Chapter 8: What About Our Personhood?: COVID-19 and the Elusive Search for Work-Life Balance

A reflection of personhood as it relates to organizational structure must include questioning who we are away from work. What does it mean to be a person who works? What do we want it to mean? Who do we want to be in our “off time”? Do we have “off time” and time away from work? What does “time off” really mean when we consider the myriad of life details to be managed and the unpaid labor of raising children and keeping a home livable? Why do I assume my default state is “work” and my life must be done in the time in between my scheduled hours at the office? The impact of COVID-19 has served to increase these questions: Are we working at home so much that home no longer feels like a respite? Are we further away than ever from the idea of balance when we examine the parts of our days we call work and those we call life? Is my kitchen island truly still mine to enjoy cooking and gathering with those I love when my work laptop has become a nearly permanent fixture atop it?