Labor is defined as work, especially hard physical work; work that takes great effort. Even if we work hard, if we are laboring, we have difficulty getting the work done. It makes sense that the act of giving birth would be termed labor. The not-so-funny thing is that when I searched for office humor about labor, it was the childbirth variety.
So what is work? There are several ways to use the word work. It could be the place where we're employed, the time spent there, what we do there, how things are done, or even the fruit of our labors. Yet work, when used to described the function of something, means the success or failure of it.
"Did it work?"
"Yeah, it works great."
"Good work, Joe!"
Work can also be described as an award. "I want mine with the works!"
Sounds like work is a more positive word than labor.
Why do we celebrate Labor Day? Shouldn't it be Work Day?
Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.
Right now, across the nation, there are more jobs available than workers to fill them. The shortage in the labor force is causing a ripple effect and backing up the supply chain. We need everyone who is able to get back to work today. We can take our holiday weekend and get back to the job September 7th if we are healthy and able to do so.
Have a safe holiday weekend.