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Showing Up

Every time I read stories like this, I feel a sense of hopelessness on behalf of every person out there who is highly productive and delivers results remotely but now has to show up in office and be counted because their employer demands it. When you are threatened with consequences for not congregating at the workplace to "collaborate" one can only hope that the collective resentment will cause people to strike out on their own and create the work-life balance they need and deserve. Last week, I was talking to my old friend L after many years. He is close to retirement and was recently laid off. L describes his process of trying to find a new job at his age - its is arduous. He needs to work another two years in his estimation until he can retire. I hope for his sake that is all he needs because he sounds beat. 

He reminds me of my friend E who says the happiest years of her life started post-retirement - a milestone she had been dreaming of since her 40s. I never thought of myself as the kind of person that looks forward to retirement- I always want to stay busy doing things that I am good at. These kinds of diktats tend to become norms - the standard is set for all to adopt and follow. If these are the conditions in which one can be employed, I am not sure I want it anymore. My peers share my sentiments - those who can afford but never actually craved retirement are feeling differently about the issue. There is something deeply disrespectful about telling a person they are required to show up to an office for their work to count - even when they have a track record of delivering great results from wherever they are. Comes a point in a person's life when they don't want to be controlled like this anymore. 

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