It’s Thursday at 9 PM. I’m staring into my laptop, its glow illuminating my face like a tiny stage light.
A soft red blanket drapes over my lap. Behind me, a dim lamp casts a shadow that flickers lazily on the wall. The AirPods in my ears hum Lofi beats, attempting to serenade a soul that feels more exhausted than inspired.
The rest of my family is winding down. Me? I glance at the bottom left of the screen: slide 17 of 37. Awesome.
I’m working on a customer presentation that’s due tomorrow, because this is one of those weeks where everything is urgent and important.
I lean back into my Herman Miller chair and sink further.
“Fuck. How did I get here?”
Better question — how did so many of us get here?
Unpaid overtime has become the norm for salaried knowledge workers. With all the fancy technology at our fingertips, it’s ironic that companies still seem to think we’re not doing enough. Email after email, meeting after meeting, presentation after presentation — the work never stops.
Something’s got to change.
But to understand why, we need to take a brief stroll through human history.
From Sun-Up to Sun-Down
For most of human history, work was dictated by daylight. Farmers rose with the sun, labored under its warmth, and rested when it set. Life was tied to natural rhythms, not arbitrary deadlines. Sure, it was hard work — often back-breaking — but there was a natural start and end to the day.
The Industrial Revolution changed everything. Factories demanded efficiency, discipline, and schedules. Time became money. Workers’ lives were regimented; long hours were expected, and burnout was an accepted cost of production.
Then came the office — the cubicles, the fluorescent lights, the endless paperwork. Knowledge work emerged as the economy shifted. Salaried positions promised flexibility but quietly erased boundaries between work and life. Email made it possible to reach employees anytime, anywhere. Smartphones ensured we could never fully unplug.
The Paradox of Modern Technology
Ironically, all this technology was supposed to liberate us. We can collaborate instantly across continents, access information in seconds, and automate tedious tasks. Yet, many of us end up working longer hours than our predecessors — and often for the same paycheck.
The more connected we are, the more disconnected we feel from ourselves. Slack messages, notifications, and meeting invites become chains we wear willingly. We glorify busy-ness while silently asking, “Is this really what I signed up for?”
A Moment of Reckoning
So, how do we reclaim our time? There’s no single solution, but awareness is the first step. Companies need to rethink expectations, boundaries, and workload. Employees need to value focus, rest, and life outside of work.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to stop measuring our worth by how many late nights we spend staring at a glowing screen.
Tonight, as I finish slide 17 of 37, I make a quiet promise to myself: tomorrow, I will try to work smarter, not just longer. And maybe, someday, the world will catch up.
Final Thought
Unpaid overtime isn’t just a personal problem; it’s cultural. But the culture can change — one boundary, one late night of reflection, one choice at a time.
So, the next time you’re staring at your laptop at 9 PM, ask yourself: How did I get here? And how do I get out?
