When I got my first job, my older parents and extended family members laughed (in a friendly way) that these new tech companies were letting me work “bankers’ hours”. One older relative had serious concerns for my job because I said my boss liked to arrive at 7:30AM every day but I didn’t show up until 9. That was unthinkable to them.

When they grew into the corporate world you were expected to be there before your boss and stay until after your boss left, finishing any last minute work before the next morning. Weekend work and long travel days were common.

Going back even further, I heard stories and saw photos about my ancestors struggling to secure enough food to eat every year. Black and white photos of what was left of their dirt-floored houses. Every day was work and worry about securing basics for survival of the family farm.

So if your job is a clean 8 hours of desk work with some meetings and e-mails mixed in, I’d say it’s actually less demanding than what was expected years ago.