Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam? • Hacker News Board

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#111

Post by ReactiveJelly » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:08 PM UTC

AussieWog93 wrote: post #84

throwamon wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Family and friends don't give performance reviews and push other such metrics down your throat Oh, but society sure is hard at work moving towards this. Edit: I'm short of time, but as someone asked me to elaborate, I'll briefly give a few examples: - "Networking" replacing genuine friendships; related things such as "cut out friends who don't let you grow" which may be valid but usually translates to "replace them…

I think middle class society in the West has already reached this stage. I was talking about this the other day with my wife, after stewing about it bitterly for hours into the night. The most common form of interpersonal interaction has changed from genuine offers of assistance to displays of status and evaluations of said displays. It's unthinkable to do something as basic as ask your neighbour to "borrow" an egg o…

> The most common form of interpersonal interaction has changed from genuine offers of assistance to displays of status and evaluations of said displays.

I don't actually mind the lack of cake. There's never going to be "too much cake", even if the communists got what they think they want.

I'm not much of a gift-giving person, so if a neighbor brought me cake, I'd feel like I owe them something in return, which is a weird feeling I don't want.

And I don't feel any status pressure, because I never even talk to my neighbors. My lawn looks like shit, my neighbors probably know, who cares.

No, it seems to me the principal component is online vs. offline. The most common form of interpersonal interaction for me, even before 2020, is talking to people online, on Reddit, Discord, or Hacker News.

Most of my neighbors are not people who I really want to be friends with. They're mostly older than me, mostly parents, probably with no shared hobbies or interests. But that's probably not even the result of "modernity" or "The Whest", it's probably because I'm a programmer with no kids who moved into a suburb where people assume you'll eventually have kids.

So the upshot is, I have to drive a long ways if I want to see a friend in-person. Which puts a chilling effect on making friends at all.

I often miss the college dormitories. Everyone is within a few years of age, nobody had children, many people had the same major or similar majors, and everyone was packed in close with no need to drive. But you can't treat a studio apartment as a real estate investment, so Real Adults don't want to live in a place like that.

> The obvious conclusion to this shift, which is already playing out, is that people minimise the amount of interaction with others and we all become lonelier.

Yeah, I don't like it either. But part of me thinks, it's also just becoming obvious how many people are not worth talking to.

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#112

Post by fernandotakai » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:09 PM UTC

fogihujy wrote: post #79

svenghopeful wrote: post #58

As a somewhat outside observer (socially liberal/democrat country, in SWE but outside of VC/Silicon Valley/FAANG - for now!), I wonder if the community think the rise in "F** you, pay me"[1][2] sentiment will be mediated in any way? I can definitely see the rise of this feeling with record profits, sky high stock prices, big Venture Funding rounds paired with rising income inequality it makes sense. If a group of wor…

I haven't been in Sweden for a while, but in Finland there's large headlines about a major shortage of tech workers, but based on what I've seen it's basically tech workers changing careers because they are: 1) fed up with useless benefits 2) get no possibilities for developing their skills while on the job 3) are expected to work unpaid overtime for wages that won't pay the rent in the larger cities I've no idea how…

>in Finland there's large headlines about a major shortage of tech workers

same where i live, tons of headlines saying there's shortage, but in our case, the salaries are just horrible. not only that but when you have a job that pays well, they basically demand your life for the company.

it's much better to work as a contractor for foreign companies than working at local ones.

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#113

Post by nkohari » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:10 PM UTC

In case it wasn't apparent, it's useful to keep in mind that Tribune is very explicitly [0] a socialist magazine. That isn't to undermine the article's point -- which I largely agree with -- it's just critical to keep in mind the author's intent.

[0] https://tribunemag.co.uk/about

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#114

Post by ReactiveJelly » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:12 PM UTC

bsenftner wrote: post #34

b0rsuk wrote: post #14

> 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. (FWI…

I can meditate just fine on my own, I just wish my company would put it in the handbook saying it's okay to space out and relax as part of working.

I wish my company would give us a handbook...

