Is this the workplace of the future?

[miradoblackwarrior]

Hello, all--
Have you noticed, in the last 3 - 4 days, several developments have occurred in the workplace? First of all, Yahoo discontinued telemarketing, Harley Davidson said no music on the shop floor, and now, no flextime at Best Buy.

Go ahead, tell me the economy is getting better. I won't believe you. It seems to me employers are clamping down more and more on the little "perks" that make the work environment a little easier for the employees. I'm thinking this is just the first rumble of change in the workplace, as employees lose more and more.

As the sequester fades into memory, and the next fiscal crisis hits later this month, I grow pessimistic that we will never see the good ol' days, ever again. Life is beginning to suck, and I only see more difficulties ahead.

Just sayin'

Susan

[Gardenarian]

I feel like there is a force driving the U.S. to become a miserable Third World country, but I don't know what's behind it.

[gimmethesimplelife]

+1 on all that you have said.

I'm thinking now is a good time to start growing some of your own food if you can and have not already and to really, really, really examine your spending and cut back relentlessly.....My thought is this - if corporations can treat workers like expensive liabilities and just cast us aside as soon as it is profitable to do so, why can't we save our money and deny corporations our money in return? Scary thought though is I'm sure if many people did this, things would only get worse. So what is the answer? I'm sticking to learning to empower myself as best I can.

Rob

[SteveinMN]

Back in the 19th century there were very few good ol' days at work. It's what gave rise to successful unions. I would hope that the current "clampdown" would ease as the economy gets better, but, like you, I think the indicators are being gamed and things are not as rosy as people would like us to believe. And as long as there is preferential treatment for moving business elsewhere, we will continue a race to the bottom.

I'm not sure we can get back to the good ol' days. There are companies which are bringing some manufacturing back to the United States, but there are even greater inroads being made by foreign manufacturers. Does it matter much in the long run if GE brings an appliance line or two back to the U.S. when so many people willingly buy Korean appliances which no one had heard of 20 years ago? Is it any better if LG is building the appliance in the U.S.?

People shop at Walmart either with resignation or pride that they're buying more for their dollars. Not many seem particularly motivated to buy American products if they cost any more at all, and I suspect some people are so taken up with their daily lives that they don't even bother anymore to figure out where products come from or why it makes any kind of difference. The trouble is that, without demand for American products, there is no incentive for companies to add facilities and employees. Add in the corporate greed that ruined the American auto industry and shipped virtually all electronics manufacturing outside the U.S. and ... what is there to come back to?

[ApatheticNoMore]

I'm thinking this is just the first rumble of change in the workplace, as employees lose more and more.

they've already lost. That it can get worse, well things can always get worse.


As the sequester fades into memory, and the next fiscal crisis hits later this month, I grow pessimistic that we will never see the good ol' days, ever again. Life is beginning to suck, and I only see more difficulties ahead.

agreed basically (though it sounds profoundly pessimistic, but really not meant to be even that, just agreement with the overall likely assessment), ever again is a long time though, you never can tell.


I feel like there is a force driving the U.S. to become a miserable Third World country, but I don't know what's behind it.

there may be a driving conspiracy (preparing for most of the population of the world to perish in climate change or something) but it's really not necessary, open greed suffices as an explanation, and cheap labor is desired.


My thought is this - if corporations can treat workers like expensive liabilities and just cast us aside as soon as it is profitable to do so, why can't we save our money and deny corporations our money in return?

oh I've had the thought too. Depends I guess, how heavily is any given corporate entity globalized (in which case it needs global money not your money in particular) or plutonomized (in which case it's selling luxery goods, a 1% market, it doesn't need your money) or just monopoloized and preying on the desperate (in which case it will get some money regardless) - haha not even throwing in if it's money is from government. And do one savings also go to the same corporations? (actually may not particularly if just trading already issued stocks). Plus money does buy goods, they're called goods because they provide some perceived benefit. No you don't need every shiny a commercial is selling, but to say there is no benefit to anything money buys seems equally silly. You can cut off your nose to spite your face in rage at the system by boycotting all spending but ... maybe all it really accomplishes is not having a nose (not talking about those who consider the environmental and social impact of their spending here but just a blind boycott of all spending in rage at the system - better to be more selective in the boycott IMO).

