Work hard, and your efforts will be rewarded. At least, that’s what was promised anyway.
by Josa LukmanIt was back in 2013 when Britney Spears extolled to me and other listeners the importance of working to achieve many desirable outcomes in life, such as but not limited to owning a hot body, a Bugatti and a Maserati.
Fast forward to 2022, and Beyoncé is singing about quitting a nerve-wracking job to build her own foundation and motivation in life.
The cultural zeitgeist has seemingly turned on the idea of hustling 24/7 to focus more on self-love and healing, and the so-called hustle culture might be facing a decline. Years of skyrocketing property prices, stagnant wages amid high inflation and numerous crises looming on the horizon have certainly played a part.
But what is hustle culture anyway? And why is it (or was it) so integral to the workforce?
The answer, it seems, is not as clear cut as those motivational posts on your LinkedIn feed might suggest.
Hustle is in the eye of the beholder
The Merriam-Webster dictionary traces the word hustle to the Dutch word husselen, which means “to shake”. While in the early 18th century it was used largely with the same meaning, the verb continued to take on other definitions over the years.
In the 1920s, hustle began to be used to describe attempts to swindle people out of their money, or a scam as we know it today. However, some also began to use the word to describe honest attempts to make some money.
While the definition of hustle culture itself may vary, invariably every one of them is linked to working, whether smarter, harder, better, faster, stronger or longer. It is present in both work-related settings (HR training lingo, LinkedIn posts from wannabe motivational speakers) as well as personal me-time (well-intentioned friends and family urging you to turn your hobby into a cash-grab).
In 2015, then-CEO of Uber Travis Kalanick introduced 14 values for the company, one of which was “always be hustlin’”, which some have interpreted as being able to get more work done with less. The same set of values also included other mainstays of corporate-flavored optimism, including “make magic”, “champion’s mindset” and “be an owner, not a renter”.
I spoke to several members of the Indonesian workforce on what hustle culture means to them. All understandably requested anonymity, as the nature of the topic is deeply ingrained to their company and working culture.
Aster, who works in fashion education and garment production, said that her working situation is in line with the popular definition of hustle culture. Aside from her two roles, she also has a seasonal gig as a graphic designer.
“If that definition includes people who work outside working hours, then I am definitely part of it,” she said.
Aster also considers commuting part of the hustle, for example people living in satellite cities like Bogor, West Java, who commute daily to work in Jakarta’s myriad of high-rises. Having to wake up earlier to account for traffic and the morning rush, she said, played a major part, as such commuters will inevitably spend the better part of their day on the road.
“I find it funny when people say they’re part of the hustle culture because they work into the night, yet at the same time take so much pride in what they do. I don’t know, I just feel weird about it.”
For Magnolia, a business consultant and evaluator, hustle culture is when people work harder and longer but receive pay that is proportionally lower than their workload.
Part of this, he said, could be attributed to an increasingly competitive workforce, but he also felt that the speed of communication was also too fast.
“For example, you’re expected to pick up the phone during a project, whether it’s 11 p.m. or 2 a.m. It also ties in with the job itself, such as a seven-day report where the vital data is received a day or two before the deadline.
“In terms of hustling itself, I don’t think it really applies to me as I am in upper management and work only after I receive the data. The way I see it, the real hustle culture happens in the skyscrapers of Sudirman where the company is on a 24/7 schedule, like e-commerce platforms.”
Magnolia is of the opinion that the definition of hustle culture is down to the company’s own working culture. For example, a consulting company with no working culture will cater to their client’s whims, leaving the employees to pick up the pieces if the client sends in their data in odd hours of the night.
“I’ve once been made to standby from midnight to dawn just to wait for a financial report that has been signed. If you want to say that’s toxic, you have to go back to the company’s working culture, and also look at it from a financial perspective. If the pay isn’t good, it’s basically modern day slavery.”
Then again, the company’s working culture itself can vary from industry to industry. I’ve worked in the media as a reporter, and while that role comes with its own set of rules regarding working and rest days, you’re still expected to be on call 24/7.
After all, the news does not stop for one tired journalist, does it?
Another high-strung industry where employees are expected to work long hours at odd times of the day is in agencies – advertising, design, you name it.
Bluebell, a freelance graphic designer, told me that working more than 12 hours was sometimes to be expected.
A typical Friday, he said, might entail working on a storyboard for the better part of the day, followed by a meeting that could last until midnight, before doing the shoot at 9 a.m. on Saturday and spending the entirety of Sunday on post-production.
