Most people always thought of Labor Day as a great holiday. For virtually no good reason, they get a day off. But now, as they work every day with hundreds of Americans for whom employment is the goal, they reconsider what Labor Day really means. However, we ourselves sometimes think we work for the money or the prestige or the power. But that’s not true. We work because, just like my lab/border collie dog, it is our purpose in life. It fulfills us.
Joe Biden, in a speech at the Democratic National Convention, defined the dignity of work this way: “That’s how you come to believe, to the very core of your being, that work is more than a paycheck. It’s dignity. It’s respect. It’s about whether or not you can look your children in the eye and say: We’re going to be all right. “There is dignity in work. It goes to our very core. Rethinking the meaning of the holiday has made me turn my focus from the leisure time and barbeques to all those who crave the dignity work provide them.
Just consider several examples. There is a single woman who spent over 30 years with one company and now is running out of unemployment and has no health insurance. She has volunteered for our agency and she is a great worker — enthusiastic, talented, dedicated. Unfortunately, her talents go mostly unused. She’s often told she’s overqualified. She wants to work and she is frightened about the future. And she waits.
Another person who happens to experience the same thing is a young man who just completed a master’s degree in bio-engineering. He’s smart, he’s talented and he’s diligent. He’s often told he lacks experience. He wants to work and he’s unsure about the future. And, he waits. So this year on Labor Day, let’s remember those who are sitting on the sidelines waiting to get in the game.
So, if we can do something to help them, help them in any way you can. Reach out to someone who’s out of work. Offer to listen. Make a phone call to a friend who may be hiring. If you’re on the fence about adding a position in your company, take the chance. If you pray, include them in your prayers.