Work culture

mrb7 · Jun 22, 2016

Daveho said:
it's a shame but I've lost faith in the company so I just feel like the long hours are a total waste and in turn this just makes me miserable for my work week.

I know how you feel. We *HAD* a really awesome team last year. But after a reorg I'm looking at myself in the mirror every morning asking why I bother to do one iota beyond what's required.

So, for me, what's required is that I interview a few places and move on. Been working on that for a couple of months.

Badgerstate36 · Jun 23, 2016

Its like that all over. No matter where you work, theres people who will throw you under the bus every chance they get.

emwolf · Jun 23, 2016

Daveho said:
it's a shame but I've lost faith in the company so I just feel like the long hours are a total waste and in turn this just makes me miserable for my work week.

I hear you. After working over 20 years at one newspaper I was part of the purge when they let half of the company go. They gave me 3 weeks severance. 3 weeks for 20+ years. I no longer have a loyalty to anybody I work for. My loyalty is to myself. If it will benefit me, then I'll put in some extra time. If it doesn't, then I'm only an 8-5 kinda guy.

Daveho · Jun 23, 2016

emwolf said:
I hear you. After working over 20 years at one newspaper I was part of the purge when they let half of the company go. They gave me 3 weeks severance. 3 weeks for 20+ years. I no longer have a loyalty to anybody I work for. My loyalty is to myself. If it will benefit me, then I'll put in some extra time. If it doesn't, then I'm only an 8-5 kinda guy.

Wow, that's really rough, sorry to hear it.
personally I don't see any issue with coming in, doing the job you are paid to do then leaving on time. Frankly if they want more then they are welcome to pay for it in over time IMHO, this culture of going above and beyond for your employer just isn't in your best interests if it's expected and unappreciated.

Cash_Stronomer · Jun 23, 2016

emwolf said:
I hear you. After working over 20 years at one newspaper I was part of the purge when they let half of the company go. They gave me 3 weeks severance. 3 weeks for 20+ years. I no longer have a loyalty to anybody I work for. My loyalty is to myself. If it will benefit me, then I'll put in some extra time. If it doesn't, then I'm only an 8-5 kinda guy.

Honestly, if that were where I currently am I'd say you got a sweet walking away package. I don't think my company can be bothered with a thank you or a hand shake, because that requires contact and humans are yucky! I've learned that lesson you now go by, I'm certainly in my work, or any work from now on, for no reason other than financial gain, that's it! If anybody wants any company loyalty, there's always an idiot near the top for that!

mrb7 · Jun 23, 2016

There is a lot of talk in the job market today about the changing nature of work.

In days gone by Thomas Watson Sr. then Jr. set the previous generation's gold standard at IBM. For over 70 years IBM never laid off anyone. From a janitor to an executive. That didn't mean you couldn't get fired for cause. And it didn't mean you couldn't refuse the relocation they offered if business warranted it. (The internal joke was that IBM meant I Been Moved)

But the basic premiss was that if you worked at IBM, then you worked at IBM. They would find you something, retrain if necessary, and if you left because you refused it, then that was your choice. The Watsons' theory was that you were a far more productive employee if you didn't worry.

Fast forward to 2016. Forget everything I just wrote. The emerging model is what's known as the Hollywood model. In Hollywood, once a studio decides to pursue a project - a movie - a few key roles are filled, like director and producer, then those key people assemble a project team. Once the project is complete the team disbands. Basically everyone is unemployed again, and looking for a new project. (Far different model than in the '30s and '40 with house actors.)

Obviously this isn't happening next week in most places. But it's where we are evolving to.

Cash_Stronomer · Jun 24, 2016

It's totally true though. I notice in the last few years how so many businesses come and go quickly, or a bought and sold even almost annually, and how call center's, as popular as they are, spring up all over and leave just as quick as seasons change. Do what you gotta do than do something else.

emwolf · Jun 24, 2016

mrb7 said:
There is a lot of talk in the job market today about the changing nature of work.

In days gone by Thomas Watson Sr. then Jr. set the previous generation's gold standard at IBM. For over 70 years IBM never laid off anyone. From a janitor to an executive. That didn't mean you couldn't get fired for cause. And it didn't mean you couldn't refuse the relocation they offered if business warranted it. (The internal joke was that IBM meant I Been Moved)

But the basic premiss was that if you worked at IBM, then you worked at IBM. They would find you something, retrain if necessary, and if you left because you refused it, then that was your choice. The Watsons' theory was that you were a far more productive employee if you didn't worry.

