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One of the many blessings of a career as a kitchen porter, often overlooked, is the transitional application that can be applied to the position. There is always work and few questions are asked. Transitioning between employers is guilt-free and non-harmful.
I wash dishes during Scotland’s tourist season (April to October) and then go on my own pilgrimages. When spring arrives, I find myself in front of a familiar model of washing machine in a new but always nondescript room, this year in a cultural center on a small island.
For three decades, I have ventured into other roles within the sector: working in wineries, as a barista and waiter. But the meditative and autonomous nature of kitchen cleaning makes it the best job for me. Salaries are low but so is stress. No matter how the shift goes, the night ends with a washing machine being emptied and a few garbage bags dragged into a dimly lit lane.
Or at least it used to end there. Then came WhatsApp. Now, the unbearable brightness of late-night work messages risks ruining this otherwise enjoyable craft.
It seems that someone has decided that employers, managers and colleagues must keep a communication portal open at all times. No one has the ability to get out of this, regardless of their role or rank. It’s easy to get lost in endless work group chats, sometimes over something as stupid as a misplaced glove.
It’s already past midnight. I am at home, settled in, disconnected and immersed in my book, falling into sleep. My pulsing phone emits a white light into the room: a message. “Does anyone have any requests for days off next week?” This is a first-come, first-served world. Little by little, requests arrive, followed by pleasant banter from two waiters who are still on duty.
Unfortunately, the idea that one can simply walk away from these chats or silence their phone outside of work hours is not practical. I recently missed a message about some deliveries I had to attend to on my next shift because they got lost in a chat that, during my weekend off, had accumulated over 150 new communications, including a wedding photo and a member of! The staff resigns, yes, resigns, in the message thread!
I am not entirely against the informality of WhatsApp. It will probably have a positive impact on team building and some familiarity with the owner’s cat can be constructive. However, unpaid time spent separating the chaff from the wheat (and let’s face it, there is a lot of chaff) is completely unwarranted for a kitchen porter, 21st century or not.
I dream of a future where I can leave work for the weekend without the fear of getting involved, 48 unrestricted hours reading or walking without the constant workplace drama I left behind in my pocket. This is not Netflix or TikTok. It’s my time and I want it back.
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