Working to put food on the table is a necessary evil, which makes it productive

February 3, 2025
by Noriyuki Morimoto

As long as we live, we always consume, and as long as we are consuming, we are always earning income to fund our consumption. Therefore, if occupation is defined as one’s source of income, you can say that pensioners are engaged in the occupation of receiving pensions, and those who are not the breadwinner of their families are engaged in the occupation of being financially dependent.

However, occupation usually does not just refer to a source of income, but rather to the source of income gained through work, and work means doing a job; since there are many different types of jobs, when asked about occupation, the usual understanding is that one answers with a type of job, or job category. Therefore, being a company employee is also an occupation.

On the other hand, an occupation also implies some kind of expertise. In fields such as sports and the arts, one must have superior skills in order to make it an occupation, and in the case of occupations backed by a qualification system, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants, a high level of expertise is required in order to qualify as such.

As long as we view occupations in terms of expertise, there is no such occupation as a “company employee.” Instead, the specific duty assigned to the company employee, such as accounting, sales, or R&D, would be their occupation. In fact, one important aspect of the workstyle reform is the elimination of the abstract position of “company employee” and its transformation into specialized job holders responsible for individualized, concrete duties.

By the way, working does not require monetary compensation. A company employee who climbs mountains as a hobby, with increased proficiency and advanced skills, can work as a mountain guide in their spare time for free. If their ability as a mountain guide is recognized, they can quit being a company employee to become a professional mountain guide. Here is another important aspect of the workstyle reform: company employees should consider developing themselves outside the company.

Even if there is such an occupation as a company employee, what is more important is one’s skill as a professional, and the occupation of a company employee is, so to speak, a necessary evil in order to put food on the table. Because it is a necessary evil, people work to get the most reward in the shortest amount of time, so productivity is high. This is the essence of the workstyle reform.

 

[Category /Work-Style Reform]