Studies show that the average American is asked: "How was your weekend?" 13 times between 7:00-10:00 a.m. every Monday morning. If you are like most, you welcome the question as a chance to connect with friends and share all the meaningful things you did in your free time.
But for some people, like Charles Hammond IV, the innocent question causes anxiety and pressure to live up to others' expectations of what a good weekend should be. He says that often leads to "weekend shaming."
Hammond, who is the Director of the Center for Weekend Equality (CWE), told reporters, "Sure, the weekend question is great if you went bowling or did something exciting, but what about someone who sat at home and watched a PBS telethon or, heaven forbid, you had to work. When you tell someone you didn't do anything cool all weekend, they look at you like you're a loser. Well, I guess I'm a loser then."
Now, the CWE is asking companies and organizations across the country to ban the question from the workplace. They have also petitioned Facebook to block any posts or photos depicting weekend activities or fun.
Closer to home, Hammond is bringing awareness to the issue by protesting at local events and concerts, telling attendees via megaphone, "You don't have to be here. You don't have to stay just so you have something to tell people you did on Monday. It's okay to go home. Say no to weekend shaming. Say no to weekends."
Hammond says that his organization's five-year plan is to have weekends banned all together so that no one can have a better two days than anyone else. Right now, he says he'd settle for the total removal of the word "weekend" from the English language.
The Center for Weekend Equality is headquartered in Smyrna, TN, and has nearly three members worldwide.