means in this HBR Ideacast episode.