AIBU to think lots of engagements are not "work"?

[babsanderson]

Just reading the Court Circular and I am struck once again by the reality that many engagements can not remotely be called work.
So just looking at January so it is clear I am not cherry picking over many months, there are the following engagements.

1. Anne went to a Dinner with the Caledonian Hunt
2. The Duke of Kent attended a carol service
3. Duchess of Gloucester, Patron, the Arts Society, today held a Meeting via telephone with Dr. Florian Schweizer (Chief Executive). So basically a phone call.
4. Anne attended lunch at the Royal Yachting Association.

It is not even the time of year to attend Film Premiers, tennis matches, football matches and theatre premiers.

So the definition of work is now something you don’t enjoy? In which case there are many people who have never done a day’s work in their lives.

Sounds like work to me.

I am sure they do more than what is listed.

BUT... when you list a telephone call as engagement, it's not surprising that taxpayers question how hard you are working?

People work their arses off 72 hours a week etc. They are entitled to question this.

This thread is so nasty. Of course it’s work! And work I would not care for in the least. It’s utterly ridiculous to claim that a healthcare worker works, or a local government officer (that one made me raise an eyebrow, I can tell you) or childcare worker. There are a million jobs in the world - some involve more work than others.

if we are talking taxpayer-funded jobs, then I can think of a good many that I’d axe before the rf. You just need to peruse Guardian jobs to get high blood pressure about the waste of public money.

Sounds like a hideous job to me. Imagine having to smile and be nice to people when you just want to be at home with your feet up in your 70s like anyone else.

The younger ones I have less sympathy for

I make telephone calls as part of my job. Does that mean I'm not working? My calls are timed too. Am I going to have to deduct the call times off my timesheet? Will I now not get paid for them because they're not a proper job? Why do law and accountancy firms account for and bill phone calls?

I spent my life smiling and having to be nice to people, and wanting not to be there! However, I was doing it for 45 hours a week plus. Not the odd engagement here and there with everything prepared for me.

That’s everything they have done in public this week, not everything they have done full stop. There’s a difference. That’s like someone saying to me that only time spent in external meetings count in my job. Which is ludicrous.

I can't believe anyone is trying to say the Royals work hard.
I really really can't!
I get the big smile, look nice thing... but surely anyone on here who has worked in a professional capacity knows what this is like.
To have your path smoothed in every way possible is really not hard surely.
They never ever have to think... have I got the right information with me, have I got the knowledge to speak to these people, is my presentation OK, do I have everything I need in facts and figures, what questions will I be asked (in the case of a Royal... nothing conbtroversial.
I rest my case.

Easy

I wouldn’t do it @Roussette. There isn’t enough money in the world to induce me.

I work in a private school and the summer term is filled with black tie dinners and balls etc. Rest of year has lots of drinks and social events with parents. I promise you it is all fully work. Exciting to get dressed up the first few times, and then you just want to eat fish fingers with your own child. The chicken breast and medley of garden vegetables with buttered new potatoes diet is not an exciting one. I definitely only go to these events because I’m paid to.

Just the thought of having to be immaculately dressed and made up, having to meet lots of unfamiliar people and eat meals you haven’t chosen, often after a long journey sounds like hard work to me.

And here's where we agree!

I was in the eye in a past post. Just not the public eye!

But you have absolutely no idea how hard they work. You want to think the RF don't work hard but you actually have no idea how hard they work. You might be right, but equally you might be completely wrong. You don't know.

There've been plenty of posts from people who've met members of the RF in the course of their work who've said they were interested, interesting, well informed, engaged, knowledgeable. I've worked with CEOs and senior execs who couldn't give a shite, are ill prepared, bored and boring and get paid mega bucks for doing bugger all.

If someone shows up and makes the people they meet feel as if they're doing a good job and are appreciated, more power to them.

They never ever have to think... have I got the right information with me, have I got the knowledge to speak to these people, is my presentation OK, do I have everything I need in facts and figures, what questions will I be asked (in the case of a Royal... nothing controversial.

Yes, because nothing they say or do in public gets reported on, or sometimes even misreported on, picked over, laughed at, criticised for the manner of its delivery, is judged to be too bland or not bland enough, is used to demonstrate that they are stupid or rude, and gets pulled up decades later to make the same points. Except it totally does. So I think you couldn’t be more wrong there.

I take that on board.

I just think they could do more. Just my opinion of course.

And there we have it. What's the point?

Just a facade. Not meaningful.

''She visits our local centers five or six times a year,” says McLean. “The amount of time she dedicates is remarkable. There’s a lot that goes on that isn’t in the public eye.”

From a Vanity Fair article about Princess Anne visiting Camden Carer's Centre.

No they only don't go if they are very ill, headaches, bad backs, sprains, nausea they go you can't let down hundreds of people. They were all brought up as children to suck it up and do their duty. Ann is known to be one of the hardest working royals. The queen would take migraine remedies on route. Do you honestly think the queen at 93 was fit and well for all the 290 plus engagements she did in 2019? That's more than 1 for every weekday of a year.

Because of Covid lots of people can't be working right now because they are at home on the phone. It's not like a 5 minute chat to your mate it's a meeting over the phone pre Covid it was more likely to be face to face.

And there we have it. What's the point?

Just a facade. Not meaningful.

You’ve lost me there, I’m afraid. I was saying there definitely is pressure in the because everything they say and do is scrutinised.

*pressure on them

@jannier I go to work unless very ill. I can't afford not to.

Plenty of people have to go to work when they are ill because they can't afford not to, usually for a lot more hours as well

Well I wouldn't do it for all the tea in China. And thereby consign my children to such tedium and DM scrutiny.