On the Exploitation of Work Ethic

Are we being taken for a ride by people who want us to work ever harder?

There are quite a few people out there — they are usually rich, successful, white and male — who dismiss Millennials and Gen Z as lazy hedonists.

“They’re not willing to work hard,” they say. “They lack resilience, they’re — wet!”

Do these richest of the boomers have a point? They aren’t always the most agreeable of guys, but they know how to make a buck, and they know hard work. So when they tell us there are fewer people out there willing to do what it takes, and that a workforce shortage is brewing, maybe they have a point.

And if they do, we should probably ask: what happened?

I have spent almost all my life around people who believe in the value and dignity of work. There is a certain infectious energy around such people.

It was instilled into me that work was the way to get ahead. You want nice things? Go out and earn it. So I did.

But it wasn’t just for the money. It was also a way of life. Working hard was a worthwhile way to live in and of itself.

And, as my late aunt used to say: “Your work won’t let you down.”