“After all that, you’re still expected to turn up as usual on Monday. Sometimes they don’t even count the working hours, just the finished output. There’s no such thing as overtime.”
Working hard or hardly working?
Quick question. Would you rather take up a high-paying, high-stress job that leaves you little time and energy to yourself, or a relatively relaxed position that sacrifices the monthly direct deposit for a balanced ratio of work and life?
Personally, I’d pick being born to a horrifyingly privileged family, but that’s neither here nor there.
One of the main reasons, if not the reason, people take up employment is to get paid. While money and wealth may not be everything that there is to work, it sure does pay the bills, buy the occasional luxury treat and generally grants one a peace of mind.
Even so, after two years (and counting) of a global pandemic that shook nations and corporations, many have reevaluated their relationship with work, be it the employer, the industry or just the concept of work in general.
The so-called “Great Resignation” has been the talk of the Western media for the past year, citing record numbers of workers quitting across industries. In May 2021, 4 million Americans quit their jobs, while some 400,000 people resigned in the United Kingdom between July and September 2021.
In China, the new trend of “lying flat” has emerged among younger members of the workforce, serving as a philosophical paradigm shift for many workers jaded from putting in long hours amid an increasingly competitive environment.
Meanwhile, the country’s trend of “let it rot” comes as a rejection of perceived unrealistic goals in the face of an economic downturn and rising costs of living, where some have resigned themselves to a lifetime of renting because the idea of owning a home is so out of reach.
Both concepts, which entail doing the bare minimum to get by without considering anything beyond day-to-day living, are related to the new movement dubbed “quiet quitting”.
While there is no formal definition, quiet quitting is generally agreed on to refer to doing the bare minimum required at work, a resignation without the tearful goodbye speeches and obligatory donuts. It’s about not going above and beyond for the company, but rather sticking to work within the scope of one’s job description.
As for Indonesia, the allure and safety net provided by a monthly income may have discouraged mass resignations, but some have taken the plunge, whether because of a higher paying position at another company, a sense of ennui after months or years of stagnant wages or even disagreements and clashes with colleagues.
Perhaps this very conundrum, combined with the uncertain economic prospects, has fueled the rise of the side hustle.
Though the idea of doing a little something on the side for extra cashflow – think MLM catalogs and homemade snacks at the office – is nothing new, the pandemic has certainly boosted an entrepreneurship crash course among the public. A 2021 report by ING found that 48 percent of Australians had either started or were planning to start a side hustle, ranging from investing to freelancing.
On paper, having a side hustle sounds enticing. You get some extra money at the expense of a bit of free time, and there are even opportunities to earn from even the most minute amount of effort, from completing online surveys to posting affiliate links under popular tweets.
Another seemingly positive aspect comes from the source of the side-hustle itself. If you already have a hobby, why not monetize it? If you enjoy doing the hobby anyway, then surely it wouldn’t feel like working.
I must admit, the prospects do sound amazing. I have a background in fashion design, and I’ve done several commissioned pieces over the years, so it’s only natural that I should set up my own brand, right?
Except, turning a favored pastime into an extension of work may not be in your best interests. At best, you’d strike a delicate balance between passion and occupation, but at worst you’d be burnt out and lose your love for the craft.
Another solution is to take on freelance work. If you can monetize your professional skills, in some cases you can leverage that for more money than a salaried employee. With no defined working hours or schmoozing with the boss, some have even been tempted to resign for good rather than doing it on the side.
Even so, while quitting a job to be one’s own boss may sound enticing, it does bring with it several new headaches.
Bluebell, the graphic designer turned freelancer, told me that he can make multiple times the salary he received from his former agency if he put in the same amount of work and took on the same amount of projects as a freelancer.
The problem is, he’s not sure if the good times will last.
“While I can enjoy the same amount of money with more time off or do the same amount of work and make tons more, the nature of freelance work means that you don’t know if there’s going to be more projects in the future. Because of this, I end up taking on more and more projects just to be safe, so it’s not exactly stress-free,” he said.
Aster, the lecturer-merchandiser-graphic designer, noted that her own revelation on the impact of hustling came during the pandemic. Previously, she had worked on project after project each day.
“By the time the pandemic rolled around in 2020, I was burnt out to the point where if a project I was working on had a person who was not up to the standards, it totally broke me.”
Thankfully, after a much needed period of rest and reflection, she managed to bounce back.