[poetry_writer]

I think the economy is in the toilet. Workplaces are miserable......one friend who works at Wal Mart told of a boss who complained that the place was "dirty". The employee was unloading potting soil! The manager actually said "your dirt is dirty". He was not smiling either. Incessant demands. bosses who are bullies, more and more work piled on, and the utter rudeness of many.....it can make life miserable. I've worked a lot of temp jobs and have seen some things which , frankly, shocked me. Unethical and dishonest behavior that makes employees daily life a hell. I worked one job where an entire new computer program was put in....and I was given zero training. Just told LEARN IT.....I did, it didnt work and the company was in chaos and eventually fired several, including myself ......Greed...............sad

[gimmethesimplelife]

I think the economy is in the toilet. Workplaces are miserable......one friend who works at Wal Mart told of a boss who complained that the place was "dirty". The employee was unloading potting soil! The manager actually said "your dirt is dirty". He was not smiling either. Incessant demands. bosses who are bullies, more and more work piled on, and the utter rudeness of many.....it can make life miserable. I've worked a lot of temp jobs and have seen some things which , frankly, shocked me. Unethical and dishonest behavior that makes employees daily life a hell. I worked one job where an entire new computer program was put in....and I was given zero training. Just told LEARN IT.....I did, it didnt work and the company was in chaos and eventually fired several, including myself ......Greed...............sadI hear stories like this, which seem to be becoming more and more commonplace, and it just seems sane to me to give up completely on the American dream and to take further standard of living cuts to save more money. Also to get out of it - though I admit it's probably the same anywhere you are going to go these days - what you can get by leaving the US is lower costs overall especially for health care and also housing, which can get you out of the hell of working quicker.

Honestly, down the street from me is a young couple who just bought into the neighborhood with a thirty year mortgage. They seem nice enough but my cousin and I and later my mom were all thinking the same thing - why on earth would anyone want to get into a thirty year loan now with things as they are? The idea of a two year cell phone contract makes me cringe as I don't have the faith that things won't get worse, and I don't want any kind of financial committments now other than what I already have. No new ones!

I'm glad there are a few people in my life who are not drinking the Kool Aid that things are getting better, and that don't expect me to be upbeat and positive about everything.....OTOH as I am unloading more and more of my expectations that I once held of life when things were better economically, I am finding more calmness and peace. Ditto for getting rid of more and more of my stuff. Rob

[sweetana3]

For those who say the US is becoming a Third world country or going that way, have you been to a Third World country? What I can tell you is that they are trying as hard as possible to become a country like the USA. They want what we have or even a tiny portion of it.

We are the 1% for the world.

[Miss Cellane]

It's depressing. My current contract job is about to end and I'm looking for work, again.

For a 12 hour a week assistant job at my library, they want a college degree, early childhood educations credits, knowledge of children's and adult literature, experience working with kids, ability to teach small children crafts, you must work Wednesdays from 12-2, but the rest of your schedule will change from week to week. For $8.50/hr.

Or the "part-time" office manager job for 34 hours a week. College degree, preferably a business degrees, 5 + years of experience, excellent computer skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, multi-tasking, payroll software skills, bookkeeping experience, pleasant telephone manner, flexible schedule (weekends required), $11/hr. No benefits.

And the sheer number of jobs that clearly should be full-time, but have had the hours cut to be "part-time," so that they don't have to give benefits. I'm seeing a lot of jobs for 30-35 hours a week, all part-time, no benefits.

And part-time jobs with completely wacky schedules that would make it very difficult to find another part-time job to fill in the gaps. You must be completely flexible in the scheduling, every single week. At least that's what they tell me in the interviews. No guarantee that you'd get even a semi-steady schedule, so good luck trying to find another job that would be flexible enough to let you work two jobs.

Or, my current favorite, a job I saw advertised for 40 hours a week, working for a charity. You'd be scheduling drivers for a meals on wheels plan, working in the office doing general office work, and coordinating donations from restaurants and supermarkets for a soup kitchen. It sounded interesting and worthwhile, too. Then I saw the very fine print at the bottom of the ad. Guess what? It's a volunteer position! Yes, advertised on a job board, but paying no money at all! However, if you did well, consideration would be given to making you a paid employee after several months. Yippee!

I know someone who works nights at a call center, spends Friday night to Sunday night away from her family as a home aide for a disabled person and works temp jobs during the day when she can get them. Her husband works three part-time jobs. They have two kids. They are exhausted and worn out, extremely frugal and not quite making ends meet.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I don't know the answer overall, I really don't.

What I am thinking of for myself is to get trained in web design once I get through dealing with estate issues of the friend of my family who passed on last September. What I like about that is the possibility of not being tied down to geography.....translation IF BIG IF I can find work, I'm not tied down to US health care and housing prices but can possibly make some facsimile of US wages.....I have found rooms advertised online with Internet access and all utils paid in Guadalajara (this is just an example) for $280 a month....

To me that screams and shouts freedom from the rooptops. Freedom from escalating costs of living and freedom from being trapped and stuck. It would seem that if one were to search online, however, I am far from being the only one who feels this way and that I may be facing quite a bit of competition along with the reduced costs. Like anything else, definite plusses and minuses. Rob

[poetry_writer]

It's depressing. My current contract job is about to end and I'm looking for work, again.

