what is missing from this is the issue of power. tech companies interpret the rise of AI as empowering management and disempowering workers.
It's the American way to disempower workers. Tech people used to have a moat called expertise and management believes AI has made that obsolete.
Eventually workers in America will need to fight for power, probably through unions. That is the time honored way. There will be a lot of degradation and impoverishment on the way there I think. Fasten your seatbelts.
This is a good and highly relevant piece about the current state of the workplace. I also appreciated the variety of sources for the article. I don't feel psychologically safe at all.
I would also like to offer a warning based on what I've discussed with people who can relate. If you strip away worker's protections against retaliation and humiliation, this is not something only the corporation can do. It opens up corporations from retaliation from workers who were laid off. The current rules of engagement are cruel but I would fear the wrath of people corporate America has wronged.
I know someone who was laid off and the company did everything they could to tarnish their reputation in order to justify it. Even after a few years, this was still following him and affected everything they did whether work related or not. After the non-disparagement period ended from the severance agreement, they went medieval and made sure the company was humiliated. The way they speak about it, I think they will keep this grudge to their grave.
If there's going to be a non-disparagement agreement as part of the severance, shouldn't it be a two-way street? "I get to ruin your reputation, but you can't say anything bad about me" seems manifestly unfair.
Someone really thought to themselves that it was okay to farm attention by using the very technology undermining psychological safety to target everyone who has lost that sense.
This is an insightful way to view the effects of these “system”. People living in constant fear and stress will not only be less productive but less healthy.
I took note of a phenomenon in late-nite talk shows, where there was a constant parade of guests who were promoting their new film, album, book, whatever.
Every single star and celebrity and guest always spoke glowingly of their employers and work environment. They lovingly remembered how awesome everyone was on-set, and how it was a joy to lay down tracks for this album, and a privilege to work with the A-listers, and they're so thankful that they are preparing the Oscar speech even now. Are they telling the truth or just putting on another show? Well, public figures don't really have privacy to scowl and gossip to their celebrity friends, so either they 100% keep up the ruse, or it's gospel truth that they enjoy those jobs, or they earn a bad reputation, and never get work again. Perhaps that contributes to all the addiction cases: acting out a role even in your free time?
And this phenomenon is writ large on LinkedIn where anyone can see legions of new employees celebrating their awesome new job, can't wait to get started, and promotions and milestones are joyous occasions and often you'll be real hard-pressed to find an authentic employee experience that disparages employer or calls their ethics/integrity into question. But the pseudonymous accounts and cloaked identities on other social media are always hysterical and dramatic in their denouncements and their narratives of horror stories from behind closed doors. I mean, some folk are willing to disparage and accuse anyone: their parents, landlord, their church leadership, but that is known as "shitting where you eat", right?
My new-hire experiences haven't been welcoming or celebratory: they've been more along the lines of "ugh we're so desperate we plucked this guy's CV out and he's a warm body who sorta fits our profile and culture, so we're gonna squeeze him for everything for as long as it suits us, while keeping our options open when he inevitably bails again"
So I suppose both realities are true. I've seen LOTS of workplaces with amazing morale and the employees are genuinely pleased to serve there, and they are loyal and they place such high value on their career path and job security, that they do put a positive spin on anything and everything, you know, "like a family here" [a non-dysfunctional one]
So I suppose both phenomena are true at once; there is good and bad, and unfortunately some people like me are just so psychologically damaged by trauma and rejection, that we can't find a safe space anywhere, and we can't find the words to compliment employers or say kind things about them anywhere, and people like me, well, we just aren't cut out for careers or steady employment whatsoever.
Me too apparently. Trying to stay employed after my startup failed has been 3 years of shit. I’ve had 3 jobs in that time. The first one I was managed out, admittedly my fault as I was a poor fit for the culture of that place and had clashes with other employees. The second job I pulled my head in and did my best and got laid off after a restructure. I had a temporary reprieve as I took a management role laying off other people, a task which left me sobbing regularly to the point I had to quit even that. This job is a contract that isn’t getting renewed despite the feedback I was given that my performance was great and mentoring of younger staff had been noted as above and beyond.
I have just about hit rock bottom while grinding out job applications. I’m 58 this year with kids at university I simply can’t afford to be unemployed.
I don’t know whether I can afford to be employed either, workplaces have become a kind of toxic performance theatre where even if you tick all the boxes and do the out of hours schmoozing and whatnot you’re still treated like a service part to be discarded.
I can’t read LinkedIn any more. If it isn’t people being fake about their work experiences it’s half filled with retirees suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome reposting racist or anti woke nonsense to each other.
I’m done with working in this stupid environment but I need the damn money so my only hope is to make it home every day without steering the car into a tree.
what is missing from this is the issue of power. tech companies interpret the rise of AI as empowering management and disempowering workers.
It's the American way to disempower workers. Tech people used to have a moat called expertise and management believes AI has made that obsolete.
