Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work • Hacker News Board

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#31

Post by antisthenes » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:27 PM UTC

LiterallyDoge wrote: post #22

aisengard wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mixing money and family/friends sounds like it will end horribly. What happens when you don't break even and you need to fire people?

I would say, just brief them at the start "I might fire you tomorrow, go in expecting that, we'll set you up something else if I do. Don't rely on this." Kind of like the way you lend money to friends. That said, you probably shouldn't lend money to friends.

Not sure why you're being downvoted. I like your approach.

If you can give some of your less fortunate friends/family a job and break even at the same time, it sounds like a win-win for everyone. Certainly if they are currently unemployed.

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#32

Post by Jmcdd » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:29 PM UTC

DisruptiveDave wrote: post #21

I look forward to the day we stop trying to change the world and instead change ourselves (which will, of course, end up changing the world).

Reminds me of Jim Rohn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYt835Ww7xk

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#33

Post by erwan » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:29 PM UTC

The application looks awesome but there are so very little detail on the security/privacy guarantees that it brings (or not) that I cannot imagine using it.

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#34

Post by twoquestions » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:30 PM UTC

Getting both your money and your social relationships from one place seems like a horrible idea to me, like putting all your retirement into a single stock.

Suddenly I'm reminded of my favorite horror story, "Doing Business in Japan", which depicts a society where your employer is God-Emperor of your Life. Marrying the expectation that you carve every bit of yourself off to resemble what the Company wants, along with the knowledge that your economic and social life can be ended by anyone above you in the org chart having a bad day, seems like a truly horrifying combination.

https://www.kalzumeus.com/2014/11/07/doing-business-in-japan...

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#35

Post by twoquestions » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:31 PM UTC

40acres wrote: post #11

The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…

What's an ERG? _Something _Something Group I'll take it?

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#36

Post by PenguinCoder » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:33 PM UTC

twoquestions wrote: post #35

40acres wrote: post #11

The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…

What's an ERG? _Something _Something Group I'll take it?

employee resource group

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#37

Post by lloyd-christmas » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:34 PM UTC

twoquestions wrote: post #35

40acres wrote: post #11

The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…

What's an ERG? _Something _Something Group I'll take it?

Employee Resource Group, I assume.

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#38

Post by ams6110 » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:34 PM UTC

40acres wrote: post #25

GauntletWizard wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your heart in the right place, but your solution is part of the problem - you don't have a community outside of work, because your community interactions are "tainted" by your ERG association.

These relationships can extend far beyond work. I've had dinner at the home of department heads where work related topics barely came up, I've played soccer and became work out buddies with folks. I know others who babysit each others kids and schedule vacations together based off of relationships established through these networks. As time goes on the fact you work for the same company can become just a footnote if…

That's all fine as long as you are interacting with peers. I would never consider visiting any supervisor socially outside of work, especially at their home, however. Office holiday parties are sort of a gray area, but I skip those too out of principle.

> the fact you work for the same company can become just a footnote if you want it to

... until you have an HR complaint, or need to manage a layoff, etc.

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#39

Post by mrec » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:36 PM UTC

twoquestions wrote: post #35

40acres wrote: post #11

The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…

What's an ERG? _Something _Something Group I'll take it?

> As a black employee I'm very plugged in the EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP

Re: Fighting the “loneliness epidemic” at work

#40

Post by stronglikedan » Wed, Nov 28, 2018, 5:36 PM UTC

tapatio wrote: post #26

40acres wrote: post #11

The average American spends too much time at work to not have some sort of social, not 100% related to work, activities and groups that they can be apart of. As a black employee I'm very plugged in the employee resource group for black employees at my organization. I've been able to give back to the local community through volunteering, develop mentee and mentor relationships through this network and develop a sense…

You are 100% correct. You gotta participate in your company's groups/clubs. Create one if one doesn't exist. We are social creatures.

Holy moly, no! Leaving work at work is the only way to stay sane for me! Except the occasional outing with the select few coworkers I can call friends, of course. I can't pretend to be something I'm not, and I'm not friends with 99% of the people I work with. It would only end badly if I pretended to be.