in Family, Stats Canada

Our amigos at Stats Canada are saying that we are spending more time at work and less time with our families (for those unsure Tempus Fugit is Latin for Time Flies) . Speaking as someone in the High Tech world, all I can say is, “D’Uh!”. Given there is no real regulation of how many hours high tech folks work (any more, used to, but the laws changed), the assumption is now “Longer Hours makes better employees”. I have heard of bosses who would wear it as a Red Badge of Courage if one of their employees went on stress leave, so I am not at all surprised by these findings.

The study showed that time spent with family members declined between 1986 and 2005 for most groups of workers. For example, in 1986 women spent an average of 248 minutes with their family members, while in 2005 they spent 209 minutes, a difference of 39 minutes during a typical working day. For men, the average time fell by 45 minutes, from 250 minutes in 1986 to 205 in 2005. … Between 1986 and 2005, the average time devoted to paid employment during the typical workday, including lunch and coffee breaks, increased considerably. On average, Canadians worked 536 minutes, or 8.9 hours, during a typical workday in 2005, up from 506, or 8.4 hours, two decades earlier.

Doesn’t sound like much does it? Those of us with children (both small and large) know how much those numbers actually are. Our lives are no longer our own any more thanks to useful devices like Laptop Computers, Portable Phones and PDA’s, etc.,. I sit at basketball games where parents are supposed to be watching their kids and instead they are part of a “sales call” or something.

I lament the loss of control in our lives. Tempus Fugit , we should take care of this valuable resource.

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