For a 12 hour a week assistant job at my library, they want a college degree, early childhood educations credits, knowledge of children's and adult literature, experience working with kids, ability to teach small children crafts, you must work Wednesdays from 12-2, but the rest of your schedule will change from week to week. For $8.50/hr.

Or the "part-time" office manager job for 34 hours a week. College degree, preferably a business degrees, 5 + years of experience, excellent computer skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, multi-tasking, payroll software skills, bookkeeping experience, pleasant telephone manner, flexible schedule (weekends required), $11/hr. No benefits.

And the sheer number of jobs that clearly should be full-time, but have had the hours cut to be "part-time," so that they don't have to give benefits. I'm seeing a lot of jobs for 30-35 hours a week, all part-time, no benefits.

And part-time jobs with completely wacky schedules that would make it very difficult to find another part-time job to fill in the gaps. You must be completely flexible in the scheduling, every single week. At least that's what they tell me in the interviews. No guarantee that you'd get even a semi-steady schedule, so good luck trying to find another job that would be flexible enough to let you work two jobs.

Or, my current favorite, a job I saw advertised for 40 hours a week, working for a charity. You'd be scheduling drivers for a meals on wheels plan, working in the office doing general office work, and coordinating donations from restaurants and supermarkets for a soup kitchen. It sounded interesting and worthwhile, too. Then I saw the very fine print at the bottom of the ad. Guess what? It's a volunteer position! Yes, advertised on a job board, but paying no money at all! However, if you did well, consideration would be given to making you a paid employee after several months. Yippee!

I know someone who works nights at a call center, spends Friday night to Sunday night away from her family as a home aide for a disabled person and works temp jobs during the day when she can get them. Her husband works three part-time jobs. They have two kids. They are exhausted and worn out, extremely frugal and not quite making ends meet.

I agree, the working conditions and crazy hours are insane. I got one part time job with a bookstore. (I had worked for them in years past and it was a great place to work).....I found how how much had changed when I was told I was expected, in addition to cashiering, i was expected to be an aggressive sales person and push merchandise on people. While learning the complicated computer cashiering system. Very little training....ugh. I didnt stay there. It had take me a full month to get the job...the manager did not return my calls (should have been a clue for me). the hiring process was insane...credit check, background check, a looong interview where they asked me questions like "if you go could on vacation anywhere, where would you go? and with who?"......what the heck .......What in the past had been a challenging but interesting and even fun job had turned into a stressful low paying demanding one. Not worth it

[ApatheticNoMore]

As for all the requirements job ask for, frankly I view those as WISH lists. Sometimes laughable ones such that at the title and position they are offering they will never get it (asking for incredibly broad ranges of knowledge for people to be given the "junior" title, but people with that *broad* knowledge generally have the "senior" title etc.). They hire people who don't meet all their criteria trust me. I generally don't meet the hiring criteria for the jobs I've been hired for!!!!! Really. Which is not to say I'm unqualified of course, merely I don't meet the ridiculous wish lists. Now I don't know about jobs in a library etc.., I kind of think everyone and their brother fantasizes about working in a library so OF COURSE it's going to be super competitive.


And the sheer number of jobs that clearly should be full-time, but have had the hours cut to be "part-time," so that they don't have to give benefits. I'm seeing a lot of jobs for 30-35 hours a week, all part-time, no benefits.

Possibly obamacare (hey such deliberate loopholes were allowed in it). But anyway offering these part-time jobs sucks, however, is it possible it could have a good side? Make part-time work the norm, kill the Protestant work ethic once and for all? I know it's not intended to have such an effect, just things might backfire ... you can push people far enough to have them lose faith in the system. Mind you I support any attempt to unionize to improve things (because I don't have any better plan to improve things than that for sure).

[Miss Cellane]

Here's another one.


We are seeking a dependable and professional individual to fill a receptionist/front desk position. Duties will include answering telephone professionally and courteously, taking messages, greeting vendors, visitors and clients, opening and distributing the mail. Additionally, you will be responsible for light cleaning, vacuuming and emptying the trash and watering the plants. You will sometimes run local errands, to the bank, the office supply store or post office, so a valid driver's license and a vehicle are necessary.

All for $9.00/hr.

I interviewed. The "light cleaning" is cleaning the bathroom daily. When I asked about compensation for using my vehicle and my gas on office errands, I got nothing but blank stares.

Oh, joy.

[SteveinMN]

I hear stories like this, which seem to be becoming more and more commonplace, and it just seems sane to me to give up completely on the American dream and to take further standard of living cuts to save more money.
Over the past year or so since I left work, I've become more and more convinced that avoiding today's ridiculous work environment (at least work outside of one's own business, which has different challenges) is worth a lot. I can feel my blood pressure go up if I even think about going back to where I was working (which I know is no better now than it was a year ago).


