Originally Posted By SpokkerJones I love the companies where they ask for what basically amounts to Superman in the job advert, yet at the end list minimum wage and no benefits. If you are going to offer minimum wage, then be honest in your job ad. "Looking for somewhat reliable person to do menial tasks. Not looking for a self-started, just someone to do what we say. Provide good customer service but you don't have to smile or anything. We know you are already dead inside."
Originally Posted By Mr X ***X, Boston?! What? No West Coast time?*** I wish! But this year, getting back to the old hometown is our number 1 priority. ***And as for Boston - what dates are you looking at*** I'll send you an email.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones When you do speak up about work conditions and lack of vacation, you will invariably be rebuked. This sort of thing is hard to explain without examples, so here's one from the CNN article. "I'm sorry, but a 26-year-old agent for children's books has absolutely nothing of value to say about the pressures of working. Check back when you're 50, have a mortgage, kids in college, and your company is investigating replacing you with a cheap, 26-year-old from China." Complain about lack of vacation and someone else who claims to have it worse will tell you to quit whining. This person chose to make their life very stressful and is not courageous enough to demand better work conditions and actual time to relax away from the job, so everybody else has to be miserable too.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I had a conversation about this with an American friend at the start of the year. (I'm Australian.) Neither of us knew that much about the other's paid leave system, so it was quite an eye-opening discussion! She couldn't understand how Australians can afford to take 4 weeks off work to travel - she assumed they were all taking 4 weeks off without pay. And I didn't realise there's no long service leave over there. As a teacher I can get it after 7 years, even if I change schools every year. I consider myself fairly hardworking, but I just can't imagine anything more depressing than working all year round with little or no paid leave! Also, a question - if you don't take your 2 weeks' worth of vacation time in a year does it roll over to the following year, or do you lose it? Or is that different in every job, making it impossible to answer?
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "Or is that different in every job, making it impossible to answer?" It's different in every job, making it hard to answer, especially when looking at the private v. public sector. Teachers here in California are getting attacked right now for being too greedy and making too much, for example. Depending on what a union has negotiated for them, they might have a vacation that rolls over if unused. However, there's a push on now (mostly from the conservative right) to eliminate the rollover aspect of it, and especially being paid for unused vacation or sick leave if a person were to quit or retire. Many government jobs have this feature, and government workers as a group are looked upon as pariahs right now by many conservatives, as they still have job rights the private sector has eliminated.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones People attack teachers for making too much without realizing that you need to have an advanced degree for most teaching positions. In many instances a masters is required. People basically take this pool of people with bachelor's and master's degrees and compare them to everybody in the private sector and go, "Welp, teachers make X% more than we do! Get 'em!"
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Complain about lack of vacation and someone else who claims to have it worse will tell you to quit whining.<< We snipe at each other while companies continue to keep wages stagnant and cut benefits. That's if you're lucky - your job could always be off-shored. Good luck saying anything to your own co-workers or trying to start a movement within. Those of us who aren't sunshine and roses quickly learn to keep our mouthes shut. We find comrades and whisper quietly, but that's it.
