The only time your boss will give you a raise is when not giving you the raise would cost more money than the raise.
Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
31–40 of 232 posts
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#32> The real problem with workplace wellness initiatives, according to Katie—beyond being inconvenient and vapid—is their obvious attempt to make up for the company’s poor employee benefits. ‘ The real problem is, wellness seminars are an attempt to push the issue on the employees. Just like "plastic recycling" initiatives push the guilt and the effort onto the consumer. It's a redirection strategy.
I think my wellness is inherently my issue, and I'd prefer that my employer stayed out of it.
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#33Did working conditions really got much worse over the past 20 years? Or are people just becoming more entitled? I agree with the premise that workplace wellbeing is a bunch of BS (and just a small part of much large corporate BS universe), but is 2021 much different from 2001? I understand blue collar complaints and unfortunate situation workers found themselves in after union busting or outsourcing. But what's gotte…
Over here, yes, it has gotten worse since 2001 -- asian shops press much harder now, cheap remote labor really easily available ... competition vent through the roof. Longer hours, guilt feels stronger, sloppier work, inter-team communication destroyed (all-email in some language foreign to everyone), and -- still more lost deals. This is for everyone, workers and management. True, people maybe feel more entitled. Bu…
Yeah, but how much of that is your current employer fault? Let's take housing costs. Absolutely insane in California, Canada and some other places. Education/student loans - modern day slavery for many. Healthcare costs - seem to grow much faster than inflation or wage increase. The end result - destruction of the middle class as we know it. Or 'shrinking middle class' to put it less dramatically. So, I take it you live in Canada and this is the type of experience you describe. Is there a list of Canadian corporations that are to blame for this? Or is this more of a government fault? Or is this the problem that's not limited to Canada but is a general trend for most western countries because the neoliberal economic model is broken and it's silly to pretend that it's not? Personally, I am hesitant to blame some specific corporation for general economic misery.
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#34> The real problem with workplace wellness initiatives, according to Katie—beyond being inconvenient and vapid—is their obvious attempt to make up for the company’s poor employee benefits. ‘ The real problem is, wellness seminars are an attempt to push the issue on the employees. Just like "plastic recycling" initiatives push the guilt and the effort onto the consumer. It's a redirection strategy.
It's also a cash grab by the "Mindful Mediation" consultancies. I am surprised by the number of corporations with Mindful Meditation programs, and how much they pay for these ineffectual band-aids. The fact that mediation consultancies have significant traction in today's "Human Resources" world is just nonsense and corporate doublespeak that pushes blame reasoning on the employee for 360 degree poor management. (FWIW, I'm a person that started mediating decades ago (due to being a youthful Beatles fan.))
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
I battled with a previous employer with this. I don't care about the yearly weekend getaways, bi-monthly restaurant dinners, takeaway etc you buy us, I know best what makes me happy and its not that. Just give me what I need to do my work, be a good manager, give me good pay and let me enjoy my life outside of work in peace.
Right but this suggests those things might be for your benefit when it looks to me like they're for team cohesion ie for the employers benefit. There's nothing wrong with that unless they're trying to portray those things as being for your benefit!
Exactly, pre-COVID we would go out for a group lunch maybe once every month or two. 7 or 8 people total. Everyone paid their own way so it wasn't seen as a benefit but everyone did acknowledge it as a good bit of team building/cohesion around something everyone was going to do anyway (eat) so it was much better than trying to do something after hours or on a weekend when we have better things to do, or during the work day when the company has better things for us to do.
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#36Did working conditions really got much worse over the past 20 years? Or are people just becoming more entitled? I agree with the premise that workplace wellbeing is a bunch of BS (and just a small part of much large corporate BS universe), but is 2021 much different from 2001? I understand blue collar complaints and unfortunate situation workers found themselves in after union busting or outsourcing. But what's gotte…
>If you are miserable in your current workplace, the only real change you can make is moving to job that brings you joy.
I have no doubt some people manage to find this, but at this point I want a job that pays well and is tolerable, I've done the fun job for less money enough to know I'm terrible at predicting what's going to be "fun" to work on.
If I'm paid more I need to sell less of my time and get to find things that are enjoyable without my livelihood being tied up with it.
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#37Did working conditions really got much worse over the past 20 years? Or are people just becoming more entitled? I agree with the premise that workplace wellbeing is a bunch of BS (and just a small part of much large corporate BS universe), but is 2021 much different from 2001? I understand blue collar complaints and unfortunate situation workers found themselves in after union busting or outsourcing. But what's gotte…
> Did working conditions really got much worse over the past 20 years? In terms of salary and purchasing power in Western countries, yes I think so.
I think developer salaries outpaced inflation by a decent margin.
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#38Did working conditions really got much worse over the past 20 years? Or are people just becoming more entitled? I agree with the premise that workplace wellbeing is a bunch of BS (and just a small part of much large corporate BS universe), but is 2021 much different from 2001? I understand blue collar complaints and unfortunate situation workers found themselves in after union busting or outsourcing. But what's gotte…
Yeah, working conditions have become much worse. I am not sure if there is data to prove this, but my gut feeling is that employees are more productive and their compensation has not kept up to the increased productivity. Alternatively, I would really love to keep the same pay levels, but reduced working hours, to account for increased productivity.
Is compensation really meant to derive from productivity? In practice, your compensation is a factor of how difficult it is to find someone else to do your job.
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#39Did working conditions really got much worse over the past 20 years? Or are people just becoming more entitled? I agree with the premise that workplace wellbeing is a bunch of BS (and just a small part of much large corporate BS universe), but is 2021 much different from 2001? I understand blue collar complaints and unfortunate situation workers found themselves in after union busting or outsourcing. But what's gotte…
Speaking as a survivor of the EA Spouse era, the last 20 years have been holding the status quo of abuse established by EA during the 90's. Their horrible form of 24/7 crunch time management has simply spread throughout the rest of the corporate world, but not as extreme as they drove it.
Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?
#40> The real problem with workplace wellness initiatives, according to Katie—beyond being inconvenient and vapid—is their obvious attempt to make up for the company’s poor employee benefits. ‘ The real problem is, wellness seminars are an attempt to push the issue on the employees. Just like "plastic recycling" initiatives push the guilt and the effort onto the consumer. It's a redirection strategy.
I think my wellness is inherently my issue, and I'd prefer that my employer stayed out of it.
This is a limited view akin to thinking you're doing your part for addressing climate change by staying off the grid.
I agree with b0surk that this is redirection and fundamental changes to society need to take place. Like an end to wage slavery.