I looked at the calendar the other day, well actually it was a Linkedin message to say that someone sent me a message congratulating me on my work anniversary. By work anniversary it was a congratulations on leaving the corporate bike world and joining the independent (can't guarantee your next paycheck bike world)
I worked for most of my life in the USA (since 1998) in the corporate bike world, from engineering, to retail sales, to product manager, and while there were great times, there were also bad ones as well. When I "left" my last job there was an immense feeling of weight lifted from me, no 8-5, no one constantly looking over my shoulders, no office door that needed to be shut so I could think, a feeling of freedom.
It took me a couple of years to decide that the Penhale Bicycle Co should come to be, building bikes the way I thought they needed to be, sold the way that I thought they needed to be sold and selling to like-minded people.
Now I get the time to ride (for the most part) I travel less for work and more for pleasure. I still work my ass off, but its for my benefit - and for you dear readers - rather than for the benefit of managers and bosses who often look more at the bottom line rather than what's good for everyone.
As workers we should demand more free time, more time away from our computers and phones, often its expected that we answer messages on our phones in the wee hours, spend evenings half watching crap on TV while we respond to emails on our phones. There's a movement in Europe to make it illegal for employers to have employees work after hours at home, in France employees have the right to not answer their messages after hours - i.e. the right to disconnect While there are lots of other issues surrounding the legislation, being able to shut off and enjoy life is important, after all do we work to live? or live to work. Unfortunately for many it's the latter.
So take a look at what you do, if you're unhappy with it - make a change, maybe even take a note out of Dirty from DrunkCyclist.com's book and tell your boss to go F' themselves - in the nicest possible way.
For me, I'm heading to Baja on Monday, in the Jeep with the bike and some like minded friends, why? because my boss is cool like that, and I'm not exactly missing work Bob
Andy