I was setting up a Nest Thermostat today and ran into some trouble figuring out the wiring. I called the Nest helpline and the support was fantastic.
As we were waiting on the Thermostat to turn on, I asked my support representative if she was from the Philippines (I recognized the accent). When she said yes, I asked her what time it was.
It was 3am.
She explained that she had been doing the “graveyard shift” for 3 years now on Nest support.
It was one of those moments when I became deeply aware of the privileged I’ve accumulated in the past years.
I work fairly hard during the course of the week. I don’t complain about the work – I love it, aim to give it my best shot, and make the associated trade-offs consciously.
But, I don’t have to weigh the trade-offs of a graveyard shift. That speaks to more privilege on a daily basis than I often realize and a reminder to never complain about the trade-offs I get to make.
