Labor - noun
work, especially hard physical work.
"the price of repairs includes labor and parts”

Labor - verb
work hard; make great effort.
"they labored from dawn to dusk”

Recently, my brother and I have been discussing our staff and just reflecting on how things have changed over the years and how we’ve had to redefine the way we look at “labor.” For many years, our staff had been made up almost entirely of full time employees who worked 4, 10-hour days. This makes it possible for them to get their full-time hours done in four days and get a nice long weekend with their families every single week. It isn’t easy hours but always worth it, particularly to parents. 

This had been changing a bit over time but when COVID hit, and we truly found ourselves desperate for help, we noticed that we could no longer hire full-time workers. Those 10 hour days felt LONGGGG for most people and doing four of those 10 hour days in a row was asking A LOT. And so, we pivoted (for our own survival) and opened our options up by offering part-time shifts and this has changed everything! We’ve got a new rejuvenated staff that happily pops in and pops out without complaint. It’s a little more to manage but we’re happy to do it. 

When I told my Grandma of this new part time phenomenon, she’d exclaim “that’s because this generation doesn’t know how to work!” Such a classic reaction and sooo common and even psychologically studied at this point. We all look behind us at the generations coming and think “boy oh boy what has the world come to!?” But I think there just may be more to it. 

I think the generations coming up have reevaluated what they hold dear and while working is entirely a necessity, they also highly value peace and rest. And what’s more interesting is that they are willing to seriously sacrifice to get it. I also believe that with the limited attention span we all seem to have anymore, the younger generations are much more open to working several part-time jobs just for the stimulation of it. Add to this that the younger generations aren’t as quick to marry and have children and we’ve got this new, unfamiliar generation who is simply trying to figure it out for themselves. 

And also, I think we’re seeing more parents liking shifts they can work during school hours which typically looks like less than full-time. Or we are also seeing a rise in people working one full-time job and looking for that perfect part-time job to help bring in more money to support their families. 

No doubt, things are different, the times are different,  and not all of people’s circumstances are the same but change is a constant that I am learning to embrace it, study it, understand it and use that understanding to hopefully be a better leader. 

All that to say, yes, baking bread in small batches is a LABOR. A fully, on-your-feet, moving around, multi-tasking labor and it requires a level of sacrifice and grit that doesn’t seem super common anymore. But all is not always as it seems and thankfully, we have some super reliable (full-time and part-time) pillars on which we lean on to teach the upcoming generations. We also have a mixture of ages at Berlin Natural Bakery that makes for a beautiful synergistic community. We’ve got young movers and lifters, we’ve got older wisdom and supervision and we’ve got a variety of ages in between all laboring in different - and important - ways. 

And if you don’t know me well enough by now or can’t hear it in this blog, let me say it out loud with my full chest - the generations that have come before me are absolutely, undeniably outstanding. My Mom, my Grandpa, our retired General and Operations Manager - so talented and focused and committed. I will never stop expressing gratitude for those who built and sacrificed and grew Berlin Natural Bakery. And I think all I truly mean to say is, I have hope in this generation and the next. It may not look like the days of old but I believe there is still value to be had in the coming days and the growing workforce! 

So this year, on Labor Day, I will relax on this day off knowing my staff is at rest and I’ll be grateful. So very grateful for an exceptional staff who has truly partnered with my brother and I this year. Many of them have been with us for years and have seen us “grow up” or grow into our positions. And for those that are new, they’ve come in with great attitudes and fun stories. 

I pray you find rest and joy during this weekend and, if you have a moment, that you send a little prayer of gratitude for our staff that makes our baking ancient grain Spelt bread in small batches possible! I know I certainly will! 

Thank you again for taking this journey with us! 

Until next time, 

Nicole (and Nick for inspiration!) 
The 3rd Generation of Berlin Natural Bakery 
the little bakery that could! 🙂