You're just a labour widget

It's true - the memes are crap.

But it points to an important inflection point - people are asking, and the conversation has begun (hopefully), what is work?

And not before time - it's been a long time since I've 'bought' any of the 'work place kool-aid'. Employers embark on 'soft HR' ('Investors in People', Mission Statements, allowances for fitness, childcare, or whatever) because they have calculated that they might be able to squeeze marginally more out of their workforce.

Meanwhile 'whatever it takes hours', and 'always on' (via phone, email & messaging) work has become a ubiquitous expectation.

It's easy - work is a contract. The employer contracts you (and you agree) to work 38 hours a week doing a job described in some document (position description or similar). End of story, no more, no less.

Anything beyond this is your gift to your employer. Yes, gift, you are giving away your time, and/or foregoing earnings, because they've somehow threatened, propagandised, or otherwise encouraged you to work for them for free.

You'll justify gifting your time to your employer to yourself via whatever emotional means are necessary: duty, guilt, fear, delusion that you are valued, or illusion that your employer cares about your career progression..

Whatever.. the day you leave, they forget about you, and hire somebody else to do your job..

Remember? It's simply a contract to them..

Buggered if I know :-P