To the Editor:
People who are willing to work “off the clock,” or work 60-plus-hour weeks at entry-level positions, or read work email and respond 24/7, even when “on vacation,” are also a substantial part of the problem. They’re feeding the very beast that’s feasting on their flesh.
It’s been observed that companies have no social compact with employees anymore, so it is incumbent on individuals to set limits and stick to them. I did so and never once got fired for it. Even if I had been, who wants a job that robs you of any personal life? After hanging on to my first job, one that made me soul-sick, I was determined that I would never repeat that mistake again, and didn’t. My career may have suffered some, but I gained immeasurably. I refuse to work for any entity that doesn’t recognize that I am a human being who not only has a life outside of work, but also that I work in order to have that life. I don’t live to work. No one should.
BRIAN VOGEL
Staunton, Va.
Note from KBJ: I feel sorry for people who have jobs they hate. I have a job I love. I worked damn hard to get it.
