The pandemic has changed how we work. Many office employees became remote workers. Now that many are receiving the COVID prevention vaccine, life begins to return to normal. However, many employees would rather continue to work from their home offices instead of resuming a commute to the office. Some employers are offering this opportunity to their employees, while others are against it. Organizations opting for employees to return are losing some staff members. However, those who adhere to “the hustle” to get ahead, are eager to move forward with this concept of returning to their workspaces, as soon as is deemed possible.
According to a recent article on the topic of hustle, the author noted:
“Hustle culture is defined as a craze where people place professional aspirations at the forefront of everything else. Hustle culture has always been a part of our lives — the more you work, the more you make, and supposedly, the happier you will be. For some, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a glimpse of what life would be like without the usual rush. For others, the pandemic has intensified hustle culture — either out of necessity or because of increased free time.”
Work-life balance is easier for some cultures in mainstream society. While in others, hustling is a must to maintain basic everyday survival. The pandemic did not take away this need for day-to-day survival in specific cultures; it has enhanced it. Hustling in Black and Brown communities is espoused by the need to do what it takes to feed their families. This ‘do’ is often honest work for meager pay. It is likewise exposed in the inequality of new Black and Brown college graduates forced to earn less than other graduates.
Specific communities are often forced to hustle from the point of zero. While other communities almost always have a starting point based on who they are and the opportunities that came before them. When someone can say that success came from the sweat off their backs and not from the effort of others before them, this view provides hope. However, even with success stories as this one, the point is, to maintain success even at this caliber, some hustle may ensue to remain above water.
To the question, WORK HUSTLE: IS IT GOOD OR IS IT BAD? featured in the first blog on this subject. The answer to this question depends on who you are. Unfortunately, for some in society, hustling is a necessity to overcome inequality. It is a constant battle to be seen and heard based on valuable work and ideas, and likewise, it is a means of survival. As for others, hustling is a valorized luxury. Efforts to break the stigma of hustle must be designed to work for the higher good of both groups. For optimum whole-community effectiveness, hustling should be done together to provide great opportunities for every community member, and not just for some.
Reference:
Bell, A. G. (2021, May 12). The Quad: Hustle craze and the lasting effects of the pandemic on work life. UWIRE Text, 1.
