A New World of Work
Image Credit: Andre Hunter
Working matters, and it matters a lot.
Work is a pretty big deal. It consumes huge portions of our time. It determines whether we can pay for the basics in life, which influences how our kids do in school, our health, where we live, whether we spend time in prison…basically everything.
Our work often forms the basis of our identity too. It’s a proxy for how society values us, and so it often determines how we value ourselves, for better or worse. Too often for worse.
Why is it that the way we work determines SO much about our lives? Why does my work determine whether I can go to the doctor, retire comfortably, or take care of my sick kid? Why is my social status more tied to my job than my contributions to my community? On the face of it, it’s bonkers.
The truth is, working is not actually working for many of us.
We are not earning enough to pay our bills or weather an emergency. We don’t have enough time to care for our families or our communities. We stay in bad jobs because we need the benefits, but those benefits are insufficient when we actually need them.
We work in organizations that make decisions based on investor and funder priorities, not what our communities actually need. And we rarely have a voice in the decisions those organizations make, even though they impact our lives and the world our children will inherit.
We need a new world of work that enables us to flourish as whole humans.
We need a world of work that values all kinds of work - yes the work we get paid for, but also the work we do to care for our families, our communities, and ourselves. We need a world of work where everyone has enough income to meet their needs, and where health insurance, unemployment, and paid time off are not job perks, but human rights. We need a world of work that enables and unleashes human creativity and ingenuity to build a more just, loving, joyful, and resilient world.
Working Matters is about building that new world of work. It’s about doing that in community and partnership with others who share our vision. If that sounds interesting, there are a couple ways to jump in.
Working Matters Newsletter:
Stay informed about the evolving landscape of work through the Working Matters newsletter. It serves as a platform to explore new ideas, research, and opportunities to shape the future of work for the benefit of all. Sign up here.
Research, Policy, and Advocacy Shop:
Working Matters collaborates with friends and co-conspirators to realize the vision of a new world of work. If you have ideas or proposals for collaboration, contact us – we’d love to hear from you!
Together, we can build a world of work that values the essential human dignity, contributions, and worth of every single one of us.