To ask WHY you work

[BeatriceAlbert]

Got in a discussion about retirement/early retirement and why people actually go to work in the first place. I know it seems obvious to answer ‘for money’ but this was off the back of the parody about a fisherman.

A businessman on holiday spots a fisherman lounging by his small boat after catching a few fish for the day.

Businessman:
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

Fisherman:
“Why would I?”

Businessman:
“Well, with more fish, you could buy a bigger boat!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“With a bigger boat, you could hire a crew, catch even more fish, and eventually own a whole fleet!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“Then you could build a company, go public, and become a millionaire!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“Then you could retire, relax by the sea, and spend your days fishing!”

Fisherman:
“…Which is what I was already doing before you interrupted.”

Food, shelter, being a part of a community, opportunities to learn, support my DC ambitions.
My inlaws retired at 50 and have sat at home watching tv and walking the dogs for last 25 years. They didn't have physical jobs so its not like they were worn out. Their contentment with such a small life bewilders me.

Ultimately for money, partly for purpose (the w*nker of a director who heads up
our function notwithstanding) and stimulation. If I won the lottery I’d still do something, not work per se but I’d need to be occupied somehow. I would however resign via Teams message, immediately go offline, delete my personal number from my details in the system and refuse to work my notice if I did win the lottery though.

Money. If I won the lottery I would quit immediately and never do paid work again.

For me, a huge part of the reason I am on my current career path is because my DS is older and needs me a lot less. I know that over the next few years, on a day to day basis, that lessening of need will decrease. And in 6-10 years, he'll likely have moved out. So I need to pursue something to help me as I move onto the phase of reduced mothering.

Most of the women that I meet professionally are in the same boat, many a decade or so on from me, where their children have moved out/away. Their work is basically a substitute for the purpose gained from raising children.

This is so obtuse!

Of course (almost) everyone can think of ways to fill their days without working. Boasting about being able to do this somehow immediately brings to mind Jane Austen characters (Mrs Elton?) who claim to have lots of "resources", by which they mean they play the piano, visit the deserving poor and take the air in the garden.

Unless they are the 0.001% who have huge individual wealth and can set up and run a foundation doing something worthwhile, most people "potter" and stretch out thectasks they used to do at weekends and in the evening in retirement, and yes, many do some worthwhile volunteering, but it's usually things they already did whilst working which they just carry on with, without ultimately doing much more than they did before. The few who do throw themselves full time into unpaid/ volunteer work treat it like work - you can't just let people down, so they're essentially still working, just unpaid.

I would struggle as I suffer with agoraphobia on and off for years and I only have certain places I can go and work is one of them as I feel safe there but for the majority of people absolutely

I worked part time when mine were little - for a while (I have four close in age) very, very part time. It is challenging to juggle especially if you accidentally slip into carrying the full mental load and 95% of the housework and childcare during maternity leave and any phase of working very part time - shifting back to properly sharing the load with your partner if you have one is harder than doing 50/50 from day 1 obviously. I breastfed so did all night waking and felt guilty about being home so did everything, and it needed a big conscious effort to get the balance back when I tried to get back to more hours and then full time.

In addition to sense of purpose outside motherhood there's also independence to consider. If you became independently wealthy it wouldn't be the issue, but the unspoken dynamic in a relationship can unintentionally shift if the family income is all or almost all earned by one partner. Not earning your own income just has an undercurrent of vulnerability to it if you're not careful, plus of course the fact that the dependency can be forever because stopping work or cutting hours massively for a decade or longer will decimate your future pension entitlement (state and employment pensions will both be way less, as well as salary when ypu do return- if you do - being way less than it would have been).

Well mainly for the money because I like to have a house and food! And tied to the area I live in due to kids at school and living near their dad.

But it also does give me a purpose as a pp said. I do find my work fulfilling in that sense.

I gave this question some serious thought!