“I think a part of hustle culture is in the pursuit of a specific goal. At that time, I wanted to get both money and professional contacts, but I was frustrated and depressed because of it. Luckily, I managed to find someone I could talk to about my experiences.”
Part of Aster’s attitude toward hustle culture stems from her family, who she said instilled in her at a young age to always be working. This mindset, she continued, made her feel guilty whenever she got too comfortable.
“After 2020, I took it upon myself to chill out a little. A friend of mine, who is incidentally my boss at work, told me that when you've hit rock bottom and you have nothing, you’ll learn to take life day by day. I took it to heart and learned to let go of the obsession, like skipping out on a major project that’ll look good on my CV if it won’t fit into my schedule.”
Stressed yet blessed?
So you’re at your wits’ end. Your job isn’t fulfilling, the pay has been stagnant, and you don’t get along with senior management. You finally turned in your one-month notice. Your life is entering a new chapter.
But what happens after quitting? With jobseekers jostling for that one call from HR, is it wise to even consider drafting that resignation letter?
When I resigned from a previous job to focus on my mental health, I was privileged enough to be able to stay at home. With no bills aside from the car I mistakenly bought during the start of the pandemic, the severance pay cushioned me comfortably enough until I started another role a few months later.
For some, quitting is not an option. Survival means staying in a job that’s as soul crushing and back breaking as can be for that meager paycheck. If there’s food on the table, it seems, then life is peachy.
Perhaps this is what fueled the rise of anonymous confessional accounts on your favorite social media platform, like @worksfess on Twitter to name an example. On any given day, you’ll see random work-related posts, from tips for jobseekers, unreasonable requests from higher-ups, to the odd humblebrag or two.
A part of it may stem from a culture of positivity – toxic positivity, if you will. It’s the kind of whataboutism and oppression olympics that expects you to suck it up because other people have it harder.
It’s the “at least you still get paid, others can’t even get a job” and the “when I was your age, I wasn’t as fussy as you are” that turns any attempt at venting and honest criticism into morals-laden inspirational tripe.
Graphic designer Rose said that it sometimes came down to a generational gap. When she told her mother that she was leaving a job because of an unpleasant working environment, her mother was dismissive of her decision.
“She’s the type of person who worked at a company for 30 years, and she was like, ‘you’re leaving just because of that?’ I don’t really know how they worked back in those days. Were they conditioned to accept their surroundings as they were because that was their only job?”
Moving on up
According to a 2021 study by Adobe, more than half of Gen Z respondents plan to find a new job within the next year. Some 59 percent of the generation reported being least satisfied with their jobs, and 56 percent were dissatisfied with their work-life balance.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index found that one in five global survey respondents felt that their employer did not care about their work-life balance, with 54 percent feeling overworked and 39 percent feeling exhausted.
Aster noted that some fresh graduates had become aware of their bargaining power, leveraging their education and skills for a higher salary even when applying for junior positions.
However, she also said that experience could trump those educational backgrounds, adding that some employers she knew personally would rather hire an experienced employee rather than taking a risk with a fresh graduate.
Bluebell chimed in with a theory of his, explaining that most of the fresh graduates that are deemed more “demanding” come from a more established generation, the third generation of professionals in their family at the very least.
During their grandparents’ days, he said, work was a matter of survival in the early days of Indonesia’s economy when vacancies were scarce. Their parents, the second generation, inherited their own parents’ wealth, and in turn worked to accrue even more wealth and assets.
“It’s the third generation, whose lives are more settled and privileged who view work as an avenue for achievement and self-fulfillment. If they don’t feel fulfilled, they’ll simply leave.”
For those who are currently in the first or second phase, any work will simply do because their survival depends on it. This likely feeds into their own circle of friends, who will in turn expect their peers to put up with their jobs because they feel that any work is better than no work.
It’s this disconnect between circles that may fuel conflicts over expectations. A more established person might set his or her goals higher than others, such as having an eight-figure salary by 25, owning a house by 30 and so on.
For others whose goal is not to die of hunger by the 30th of each month, these goals can seem too overwhelming, especially if they are constantly barraged by motivational speakers and financial planners shilling their courses.
In the end, it all comes down to you. Yes, you. Ultimately, individuals are in charge of their own goals, whether to save up for a suburban white picket fantasy, provide for their family or simply find a purpose in life – be it through a 9-to-5 cubicle, chasing invoices from clients or starting their own venture.
As for me, perhaps you’ll see more of my writings here. After all, I do have several gently used handbags on my wish list.
