Peter Rhodes on meths, companion pets and the rewards of working in the workplace
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Babyboomers had the best of everything (free uni, jobs for life, Sergeant Pepper, etc) while later generations had to endure useless jobs, sky-high mortgages, zero-hours contracts and rap.
But there is another, subtler difference. When we boomers went to work, we actually worked.
We worked hard because that was the deal and not working meant letting down the team, which was shameful.
Times change. Keir Starmer is said to favour more working from home (WFH), claiming that “a culture of presenteeism” is bad for productivity.
There is a persistent rumour in Whitehall that Sir Keir's father was a toolmaker. I wonder what he would have made of a working culture where absenteeism is celebrated and walking the dog is considered “work.”
