The weekend has become a time for many middle-class city families to rest no more. They fall behind on unfinished work, work on a business, do household chores, and try to keep up financially.
In Dhaka's densely populated neighbourhoods, Saturdays and Fridays run long into the night and start early in the morning. The middle-class population is taking two lives in the city: the one of a regular job life and the other of survival. Stability can come from a corporate office, but rent, children's school fees, stationery and tuition fees, old parents' medical checkup fees, utility bills, and groceries often come from side income.
The costs of rice and other food items, along with regular transport, utilities (gas, electricity, water), medicine, and other essentials, are increasing, and many families cannot make ends meet on a single family wage. The stress is even higher if they are the only breadwinners. On the weekends, they're drained away, hour by hour.
Double shift life
On this note, an urban worker, Mr Ali Hasan from Mohammadpur, works at his restaurant, serving breakfast from 6 am to 8 am. Then he goes to his corporate office, works from 9 am to 5 pm, and returns to the restaurant in the evening. After 6 pm, he returns to work, checks supplies, supervises staff, serves customers, and runs the business until 11 pm. His small restaurant is open on the weekend from 6 am to 11 pm.
"This double shift is complicating my life," says Mr Hasan. "But if I don't have a side business, it is hard for me to sustain my family, so it is necessary for me." His experience is a growing reality. Few people take a side job for luxury or ambition. They can't match their basic earning power with the cost of living.
Where's the opportunity to be present for the family?
One of the first victims of this dual-shift life setup is family time. A parent may be physically present but mentally elsewhere, with attention focused on sales, office deadlines, customer complaints, or the other day's bills. Meals are delayed, brief discussions replace longer ones, and vital events are missed. It's not even surprising anymore if the father misses the child's award ceremony or the parents' teacher's meeting.
Children may become conditioned to only see their parents early in the morning or late at night. They can live together as a happy family, but they usually don't have continuous dialogue. Over time, this can create a communication disconnect that subtly undermines relationships.
Sometimes people aren't being less affectionate; that's the problem. A common issue is that it is time-consuming and time-challenging. After working 12 or 14 hours, someone may have no emotional resources left to listen, explain, comfort, or engage in family decision-making.
Domestic duties are also not shared equally. One partner may work, while the other handles cooking, childcare, elderly family members, and household administration. This unseen work can create resentment even when both partners recognize the need for this arrangement to keep the financial situation afloat.
The new side business economy
Also, there's a greater culture of extra work now. Some people work on their online business after work. Others write, design, account, program, or do digital marketing for others for free. Many work part-time as delivery riders for various ride-sharing and delivery platforms, while others also tutor at coaching centres, restaurants, and retail stores.
Some people use a side hustle to achieve independence. For some, it's a response to inflation, job insecurity, or reduced buying power. This difference matters because constant work can have significant personal consequences.
The downside of higher earnings for urban workers is that they have less time to spend the money they earn. While they might be able to afford a better education or a better home, they can't afford the time to rest, exercise, or enjoy the company of loved ones. Burnout becomes a part of normal life.
Survival should not mean isolation
The solution isn't to get rid of side income. In these economic times, it's practical to build new skills and new income streams to ensure a family's future. It is important not to sacrifice personal or emotional well-being to earn more.
Families need to have healthy discussions about time, money, and responsibility. Dividing household chores can be more equitable even if one partner makes more hours. Parents can find short but regular blocks of quality time (such as breakfast together, a weekly walk, or an hour with no mobile phone or work-related discussion).
However, employers also need to understand that tired workers will not work as hard for long. Flexible hours, reasonable workloads, and mental health support can help staff balance work and personal life without giving up their jobs.
For middle-class individuals, the side business is a must. It is a need created by an economy that demands more but offers less security. But for all those extra hours, they still have relationships to tend to and bodies to rest.
The weekend is disappearing, as is the chance of surviving in this tough economy, as more and more people take on work to make a living.
