Blue Collar Worker Who Works 85 Hours A Week Laughs At Woman Who Claims 40 Hour Work Weeks Are ‘Sick’ — ’40 Hours Is A Hobby’
The last thing anyone should brag about is being overworked.
@beardedoperator / TikTok Work isn’t always the easiest thing to do, nor is it always the most exciting. So when a woman complained about 40-hour work weeks, one blue-collar worker just couldn’t help but laugh.
A blue-collar worker claimed that working 40 hours a week could practically be a hobby.
On TikTok, user @liz_bettie shared a since-deleted video questioning why more people aren’t talking about the negative effects of 40-hour work weeks. Another person by the username @beardedoperator stitched the video, stating, “All of my blue-collar brothers right now are stifling a laugh that would drain the soul of that kid.”
In between laughs, the man continued, “How many of you heard in your head, ‘40 hours? I remember my first part-time job.’”
Pausing for a moment to deadpan the camera, the user said, “Do you want my schedule kid? You want my schedule? I will work 40 to 50 hours doing land development — roads, water, power, concrete... whatever happens.”
Photo: Chanchai Phetdikhai / Shutterstock
The man proceeded to explain that on top of land development, he’s also employed as a bouncer, which adds another 16 to 20 hours to his work schedule. After this side gig, the man said he spends yet another 10 to 15 hours de-icing the parking lot of a mall during the winter. In total, that’s an 85-hour work week.
“Like, 40 hours is a hobby. That’s not even a job, that’s a hobby,” he remarked. “Get it together, kid.”
People are concerned that the man spends an unhealthy amount of his time working.
One user asked, “So you don’t have free time or even 8 hours of sleep? Is working really the only thing you want to do with your life before you die?"
“Don’t you want to see the world?” the user pressed. “Have your own hobbies? Enjoy time with your family? You are content making someone else rich?”
To this, the man responded coarsely, claiming that those who worry about such things are the ones who “work 15 hours a week at Taco Bell and can barely afford the lights on much less vacations and hobbies.”
On that note, folks were quick to point out the man’s seething superiority complex in regard to working more hours than the average American.
“Does more hours mean superiority in some way?” read one comment. Another person replied, “It’s sad to see how capitalism brainwashes people to think a [person's] value is determined by their productivity, or how many hours they work.”
Photo: Stokkete / Shutterstock
There is certainly something to be said about the way the United States valorizes work productivity, so much so that one’s vocational endeavors ultimately become the centerpiece that knocks over all other important values and facets of life — even basic necessities.
Of course, if a person is faced with the idea of working at their desired place of employment, the thought of dedicating more hours may not seem as daunting. Some may even find that their workplace offers a sense of belonging, and in the age of vast remote work and artificial intelligence, the modern workforce is in dire need of a community.
However, there are times when these communities take on a different form, one that buys into the cult of overwork that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. All in all, too much work can lead to a series of mental and physical health problems down the road, so it’s important to take things in moderation — and maybe even smell the roses once in a while.
Xiomara Demarchi is a writer based in New York covering human interest topics for YourTango’s news and entertainment team. Keep up with them on Instagram.