One would think the CRC would stomp on a workplace making their people work 50 hour weeks and weekends. But the employees knew this would happen, they're told clearly about it up front before they agree to be hired, for only about 3 months out every year before going back to normal work hours. And honestly? The overtime pay was VERY much worth it! -- Anon Guest
It took some significant effort to come up with Galactic Standard Time, the Galactic Standard Calendar was relatively simple by comparison. After centuries of taking orbital averages of civilised planets, and rotational intervals, the Committee For Alliance Standards finally settled on a four-hundred-day calendar, consisting of ten months containing four ten-day weeks. Each day filled with twenty-four hours.
Along with that standardisation came the standardisation of work hours. Six-hour shifts, with a mandatory break of one hour before the cogniscent in question chose to take either a half or a whole shift thereafter. Those negotiated by contract, which could not be altered or adulterated by the employer thereafter.
The Cogniscent Rights Committee is sincere about its goals. It could enforce them with armed might if necessary, but preferred it to be unnecessary.
Mental health, physical health, and sociological health are all factors in the work contract. Except in one case.
When they work, they work for every hour they can spare. They break for basic biological needs only. The rest of their time is spent in relentless effort. Hot, uncomfortable, difficult, strenuous and exhausting effort. Days at a time. Work with barely any end. When they don't work, they have all the time they want to do whatever they want.
They've earned it in full.
And who are they? What do they do that has explicit permission from the CRC to break the alliance laws about work, rest, and play?
They are members of the Large Emergency Response Team.
When something big happens to somewhere - anywhere - they come in and provide all the help necessary to save as many lives as possible as soon as possible. They deal with anything in the way, often throwing debris into the molecular recyclers because people are more important than things.
All evidence documented, of course. For the post-disaster examination because nobody wants a large-scale emergency to happen the same way twice.
[Photo by Nejc Soklič on Unsplash]
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