Last Friday I asked you readers to think about what kind of social changes you could envision being changed, added, or whatever in your place of employment. What sort of things did you come up with?
On my part I looked over my college, Aquinas, as I am unemployed at the moment. Things AQ could do to improve the social leg of sustainability? Well, from a student's perspective classes could be held outdoors (weather permitting) and/or more guest speakers could come in and talk. I have had classes where both have happened, but the occasions are few and far between. It's been studied and recorded that humans work and feel better when in natural surroundings.
And talking with speakers who are living in the day to day world has happened too, just not in every class. And I don't mean just a Q&A about their job, how they got there, etc. etc. Talks about what they get out of working there - the social behaviors and attributes they've seen in the work place, even going as far as talking about social politics in the work place. Aspects that aren't discussed anywhere it seems, but very important.
Suppose company A has leisurely lunch breaks, outside working areas (or break areas) and an open floor plan. Now suppose company B has a strict schedule, determined working places, and set hours for everything. Neither is better than the other, it's what you perfer. You wouldn't want to work at B when you longed for A (or vice versa) would you?
It's why potential college students tour campuses after all. Which area fits you best? That's the social leg of sustainability at work. What makes you comfortable and secure is what will make you produce you best work. Need to work from home? Great. Work better in an office? Fantastic. Find what works for you and the rest will follow.
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