Asklemmy

43970 readers

1067 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

Open-ended question
Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

Lemmyverse: community search
sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
!lemmy411@lemmy.ca: a community for finding communities

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

116

to those of you who get bored at work if there's lots of downtime, why? (linux.community)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by vestmoria@linux.community to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

72 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I read posts about people quitting jobs because they're boring or there is not much to do and I don't get it: what's wrong with being paid for doing nothing or not much at all?

Examples I can think of: being paid to be present but only working 30 minutes to 2 hours every 8 hours, or a job where you have to work 5 minutes every 30 minutes.

What's wrong with reading a book, writing poetry or a novel, exercising, playing with the smartphone... and going home to enjoy your hobbies fully rested?

Am I missing something?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] PeepinGoodArgs@reddthat.com 16 points 7 months ago (2 children)

This is me. I want a different job because I'm always bored.

It feels meaningless. I'm pushing papers because someone needs papers pushed. Part of my job is actually incredibly useful, but 90% of it is it just me pretending to work by watching YouTube videos so my screen doesn't go dark and I can make sure I'm not showing as Away in Teams.

It's a government job too, so it's unlikely I'll be replaced by AI despite AI being perfect for replacing me and my colleagues.

[–] vestmoria@linux.community 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I don't know if you're complaining but if you are, I don't understand you. I want to be you.

earning money doing almost nothing is meaningless? You earn money for doing nothing! and you cannot be fired, so...

[–] Zorque@kbin.social 7 points 7 months ago

Yeah, but at that point it's not your time. You're essentially selling your life to someone else... and they're not even using it.

You say you can spend your time writing poetry or reading books... but that doesn't scratch an itch for everyone. Being stuck to a desk or other work station means your options are extremely limited. You can't go out and work on your kit-car, or practice a golf swing, or practice monologues for a one person play... or many other things that require a little more activity than being stuck in a chair for nine hours allows.

Money can get you a lot of things in life... but as yet it can not give you time back in your life.

[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

but 90% of it is it just me pretending to work by watching YouTube videos so my screen doesn't go dark and I can make sure I'm not showing as Away in Teams.

Get a hardware mouse jiggler! I bought one for my partner as a gag gift during the start of the Pandemic, but it's seriously improved their mental health. Taking naps, reading books, and writing all became possible with next to zero risk. Just get Teams to ping your phone when you get a new message.