this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2024
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Work Reform
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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
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You get what you pay for, pay your employees shit and get shit. Completely remove all rewards for hard work and no ones going to be incentivized to do more than the bare minnimum.
At the last big boy firm I worked at, they set the metrics for getting a bonus so unrealistically high that it disincentived staff from even trying. It had a negative effect where everybody purposely did just enough to not get fired rather than killing themselves to come up short and get nothing.
They wanted something stupid like 2,500 billable hours which do not include meetings, continuing education, mandatory volunteer time, etc etc etc.
The biggest rock stars in the industry struggle to hit 2,000.
So we all dropped down to the 1,500 range because fuck that shit.
2500 / 40 = 62.5
They expected you to work an additional 10.5 weeks, and didn't count half your duties? No wonder you guys didn't even try.
What was their reaction the next period? Did they lower the goal or double down and keep it high?
Double down. I'm not sure what happened after. I left about six months later.
The few people who stuck it out have since ascended to great heights. At the time, our regional had been absorbed by a national. I think the regional guys were trying to play tough to show off to their new overlords.
I don't know, but I suspect that the national was the lesser of those soul crushing forces.
Regardless, you've got to be a ruthless sociopath to make it big in that industry. Step on your mother's grave in Jack boots to get one rung higher type of stuff.
I've been playing down in the minors for five years now for about one third the money I could've had by now if I had stayed. I regret nothing.
I'm currently a manager but I'm sending in a proposal this week to take a pay cut and work remotely in a non-manager role so I can move way north and get an acreage. Less responsibility, less money but better life. I like the company but I want a life not a career.
It's shocking how much bare minimum work happens, or how much tossing over the fence and "yeah we're aware we'll fix it later" style approaches happen at my job. We can't hire the right level of expertise because we won't pay for it. I've got a foot out the door and it really doesn't matter where I go because it will be a raise for the same stupid kind of environment, but at least it'll be a raise.