Our work should foster dignity
Yes, that is how our work, whatever it is, should be. It should never enslave us, much less, corrupt and demonize us. It should foster our dignity as a person and a child of God. In other words, it should humanize and Christianize us! It should make us more human and more Christian as we go along.
To be sure, work is not meant to be a punishment for us because of our sins and weaknesses. It is part of our nature which, while already defined, will always be a work in progress. Work is our means to attain our perfection and ultimate goal, which is to grow in love for God and others, and as such is a dynamic thing.
Wherever we are, we should see to it that everyone has the proper understanding of work and always has work to do. Whether one is at home doing the usual household chores or immersed in the different levels of the world of business or the farms, schools, etc., he should know the true nature and purpose of work and act accordingly.
That way, whatever one's work is, he is certain that he is affirming and developing his human and Christian dignity while working. A certain sense of joy and fulfillment will fill his heart.
For those who have people working for them, they have to make sure that their workers are happy with their work. Business leaders, for example, should give due attention to their workers and make due investments for the proper human and Christian development of their workers. In this, they should not be passive, but should take the initiative to know their workers' condition and see how they can be developed.
It is usually in the world of business that a lot of violations and abuses are committed in the area of work. Businessmen should not worry only about profits and market shares. They should actively look into the overall welfare of their workers who, with their inferior position in the organization, are usually prone to be taken advantage of.
Other than simply interested in the technical aspects of work, businessmen should see to it that their workers are properly motivated and properly remunerated. The relation and interaction between bosses and workers should be abiding, close and warm. Without compromising the professional aspect, the relation should be family-like. Everyone should deal with everybody else as persons and not just as some kind of automatons.
One can somehow gauge that one's work is fostering his dignity when the worker can live his life and that of his family in a decent and happy way. He knows that his work, whatever it is, is his way of giving glory to God and of serving others for the common good. He knows how to manage his work such that he has time for prayers and for his spiritual development.
Very important also is when he knows that his work has great apostolic dimension and takes full advantage of it. That's when he is truly affirming his being a true child of God very much involved in God's plan for human redemption.
What a revolution it would be if everyone has this sense of work when they work!