What does work mean in our society?

'What is work for?' sounds like an abstract question. But it is profoundly practical, too

Imagine a society that believed workplace productivity was the key metric by which workers should be judged.

The world of work, as anyone who has ever worked in an office will readily testify, is full of irrational and inexplicable characters. Even the way we work can be irrational, based as it is on policies and norms that made sense in a particular context at a particular time.

That’s the difficulty of making work conform to different societies – there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. In the UAE, for example, there are different ideas about what work is actually “for”. If that sounds like an especially philosophical problem, that’s because it is, but it is also an intensely practical policy question. What a society thinks work is for influences what laws policymakers formulate.

Imagine a society that believed workplace productivity was the key metric by which workers should be judged. Those who actually produced tangible goods – factory workers, for example – could have their work easily measured. What of teachers and nurses? There it would be a bit harder, because grades and health outcomes don’t always reflect the care, experience and talent that went into getting that outcome.

Well, what about artists? Or footballers? Judged by the number of works made, many artists would be classed as underproductive. Judged on goals scored, so too would many goalkeepers. If work is all about productivity, some types of workers would suffer.

In the UAE this is a real discussion. Work, according to one survey of Emiratis last week, is there to support and contribute to the nation. There is also a feeling in Government that work is important for women, but that, at the same time, families should be supported. A balance needs to be struck, according to policymakers. That’s why the country is so keen to get women into work and promote them to management positions, but also offers three months of maternity leave and two hours breastfeeding “leave” daily for new mothers in their first year.

The same applies to laws that compel government entities to recruit people with disabilities. The philosophy that lies behind it is that work is valuable, in and of itself, and that the Government should help people achieve that.