It was October 2012 and I was enjoying a mild Saturday morning tending to errands around Canarsie. Suddenly, my cell phone chimed with a text message notification from Catherine Rosa, one of my bosses at the Canarsie Courier newspaper.
"Something smells God awful over here - what's going on? I have a headache from the stench and can't even keep my windows open!" her text read.
It wasn't out of the ordinary for Catherine to text me on the weekends or during the evenings - news leads and breaking stories don't stop when the office is closed. It also wasn't out of the ordinary for Catherine to message me about non-work related topics - our friendship surpassed professional boundaries and we'd sometimes gossip about shoes, clothes and family matters.
However, when it came to the stench she was griping about, I was slightly annoyed, thinking 'It's a silly smell...and it's a weekend morning...What do you want ME to do? Run over to Georgetown and take a picture of the stink lines?'
Suffice it to say, I did not ignore her message or tell her it's Saturday - I'm not "at work" and I have a right to disconnect from my job. Catherine's keen sense of smell, and her ability to sniff out a story, led to me eventually contacting our local politician Alan Maisel, who also 'works on the weekend' - should an issue should arise.
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| We're never disconnected! |
When other residents started noticing the foul stench of gasoline in the area over the weekend, a full-blown investigation soon revealed that National Grid's attempt at decommissioning pipes under Paerdegat Basin went awry. Officials discovered that over 1,000 gallons of a non-toxic oily substance was leaking into the basin and had to be contained, then removed over a period of weeks.
Still, had it not been for staying connected electronically to my boss and my career, I wouldn't have gotten a head start on one of the biggest federal investigation stories I worked on that year.
During my years as a staff reporter and Associate Editor for the Courier, it crossed my mind quite a few times to block out my "professional life" once I went home. Car accident - who cares! House fire down the street - fuggetaboutit!!! I had a right to declare my right for free time.
Since hearing about a recent proposal that would make it illegal for New York City bosses to contact employees after working hours - called "The-Right-to-Disconnect" bill, I thought about all the nights and weekends spent toiling away at newspaper dealings for which I wasn't being financially compensated. Sadly, Catherine spent even more time than I did dealing with the paper's operations for no extra pay. In the media business, that's the way we roll and we stay connected because of our passion and commitment to keeping others in-the-know
As part of the "Right-To-Disconnect" bill, sponsored by Brooklyn Councilman Rafael Espinal, private companies with more ten employees would have to comply with certain communication rules or face a $250 fine. Sure, they can send a message to their employees - but they wouldn't be allowed to require a response. This fine is supposed to deter bosses from bothering their staff after working hours.
Let's get real! This nonsense bill may apply to limited industries where employees aren't "needed" outside of work hours. "Needed" can refer to inquiries about the office, like - "Sorry to bother you - where are the files you were working on?" or "Can you come in an hour earlier tomorrow?"
In today's tech-obsessed world, most industries - especially the media, law enforcement and politics - you'll NEVER be disconnected!
When it comes to the media, if something critical breaks at midnight, you can bet your cell phone bill that editors, reporters, bloggers and photographers will be up at all hours of the night cranking headlines, following leads and leaking teasers all over social media.
While the "Right-to-Disconnect" concept is amusing - and a great incentive for low-wage workers to tell their bosses "Go f**k yourself if you think I'm answering that message about why the deep fryer is so dirty" - it's unrealistic to expect high demanding professionals like doctors, law enforcement officials and government employees to cut off communication when they're not in the office. For some professionals, their "office" is everywhere, nowhere and anywhere all at once.
The major flaw in this bill is that it's being considered for a city that's riddled with non-stop action and people who can never get off their phones - even if they're walking upstairs on a crowded subway, they're glued to their technology! Thanks to social media apps, you can tell the world what you're up to every damned second of the day, so why would ANY company believe you're truly "disconnecting."
Of course, you have the right to tell everyone when you're....say....in the hospital...or if you have indigestion and you can't sleep...or if you're busy taking a dozen photos of that gourmet cup of coffee from your favorite cafe. You have a right to share your most personal information with your friends and family while ignoring that text from your boss about where the direct deposit slips were relocated in the office.
Professionally, I've moved on to more calming pastures with less emergency situations occurring after hours or during the weekends. Now, as an administrative assistant for a fashion company in the city, I can't do any physical work or actively help with tasks related to my job/position unless I'm at my desk in the office.
Even though I wouldn't hesitate to respond to my current boss after hours if he had a quick question about something I was working on in the office, I'm grateful there's no urgency or necessity for me to be connected and "on" 24/7 the way I was required to be in the media world.
It's ironic that a bill of this technological nature would be introduced during an era when everyone is always connected, whether they want to be or not. Or maybe the proposal simply gives New Yorkers an excuse to continue playing that illusive Bedazzled game on their phone non-stop instead of helping their boss once they've clocked out.
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