Originally Posted By ecdc And BTW, I don't hate my job, contrary to the impression I might be giving. I feel very fortunate to work for a successful company in the midst of this economic nightmare. But for companies, that's not good enough. Thinking "It's a good job," Just. Isn't. Good. Enough. They want your heart and soul. I've sat in rooms with managers who told us we should be so excited about where we work they should have to hold us back from getting a tattoo of the company logo. I've been told we should wear t-shirts and jackets with the company logo when we go out on Friday night. There is a bizarre corporate pride going on. Alone, it's obnoxious but largely harmless. But what it really does is create an environment of "the company can do no wrong." It warps the thinking of employees, so when the company is busted doing something illegal and fined by state and/or federal governments, employees just hate the government. And when the company slowly, but oh so surely, screws over employees, it's accepted with a giant grin and a twisted willingness to bend over and grab one's ankles. This is corporate America.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >This is corporate America< Cue up the Geto Boys' "Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta"
Originally Posted By fkurucz "Our short term disability is limited to 4 weeks before it becomes longterm, but it's 100% pay based on a 40-hr work week." Actually, our short term is 6 months. I work for a small company, and they treat us well. I'm only expected to put in 40 hours a weeks, I gat annual raises (unlike at HP where they CUT everyone's pay). It was alsmot funny at HP. Every quarter we'd get a blast-o-gram email from the head honcho in HR. Before I would read it I would wonder "OK, what are they taking away from us this time?" as it was NEVER good news. One time they reduced vacation time earned by one week, another time they cancelled the pension plan, then another time they would reduce 401K match, or cut everyone's pay, etc.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^Mark Hurd. Czarly laid me off. I came back later when Hurd ran the place. To my dismay it was actually worse under Hurd. It was hard to believe that HP could have a CEO who felt such contempt for his employees. I left in 2009. Never again.
Originally Posted By andyll <<People basically take this pool of people with bachelor's and master's degrees and compare them to everybody in the private sector and go, "Welp, teachers make X% more than we do! Get 'em!">> Plus they seem to want government workers to have the same lousy benefits we in the private sector now have.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Now that is always the interesting one that I see in the US and the UK. Often you will get someone in their 40's or 50's who left school at 18 and cry blue murder if someone in their late 20's early 30's is earning more than them (especially if that person is a post grad, with professional qualifications and a glowing track record.). Heck, we see it here when people discuss issues at WDW. They call certain things elitism. We make choices in life, we are also empowered to act as well. I have campaigned on numerous issues where we have been successful - disability rights, introduction of a youth minister, etc. When people give up, it seems the antithesis of what I was brought up to believe makes us good Americans, citizens or simply people. Obama addressed the House of Commons and Lords this week and discussed the moral imparitive to support democracy and the will of the people in places like Egypt and Libya. Heck, he even criticised the UK PM's economic policy for cutting (DWB applauds Obama on this). Surely there are measures that can be taken? What about writing to one's congressman as a start?
Originally Posted By Labuda "Actually, our short term is 6 months. I work for a small company, and they treat us well. I'm only expected to put in 40 hours a weeks, I gat annual raises (unlike at HP where they CUT everyone's pay)." VERY COOL! I still am darned glad that I got full pay the couple of times I had to use my STD - longest term for that was about 2 weeks/10 days. "It was alsmot funny at HP. Every quarter we'd get a blast-o-gram email from the head honcho in HR. Before I would read it I would wonder "OK, what are they taking away from us this time?" as it was NEVER good news. One time they reduced vacation time earned by one week, another time they cancelled the pension plan, then another time they would reduce 401K match, or cut everyone's pay, etc." Yeah, I've got a very good friend who is still with HP - I feel for him every dang time I hear something like the 5% pay decrease, lowering their 401(k) match, etc. I'm happy to say that, despite everything, I still do love my job and think I've got it pretty good. Shame on me?
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^ HP not the only place this is commonplace at unfortunately-- however when you are mid 50's- aside from trying to start your own business- no one wants you, regardless of good health, multiple degrees etc.. I know
Originally Posted By Labuda ^^^ Yeah, I just FLIPPED about a month ago when we got a new co-worker on my account...a network engineer... who's over 70! OMG!
Originally Posted By fkurucz "HP not the only place this is commonplace at unfortunately-- however when you are mid 50's- aside from trying to start your own business- no one wants you, regardless of good health, multiple degrees etc.. I know" And HP HR knows this very well. The know that the folks who have been there 20-30 years are NOT going to quit, no matter what. For many of them HP has been their ONLY job since graduation day and the very thought of working somewhere else scares them.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^ Yeah, I just FLIPPED about a month ago when we got a new co-worker on my account...a network engineer... who's over 70! OMG! ----- most likely hired on a 'contract' basis - no benefit-- but I am still glad to see that at 70 since my pension is long gone - and no politicians fought to keep it for me
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