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The Luxury of Working at Taco Bell
Photo: mikebaird
A few months ago, the Denver Post featured an article on the expiration of unemployment benefits. Unemployment benefits were bolstered because nearly ten percent of Americans are still unemployed, with no prospects of that number declining significantly anytime soon.
One quote from the article was especially telling. Dianne, a 47-year old human resources professional, shared her own challenge in finding a job. She searched for a job for nine months without finding a position in human resources:
I’m nervous. It means that maybe I’ll have to go down to the local Taco Bell for a job. Maybe I can get food there too.
I understand her nervousness and recognize that it can be frustrating to not find a job directly in your professional sweet spot or educational training. But, Diane’s comment continues to hang with me and agitate me for the following reasons:
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The slap-in-the-face she gives to all employees at fast food restaurants, as if their work is “beneath” someone like Diane.
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The corrosive cultural shift in our country which neglects to acknowledge that job choice is a luxury.
Reading this comment, I think about my friends in “blue collar” positions, those working in restaurants, construction sites and factories. How would they feel when reading Dianne’s comments? I think about the history of our nation. It is only within the past fifty years that (many) Americans have had the luxury of choosing their career. In the early and mid 20th century, the vast majority of Americans worked wherever they could find a job. The concept of “vocational calling” would have been a reality for only the most elite. If your dad owned a farm — you farmed. If the factory had a job opening — you applied. Job choice in our country has always been a luxury, not a right.
From a global perspective, simply having a stable job, of any sort, is a luxury as well. I think about the hundreds of millions of people around the world who would sacrifice anything for the opportunity to work at Taco Bell. A consistent paycheck, well-lit working conditions, discounted food — that would be one of a highly-coveted job in many places around the world.
Dianne made a simple comment — and one similar to comments I have undoubtedly made in the past. I also recognize I am working in a “dream vocation” currently and I do not want to undermine the challenges job layoffs and unemployment present. It’s brutal. Unemployment is rough and it would be tough for me to leave my cushy office position to go back to working in the concrete business like I did in college. But, I hope that one of the silver linings of this recession is a reminder of what “normal” looks like in the scope of the world and our nation’s history.
[box_help]Sound Off: Were Diane’s comments off-putting? Do you agree with her? Let us know in the comments.[/box_help]