Eventually workers in America will need to fight for power, probably through unions. That is the time honored way. There will be a lot of degradation and impoverishment on the way there I think. Fasten your seatbelts.
This is a good and highly relevant piece about the current state of the workplace. I also appreciated the variety of sources for the article. I don't feel psychologically safe at all.
I would also like to offer a warning based on what I've discussed with people who can relate. If you strip away worker's protections against retaliation and humiliation, this is not something only the corporation can do. It opens up corporations from retaliation from workers who were laid off. The current rules of engagement are cruel but I would fear the wrath of people corporate America has wronged.
I know someone who was laid off and the company did everything they could to tarnish their reputation in order to justify it. Even after a few years, this was still following him and affected everything they did whether work related or not. After the non-disparagement period ended from the severance agreement, they went medieval and made sure the company was humiliated. The way they speak about it, I think they will keep this grudge to their grave.
Too bad the wrath of the people corporate america is basically nothing.
If there's going to be a non-disparagement agreement as part of the severance, shouldn't it be a two-way street? "I get to ruin your reputation, but you can't say anything bad about me" seems manifestly unfair.
[dead]
It's really annoying when you open a interesting article and realize it's llm slop.
The amount of "it's not..., it's..." is excruciating. Especially since I find this an important area of discussion.
Someone really thought to themselves that it was okay to farm attention by using the very technology undermining psychological safety to target everyone who has lost that sense.
Sickos
Also just plain repetitive. Could have been half the length
This is an insightful way to view the effects of these “system”. People living in constant fear and stress will not only be less productive but less healthy.
People in charge care the least. Organize and mass strike.
I took note of a phenomenon in late-nite talk shows, where there was a constant parade of guests who were promoting their new film, album, book, whatever.
Every single star and celebrity and guest always spoke glowingly of their employers and work environment. They lovingly remembered how awesome everyone was on-set, and how it was a joy to lay down tracks for this album, and a privilege to work with the A-listers, and they're so thankful that they are preparing the Oscar speech even now. Are they telling the truth or just putting on another show? Well, public figures don't really have privacy to scowl and gossip to their celebrity friends, so either they 100% keep up the ruse, or it's gospel truth that they enjoy those jobs, or they earn a bad reputation, and never get work again. Perhaps that contributes to all the addiction cases: acting out a role even in your free time?
And this phenomenon is writ large on LinkedIn where anyone can see legions of new employees celebrating their awesome new job, can't wait to get started, and promotions and milestones are joyous occasions and often you'll be real hard-pressed to find an authentic employee experience that disparages employer or calls their ethics/integrity into question. But the pseudonymous accounts and cloaked identities on other social media are always hysterical and dramatic in their denouncements and their narratives of horror stories from behind closed doors. I mean, some folk are willing to disparage and accuse anyone: their parents, landlord, their church leadership, but that is known as "shitting where you eat", right?
My new-hire experiences haven't been welcoming or celebratory: they've been more along the lines of "ugh we're so desperate we plucked this guy's CV out and he's a warm body who sorta fits our profile and culture, so we're gonna squeeze him for everything for as long as it suits us, while keeping our options open when he inevitably bails again"
So I suppose both realities are true. I've seen LOTS of workplaces with amazing morale and the employees are genuinely pleased to serve there, and they are loyal and they place such high value on their career path and job security, that they do put a positive spin on anything and everything, you know, "like a family here" [a non-dysfunctional one]
So I suppose both phenomena are true at once; there is good and bad, and unfortunately some people like me are just so psychologically damaged by trauma and rejection, that we can't find a safe space anywhere, and we can't find the words to compliment employers or say kind things about them anywhere, and people like me, well, we just aren't cut out for careers or steady employment whatsoever.
Me too apparently. Trying to stay employed after my startup failed has been 3 years of shit. I’ve had 3 jobs in that time. The first one I was managed out, admittedly my fault as I was a poor fit for the culture of that place and had clashes with other employees. The second job I pulled my head in and did my best and got laid off after a restructure. I had a temporary reprieve as I took a management role laying off other people, a task which left me sobbing regularly to the point I had to quit even that. This job is a contract that isn’t getting renewed despite the feedback I was given that my performance was great and mentoring of younger staff had been noted as above and beyond.
I have just about hit rock bottom while grinding out job applications. I’m 58 this year with kids at university I simply can’t afford to be unemployed.
I don’t know whether I can afford to be employed either, workplaces have become a kind of toxic performance theatre where even if you tick all the boxes and do the out of hours schmoozing and whatnot you’re still treated like a service part to be discarded.
I can’t read LinkedIn any more. If it isn’t people being fake about their work experiences it’s half filled with retirees suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome reposting racist or anti woke nonsense to each other.
I’m done with working in this stupid environment but I need the damn money so my only hope is to make it home every day without steering the car into a tree.