Freedom to Live, is it?

Perils of a full time employment

Employment is one of the crucial aspects of an individual’s sustenance in the material world. Except for Godmen who are taking up entrepreneurship none but all of us need money to satiate desires. Lack of unemployment creates craters in a relationship between a guy and a girl. (presumably because a male is supposed to be earning the bread for the family, always!)Unemployment data is one of the most tracked indices in the United States. This makes me wonder why do we, Indians care so little about unemployment?

Nevertheless we all are well too aware of the perils of unemployment. So lets not delve deeper into this side of the story. Being full time employed for the last 5 months has forced me to discuss the explore the less discussed issue of “Perils of a 24*7 Job” Although if you are looking for a Scott Adams version of Dilbert, I kindly request you to stop reading this with immediate effect. I am listing down a few things where I am seeking clarity

Ownership of Time: Before I was employed, I always had this idea that my time belonged to me. My boss has made me do a rethink on the same and I have gladly taken a U turn with regards to this. Now I firmly believe that my time belongs to everyone else but me.

Weekend Plans: Making plans always had a lot of coordinating to do but I enjoyed that because this was strictly between friends. Now there has been a late entrant in this group, my senior. He seems to be holding the trump card all the time. This is unfair, I mumble to myself, although of no use.

Depreciating Value: Having regarded myself as an average finance student with an average grip of the subject, I thought I was being conservative and there was only one way I was looking, up. My boss has done some number crunching and come to a conclusion that I am worthless with ratings as good as junk with no takers in the market. Having depreciated in value so considerably, I think, I have a limited downside and an unlimited upside. Not that I care but many think of me as an incurable optimist.

Private Space: I do not know whether such a concept ever existed. But I know surely that if it did, it doesn’t any more. The moment one is employed, a majority stake in your so-called private space is taken over by the boss. There are personal questions which keep on surfacing up every now and then between the communication between you and the boss. Your private space is always up for grabs and is easily traded in your team with no sense of guilt whatsoever. You colleagues exercise their Freedom of Free Speech rather freely and pass remarks on your choices. You get so accustomed to this that at one point of time even when there is the slightest development in your personal life you feel like reporting it to every member of your team as if it were your moral duty.

Money or No-Money: Dearth of deep pockets is a concern for most of the students. Realigning my spending habits with the drawing power of my bank account was always a tough task and one that I consistently failed in. (When I say my bank account it means the depositors have to be my bro/dad) Now when I am earning , I don’t have the time and inclination to spend. My shopping habits have suddenly hit a road block and self decided that the party is over. And rightly so as post employment, I do not remember wearing more than half my existing wardrobe. My cell phone bills have dipped to the concern of Vodafone as I am left with little or no time to chat with friends and like. My food habits have become monotonous and boring as my lunch ends up in a mess nearby. As for my dinner, I have a little more variety to choose as I have to buy the grocery. At times when there are no vegetables, the cook gets a creative freedom to cook as little as possible. In any case I am never spoilt for choices.

Sleep: The reason I mention this exclusively is the dearness of sleep is a choice of personal matter. I can safely say that I am sleep deprived 24*7 and if asked to act on it, I can go to sleep with immediate effect even on my desk without the quilt, which is an important part of the entire set up of sleeping. We have regular e-mail from the HR of the company insisting on how it is important for all the employees to be at their desks at 9.30, thus adding to my frustration. I have safely negotiated these mails by deleting them after the cursory look at the subject line. I have tried things like sleeping with eyes wide open with little luck though.

The five months of employment have given me six things to worry! I know that the solutions to these exist in Utopia and I do not have a ticket to the place yet. So I'm doing my time here.