After a few years in the workforce, I learned the art of working eight hours but never breaking a sweat.
First of all get a sedentary job, nice air-conditioned office, comfy chair, nice desk with the most up-to-date computer sitting on it. Sedentary jobs are often well-paid and with good working conditions such as leave and glide time. Some tertiary study may be needed for the curriculum vitae first though.
So here follows a possible daily agenda for the last half of my working life.
After deducting 30 minutes for lunch and 15 minutes each for morning and afternoon tea per day, I was down to seven hours, just like that.
I would then need time to cruise the internet, a bit of shopping perhaps, probably another hour or so per day, down to six.
I’d have to stop by the photocopier with the guys for at least 10 minutes, three times per day to discuss rugby, golf, politics, whatever, down to 5.5 hours.
I had to make time for personal calls during the day re: upcoming events and social occasions, say another 30 minutes, down to five hours.
Then there was the time needed to walk around the place with a piece of paper in my hand looking worried and earnest, another 30 minutes, down to 4.5 hours. One always walked past the boss’s office, saying gidday with a concerned but friendly nod of the head.
Most days I’d usually have to go early to pick a kid up from school or attend an urgent appointment, doctor, dentist, about 4.00 pm, down to 3.5 hours. Won’t bother coming back, may as well go home as the day’s nearly over anyway.
I’d always have to spend time talking to colleagues at my desk, it’s important for team morale but I’d be working as well.
I’d usually grab a sick leave day every week or two, either Friday or Monday, sick kid, crook after pay night, man flu.
Sometimes though I’d still be in the office after 4.00 pm, but I’d usually started late those days. Hardly anyone there by then though so I’d just play Tetris on my computer.
Being a non-smoker I never had to pop outside for 10 minutes every half an hour for a fag. Just saying. A real saving for my employer.
Then there was the five weeks annual leave I had to take to recharge the batteries.
It was tough in the public service.
Seriously, the eight-hour workday is an institution in New Zealand and in many other parts of the Western world. Modern work practices are moving away from such ideas, working from home, split hours, longer hours, all different versions of the work day.
But many New Zealand workplaces still base the day on eight hours, less a 30-minute meal break.
So where did the eight-hour day originate? Petone in New Zealand.
A London-born carpenter and joiner Samuel Parnell arrived in New Zealand with his wife on the Duke of Roxburgh in February 1840, setting up home in Petone.
Among Parnell’s fellow-passenger was a gentleman George Hunter who wanted him to build a store for him. Parnell’s reply literally reverberated around the world in the coming decades.
“I’ll do my best, but I must make this condition Mr Hunter that on the job the hours will be only eight for the day… there are 24 hours per day given us; eight of these should be for work, eight for sleep, and the remaining eight for recreation in which for men to do what little things they want for themselves. I am ready to start tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, but it must be on these terms or not at all.”
When told he would not get away with this in London he replied “We’re not in London”. Skilled artisans were scarce then so Parnell led the charge.
As Parnell later wrote “The first strike for eight hours a day the world has ever seen, was settled on the spot”.
So the eight-hour day, the basis for my flippancy above, started very close to home.