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#115

Post by ghaff » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:15 PM UTC

geofft wrote: post #109

shoto_io wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I came here to say exactly that. There is pressure everywhere. CEOs are scared of boards. Boards are scared of shareholders. It's just not that visible because there is no tool like "OfficeVibe" showing this transparently. Sure, they get paid well. So you could argue that they have to take the pressure.

Stop having boards and shareholders then. Or, at least tell them, our growth target this year is 2%, our growth max is 10%, if we grow more than that I'm concerned about the pressure on my employees and my goal is to have a great and sustainable place to work and not to fill the universe with paperclips, and I'm going to start laying off sales and marketing if we're taking on more commitments than we can handle. We'r…

A private company can do more or less what the owners want. Of course, they'll probably have less access to capital and employees should expect commensurate compensation/no opportunity for public stock appreciation/etc.

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#116

Post by ReactiveJelly » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:15 PM UTC

fernandotakai wrote: post #104

Rompect wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree completely. As someone who is a "loner", these "perks" of a workplace are actively an argument against it. Just let me choose how and with whom I spend my time, thanks.

also, most of those perks are made to keep you at the office. "oh you wanna play videogames/have a massage/play table tennis after work? sure! but you can't leave the office, which means you are accessible by everyone even after hours. and because you are not technically working, you won't get overtime. oops."

I told my manager that if they want more than 40 hours per week, we can negotiate overtime. And considering my tax bracket, I'd rather be compensated with vacation days than money.

I don't understand why _anyone_ should be on a salary model of compensation. It doesn't feel like a privilege awarded to me as a middle-class white-collar worker. The privilege is the fact that I can tell my manager to stick it and I won't get canned immediately.

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#117

Post by minikites » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:16 PM UTC

>but no amount of self-care can substitute for a living wage, manageable hours and secure employment.

The motivation behind not providing these things is so that employees are too burned out to look for another job: https://issendai.com/psychology/sick-systems.html

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#118

Post by shoto_io » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:18 PM UTC

kenjackson wrote: post #103

shoto_io wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I came here to say exactly that. There is pressure everywhere. CEOs are scared of boards. Boards are scared of shareholders. It's just not that visible because there is no tool like "OfficeVibe" showing this transparently. Sure, they get paid well. So you could argue that they have to take the pressure.

And there are people who say we’re paid well. There’s always someone who thinks you need to suck it up because of how much you get paid.

I’m not saying it’s fair. I’m simply articulating what most people think, I believe.

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#119

Post by ReactiveJelly » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:18 PM UTC

goldcd wrote: post #59

laurent123456 wrote: post #41

In China I worked at a company which year after year was getting awards as a great place to work. But the perks meant staying after work for various events I couldn't care less about. For me the best perk I could have is to take a break from office stuff, not prolonging it after hours. Meanwhile, the whole IT department had to be moved at some point in a tiny office with no windows. They were also putting a lot of pr…

I went through a stage of detesting pizza. "To thank you for your hard work, I've ordered pizza for everyone!" 'What time is it arriving?' "7pm" 'Right so you're stealing 2 hours of my time, which you're valuing as a couple of pizza slices - and imagined I'd be grateful?'

"To thank _me_ for my hard work, I'm leaving at 5 to go get Chinese takeout"

Re: Workplace Wellbeing Is a Scam?

#120

Post by discordance » Tue, May 11, 2021, 1:18 PM UTC

kumarvvr wrote: post #23

Workplace wellbeing Wholesome workplace Workplace is a family and a myriad of other touchy-feely terms are just plain bullshit. Whole industries have cropped up to support the efforts of managements to keep workforces in control and deflect resentment (people don't leave companies, they leave managers ! and other crap) The ground reality is when the company feels you are not needed, all that touch-feely stuff goes do…

I guess it’s nice that they are trying to care and all but I’m so sick of it at my work.

People encouraged to bring their ‘whole self’ to work has made my workplace miserable. I miss the days when work was just work, devoid of world politics, beliefs, and all the “let’s all exercise and be happy together” activities.