Comments on: The workplace’s new normal http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/03/01/the-workplaces-new-normal/ Mon, 20 May 2013 13:08:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: moirad http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/03/01/the-workplaces-new-normal/comment-page-1/#comment-42047 moirad Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:20:14 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/?p=11968#comment-42047 The best employees to have are those that can work anywhere, but choose to work at your company. That should be the goal of all leaders. Times might be tough now, but when things change - and they will- you hardly want all your IP walking out the door! The best employees to have are those that can work anywhere, but choose to work at your company. That should be the goal of all leaders. Times might be tough now, but when things change – and they will- you hardly want all your IP walking out the door!

]]> By: MidwestVoice http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/03/01/the-workplaces-new-normal/comment-page-1/#comment-41914 MidwestVoice Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:26:21 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/?p=11968#comment-41914 And what about all those companies that don't have many 'employees', preferring instead to hire 'consultants' and 'independent contractors'? Those who have permanent 'temporary' positions that appeal to corporate bean counters since there is no commitment to keeping that worker and no benefits need be offered. Even the 'contract' they offer has less guarantee than what any cell phone company requires and enforces! I have to pay off my cell phone provider (and not even at a pro-rated rate!) if I change providers or cancel my service, yet my employer does not have to give me even an hours notice to break my so-called 'contract' and pays nothing to break it. So, not only do I not have benefits (other than what I buy in the private market at higher prices for less benefits and with after tax dollars!), I don't even have the protection of an actual 'contract' even though they tell the IRS that I am a 'contract worker'. So no, I don't find it likely that companies in the US are going to be concerned about improving conditions for their employees (or independent contractors); the main point they will take from this survey is that employees are not looking to leave (there are few places to go!) and so are more likely reduce pay, benefits, and opportunities than to increase them. And what about all those companies that don’t have many ‘employees’, preferring instead to hire ‘consultants’ and ‘independent contractors’? Those who have permanent ‘temporary’ positions that appeal to corporate bean counters since there is no commitment to keeping that worker and no benefits need be offered. Even the ‘contract’ they offer has less guarantee than what any cell phone company requires and enforces! I have to pay off my cell phone provider (and not even at a pro-rated rate!) if I change providers or cancel my service, yet my employer does not have to give me even an hours notice to break my so-called ‘contract’ and pays nothing to break it. So, not only do I not have benefits (other than what I buy in the private market at higher prices for less benefits and with after tax dollars!), I don’t even have the protection of an actual ‘contract’ even though they tell the IRS that I am a ‘contract worker’.

So no, I don’t find it likely that companies in the US are going to be concerned about improving conditions for their employees (or independent contractors); the main point they will take from this survey is that employees are not looking to leave (there are few places to go!) and so are more likely reduce pay, benefits, and opportunities than to increase them.

]]> By: MidwestVoice http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/03/01/the-workplaces-new-normal/comment-page-1/#comment-41913 MidwestVoice Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:26:18 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/?p=11968#comment-41913 And what about all those companies that don't have many 'employees', preferring instead to hire 'consultants' and 'independent contractors'? Those who have permanent 'temporary' positions that appeal to corporate bean counters since there is no commitment to keeping that worker and no benefits need be offered. Even the 'contract' they offer has less guarantee than what any cell phone company requires and enforces! I have to pay off my cell phone provider (and not even at a pro-rated rate!) if I change providers or cancel my service, yet my employer does not have to give me even an hours notice to break my so-called 'contract' and pays nothing to break it. So, not only do I not have benefits (other than what I buy in the private market at higher prices for less benefits and with after tax dollars!), I don't even have the protection of an actual 'contract' even though they tell the IRS that I am a 'contract worker'. So no, I don't find it likely that companies in the US are going to be concerned about improving conditions for their employees (or independent contractors); the main point they will take from this survey is that employees are not looking to leave (there are few places to go!) and so are more likely reduce pay, benefits, and opportunities than to increase them. And what about all those companies that don’t have many ‘employees’, preferring instead to hire ‘consultants’ and ‘independent contractors’? Those who have permanent ‘temporary’ positions that appeal to corporate bean counters since there is no commitment to keeping that worker and no benefits need be offered. Even the ‘contract’ they offer has less guarantee than what any cell phone company requires and enforces! I have to pay off my cell phone provider (and not even at a pro-rated rate!) if I change providers or cancel my service, yet my employer does not have to give me even an hours notice to break my so-called ‘contract’ and pays nothing to break it. So, not only do I not have benefits (other than what I buy in the private market at higher prices for less benefits and with after tax dollars!), I don’t even have the protection of an actual ‘contract’ even though they tell the IRS that I am a ‘contract worker’.

So no, I don’t find it likely that companies in the US are going to be concerned about improving conditions for their employees (or independent contractors); the main point they will take from this survey is that employees are not looking to leave (there are few places to go!) and so are more likely reduce pay, benefits, and opportunities than to increase them.

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