On the Clock

The industry is full of fun, exciting and wonderful shops (many of them part of this trip) that it can often be hard to remember that all of this is still “work”. 

Nearly every job I’ve ever worked has been in operations. Whether it was summer jobs in spice blending and plumbing distribution warehouses; or the ever-enlightening world of being UO Campus Ops Relamper, time tracking has been of the utmost importance.

Clocking in, clocking out, taking lunch, charging specific work orders, etc.. It all sounds like a logistical nightmare, and it is, but there’s no arguing with payroll.

We hear the term, “billable time,” often but this industry is clearly far different than other jobs. As a relamper, I can easily say that I spent three hours changing lightbulbs in MacArthur Court, but how do I say I spent X amount of time thinking about Client A or Client B?

At Anomaly-NY, they have done away with time sheets. They have recognized the rub of the whole system and are extremely proud to boast about their departure from the norm.

We are undoubtedly lucky to be able to call all of this “work”, but as we step out into the world of punching in and out, it’ll be important that we understand what makes our industry different. Culture is always changing, and not just in the pretty/artistic/creative ways, but in the nitty-gritty logistics, as well.

- James Vos 

5.10.18