I think primarily money and to be able to do the things I want to do outside work like see my favourite DJs and go travelling. But a close secondary reason is being part of something - I like being in a well-respected profession and being around hard-working, fiercely intelligent and driven people (bouts of crippling imposter syndrome aside). My job can be horrendously stressful at times and it’s the latter that keeps me from walking out, more than the money, I think.

I work because I love what I do, and the job I do enables me to make a real difference/impact on the emotional well-being of new mothers.

I like feeling that I have a purpose, that I do something meaningful and that I can make other people’s lives easier/happier.

Same here. I wouldn't miss work in the slightest!

Filling your time doesn’t always mean having a sense of purpose / fulfilment though.

My job means that people with a lot of money don’t get ripped off. If I didn’t have to be paid, I’d like to do the job but for free people who don’t have a lot of money. That would still be working, I just wouldn’t be paid for it. I also teach the next generation of students to do what I do. In theory I could do that for nothing, but why would I? As is is half my salary for the teaching work goes in tax because I’m a higher rate taxpayer, so effectively I’m doing it for half price and the government has more money because of it.

I could fill my time doing things I found fulfilling but it would inevitably still mean people relied on me and I’d simply be doing someone else’s job for free.

For money.

I really enjoy my job but if I didn't go to work to earn money, I would end up filling my time with voluntary work to avoid being bored shitless which would simply be working without earning money.

Because I don’t want to clean my own house and I wouldn’t be able to pay the cleaner. Or buy biscuits.

Money. If I won the lottery I’d travel the world.

I’m sure for most people it will be for money. However some people just enjoy their work. My in laws are both nearly 80 and still work part time even though they’re wealthy, because they enjoy what they do.

So I can keep my nice home, give my children a secure upbringing and pay for stuff that is more fun than work like holidays!

For money although not much of it.

I like the people I work with a lot and the fun we have together.

My job isn't particularly purposeful but I like the variety and challenges it throws at me (most of the time).

I like mentoring colleagues too.

But would I do it for free? No way.

Can I ask what job you do please? This is an area I'd like to get into

Because I like work. I find it fulfilling and it grounds me. I went back when dd was settled in school because you can only polish so many times and the kitchen doesn't talk to you. I was 43.

I haven't needed to work for money since DS was about two. He's nearly 31.

I'm going part time in a few weeks. I'm 65 and very worried about not going to work every day.

Money. To contribute towards supporting my family, and because the things I like to do in my free time aren’t free.

I like my job enough, I’ve reached a senior level and unless i get booted out of the door it might be what i do until retirement. But I wouldn’t choose to work if I didn’t have to.

Out of necessity. I’d quit in a minute if I won enough on the lottery and I wouldn’t miss it at all.

Im 31 so nowhere near retirement. Work in corporate.

I work because I have to. So I can afford my house and food to keep my alive. Any extra I use for holidays and nice things.

I don’t do overtime. I don’t socialise with colleagues. I don’t go “above and beyond”. I don’t have any career “goals”. I don’t bring work home. I don’t think about work or talk about work when I am not in work.

This for me too. My work is important and gives my life meaning and purpose. I won't be able to do it forever but I'll do it while I can.

I am in the incredibly fortunate position to not need huge sums of money (no mortgage, house owned out right, no kids)...

I still need money of course, theres two of us and himself is my full time carer (because I am also incredibly unlucky to be disabled with a life limiting condition and chronic illness)...

But... on the lucky side again, I get to do things I absolutely love, and get paid reasonably well for that, it's varied (writing, illustration, advising/consulting) and interesting, much of it I would and in the past, have done for free as a hobby really.

I couldn't not do something, I can't just sit about, the ADHD means I am always looking for things to do and am generally doing several things at once!

I definitely feel better if I have either made/produced something tangible, or I have helped someone.
If I won the EuroMillions tomorrow, I'd be doing exactly as I am doing now.. just in a more accessible and probably bigger (for all the stuff!) house.