Honestly, down the street from me is a young couple who just bought into the neighborhood with a thirty year mortgage. They seem nice enough but my cousin and I and later my mom were all thinking the same thing - why on earth would anyone want to get into a thirty year loan now with things as they are?
Ah, the optimism of youth! Of course, just because you have a 30 doesn't mean you have to take 30 years to pay it off. Maybe they have a different plan. Maybe they will after a few years.

I'm not sure of the date or time, but I think in the not-too-distant future, there's going to be a revolution. There will come a time when 99% of us realize we outnumber the 1% and that they need us much more than we need them. There will come a time when the vast majority of the red states and libertarians realize the deck is totally stacked against them and it will take collective action to right the ship of state. I kind of want to be around to see that, though I don't think it's going to be pretty. Either that or the US is going to disappear into a cloud of dust and we'll become East China.

[jp1]

When I asked about compensation for using my vehicle and my gas on office errands, I got nothing but blank stares.



This reminds me of a friend, some years ago, who lived and worked in Newark NJ, but volunteered (unpaid even though she was an hourly employee) to go to Trenton to assist with season ticket renewals for the arts organization she (and I previously) worked for. She didn't own a car so she took the train to/from Trenton, and then a taxi home from the Newark train station since it was nearly midnight and she didn't feel safe taking the bus and then walking 3 blocks to her apartment in a lousy neighborhood. When she submitted the expense for the taxi it was denied. The excuse given, "Newark is our organization's home city. Travel within Newark is not reimbursable." would be laughable except that at $10 plus tip it was nearly equal to 2 hours of work for her. As you might expect, she never volunteered to help out again.

[Fawn]

I really have no basis to complain..given the circumstances that others endure. I get reimbursed at the federal tax rate for mileage (currently about 0.55/mile.) I am paid a decent hourly wage and time and a half for overtime.

But the new "required" thing is for the yearly Hospice Gala fundraiser. It is to raise funds for "wish fulfillment" for our patients and their families. (I have no quarrel with this...I have been funding this sort of thing on the side for years.) But, the price for the Gala ticket is $65, which is more than twice my hourly pay. The nursing assistants that work for us make about $12/hour...so about 4.5 hours of work for them to pay for their tickets...and there is a great deal of political pressure to attend the Gala.

I am not attending, as I am working that day....but I am thinking that even if I were not afforded the excellent reason of working, that I would not attend due to the ridiculous cost...

[rodeosweetheart]

I really have no basis to complain..given the circumstances that others endure. I get reimbursed at the federal tax rate for mileage (currently about 0.55/mile.) I am paid a decent hourly wage and time and a half for overtime.

But the new "required" thing is for the yearly Hospice Gala fundraiser. It is to raise funds for "wish fulfillment" for our patients and their families. (I have no quarrel with this...I have been funding this sort of thing on the side for years.) But, the price for the Gala ticket is $65, which is more than twice my hourly pay. The nursing assistants that work for us make about $12/hour...so about 4.5 hours of work for them to pay for their tickets...and there is a great deal of political pressure to attend the Gala.

I am not attending, as I am working that day....but I am thinking that even if I were not afforded the excellent reason of working, that I would not attend due to the ridiculous cost...

I have a similar situation at my part-time gig. In my contract, it says I get paid 36 dollars an hour because I "work" 3 hours a week on my class. That is absurd, a complete fabrication which anyone who knows anything about teaching (they do, obviously) knows it takes closer to 12 hours a week, minimum. Often more. So my real pay rate is somewhere between 8 and 9 dollars an hour, with a PhD and another masters in another field (40000 dollars in the second masters) and 30 years of experience. We got a note asking us to participate in graduation, but we are to rent our robs, at 57 dollars. So at 9 dollars an hour, that is seven hours I am supposed to work to rent a robe to add to their prestige--well, more like 10, because I only net a certain percent of those dollars.

I am sick of propping up this ridiculous system. My boss told us this year that we should make sure to dress well when we teach because our students think "we have made it". My students earn much more than I do, with stable health care. But I am supposed to give them academic credentials so that they can earn more, at my own expense. And often, I am retraining them to take my own job, as a "cute retirement career" so that they can add to their pensions.

Yeah, a little burned out. . . .

[gimmethesimplelife]

Wow. I believe the responsibilities and requirements I am hearing of for today's jobs paying less than $10 an hour are highway robbery to the soul. I know of no other civil way to put it.

Makes me glad that I am getting my $10 an hour as a banquet temp - something I can do on auto-pilot. Also makes me glad that I am in my own way opting out of this insanity and making efforts to go it myself as far as income is concerned.

Rob