Fast forward to 2016. Forget everything I just wrote. The emerging model is what's known as the Hollywood model. In Hollywood, once a studio decides to pursue a project - a movie - a few key roles are filled, like director and producer, then those key people assemble a project team. Once the project is complete the team disbands. Basically everyone is unemployed again, and looking for a new project. (Far different model than in the '30s and '40 with house actors.)

Obviously this isn't happening next week in most places. But it's where we are evolving to.

Very good description.

Cody Gearhart · Jun 30, 2016

I work in a discount department store as a cleaner. The work culture is ok here. The management is very understanding and they work with you depending on many things. People seem to get along. So far, no problems with the work culture here.

emwolf · Jul 1, 2016

so, yesterday we had a mandatory management webinar regarding exempt and non-exempt employees. According to the new rules, none in our office would qualify as exempt (salaried with no overtime) because none of us earn enough. We're a small office and I think sometimes the larger offices forget we're here. So, company solutions are: raise salary (yeah right) layoffs (probably) manage to work only 40 hours/week (absolutely horrific to our upper management) or fork over the time-and-a-half (again, yeah right).

Cash_Stronomer · Jul 1, 2016

Sometimes I feel like my management takes their problems home at night and seeks the advice of their children!

mrb7 · Jul 1, 2016

Cash_Stronomer said:
Sometimes I feel like my management takes their problems home at night and seeks the advice of their children!

Some of those solutions would probably be decent. Until kids are old enough to be cynical they're actually pretty decent and fair.

I like the concept of asking the dog. If they don't understand, treat it like a fire hydrant.

Doc4 · Jul 1, 2016

Gansett said:
Guy I worked with would constantly come up to me with a problem and ask how I'd solve it. Being new to that company but having more experience in the field I'd tell him. I didn't want to make waves. If it worked he'd take all the credit. If he didn't he'd say he asked me but obviously I didn't know what I was doing. That happened 3 times, I must be a slow learner huh?
From then on if he asked me anything I was too busy.
Manager said he knew what he was doing as his work had my ''fingerprints'' all over it. Really frosted him when I was promoted over him.

You should have offered him advice on how to solve that one, too.

:001_rolle

StillShaving · Jul 1, 2016

emwolf said:
so, yesterday we had a mandatory management webinar regarding exempt and non-exempt employees. According to the new rules, none in our office would qualify as exempt (salaried with no overtime) because none of us earn enough. We're a small office and I think sometimes the larger offices forget we're here. So, company solutions are: raise salary (yeah right) layoffs (probably) manage to work only 40 hours/week (absolutely horrific to our upper management) or fork over the time-and-a-half (again, yeah right).

Sounds like a side effect of the recent department of labor overtime rule changes. I understand you and your colleagues point of view, but this was a predicted side effect of those new rules. As I understand it, the salary level threshold for exempt work had not been changed in decades so a lot of "catching up" was needed but it was done all at once and with only 6 months between announcement of new rules and their enactment. Causing a lot of stress on company cash flow streams. So the quick fix was predictably to allow no overtime, no flextime, no work from home, no checking of emails after hours, etc. so as not to pay out more from existing and relatively fixed company budgets. Hopefully this can sort itself out satisfactorily in most companies without too much strife.

emwolf · Jul 2, 2016

StillShaving said:
Sounds like a side effect of the recent department of labor overtime rule changes. I understand you and your colleagues point of view, but this was a predicted side effect of those new rules. As I understand it, the salary level threshold for exempt work had not been changed in decades so a lot of "catching up" was needed but it was done all at once and with only 6 months between announcement of new rules and their enactment. Causing a lot of stress on company cash flow streams. So the quick fix was predictably to allow no overtime, no flextime, no work from home, no checking of emails after hours, etc. so as not to pay out more from existing and relatively fixed company budgets. Hopefully this can sort itself out satisfactorily in most companies without too much strife.

I'm not complaining, I'm low on the totem pole in management and, even with bonuses, fall below the threshold for being exempt. I have a feeling I'll be one with a target on my back. My point is, they'll probably do layoffs in order to achieve their goals and I none in my office (management or front line) make enough to be exempt.

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