'Long Hours' work culture; Empty labour

Thinking Allowed

BBC

Science, Society & Culture

4.4 • 973 Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2013

⏱️ 29 minutes

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Summary

Empty labour - international statistics suggest that the average time an employee spends engaged in private activities is 1 and a half to 2 hours a day. Laurie Taylor talks to Roland Paulsen, a Swedish sociologist, who interviewed 43 workers who spent around half their working hours on 'empty labour'. Are such employees merely 'slacking' or are such little' subversions' acts of resistance to the way work appropriates so much of our time? They're joined by the writer, Michael Bywater. By contrast, Jane Sturges, discusses her research into professionals caught up, both reluctantly as well as willingly, in a 'long hours' work culture.

Producer: Jayne Egerton.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix,
0:06.0	the Science of Happiness Podcast.
0:08.0	For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want
0:14.4	to share that science with you.
0:16.1	And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley.
0:19.4	I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that
0:25.4	calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:30.0	Choosing what to watch night after night the flicking through the endless
0:38.3	search and it's a nightmare we want to help you on our brand new podcast off the telly we share what we've been watching
0:45.4	Clairey ate it. Loads of games, loads of fun, loads of screaming. Lovely.
0:50.8	Off the telly with me Joanna Paige and me, Natalie Cassidy, so your evenings can be a little
0:56.2	less searching and a lot more watching.
0:58.6	Listen on BBC Sounds.
1:01.4	This is a Thinking Loud Podcast from the BBC and for more details in our terms of use and
1:06.7	much, much more about Thinking Aloud, go to our website at BBC.co. UK.
1:13.0	K.
1:15.0	Clock, clock watching.
1:19.0	Clock watching.
1:21.0	That was almost all I did on the pajama counter at Honoins Department store,
1:25.3	watching the giant clock above the ground floor lifts, watching the black secondhand
1:30.0	spider creeping around its white face.
1:32.8	Creeping.
	...

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