Late Stage Capitalism and the Work Phone

My first job with a work phone was reporting for the Associated Press. I was assigned to cover a development in the famous DC sniper case, which at the moment was unfolding near my beat in Trenton, New Jersey. I left to cover the story and brought a phone… my personal phone. My boss tried to call my work phone, which remained in the and couldn’t reach me. He was furious and would write it up in my performance review. Now, he was not a nice person and he seemed to simply not like the cut of my jib but he nonetheless instilled an expectation that has stuck with me to this day: the expectation, even at a reporting job that pays in the low 30s, is that you are always on. A lot of my anxiety and stress, and truthfully a great deal of my success, has rested on learning that lesson.

You wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is check your email. Any friendly lunch is never fully relaxing as that familiar buzz could sound at any second like a bomb disrupting any peace. Then one day a miserable law firm partner will seemingly take a dark joy in sending you emails on a Saturday afternoon, disrupting and ruining what would turn out to be the last backyard party ever with your beloved father.

About a week and a half ago, I accepted a new position for the same employer. It will take me from supporting an always hyper aggressive, always on, always ready to blame sales culture to an org with a much healthier approach to work.

Now, during that transition period when you’re leaving a job, you usually hope that things will ramp down and you can get a bit of a respite. This time, the exact opposite has been true. One business leader has just been targeting emergency projects in my direction over and over, as if I’m not scheduled to leave in a week.

Nonetheless, I was intent on taking my own step back from the pressure cooker. Against my usual instincts, I left my work phone at home last night when I went out to celebrate my sister’s 70th birthday. I left the house at 5:30 pm on a Friday night.

We had a wonderful time.

I got home around 9 and of course checked my work phone. Texts, Slacks, and emails lit up my notifications, littered with words like “urgent” and “emergency.” One thing to bear in mind of course is that rarely is something discovered after 5 pm Friday that truly could not wait until Monday. But we are held to the standard of irrational business partners who want answers now, not the reality of the situation. All the anger and anxiety bubbled over- a relaxing evening with family was ruined.

I did some digging on the issue, and when it was complete, I had uncovered two things. First, this emergency wasn’t really an emergency. Second, the issue had literally nothing to do with my team.

Nonetheless, next time, I’ll be bringing my work phone. Capitalism wins, as always.