Comments on: ‘I sat there every day and cried before going to work’

By: franabulax

franabulax — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:26:59 +0000

The whole notion of profitability needs to be reassessed. What the workers take home in pay needs to be included as profit! You work, you produce something, you get a return. Putting all the emphasis on what the moneyed class gets out of an investment as they sit on their collective butt and watch others slave is wrong-headed, and typical of the current narrowly focused capitalistic accounting ethos that needs re-thinking.

By: carlrosin

carlrosin — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 16:31:36 +0000

I sympathize with several of Missinginaction’s points, especially the latter half of his or her post. I do want to quibble with the second paragraph: yes, profitability is essential (who can run a company that loses money every year?), but business can be responsible to shareholders without being irresponsible to employees.

It is a false dilemma to suggest that one has to choose between profitability and employees — look at great companies (all the best-to-work-for lists) that are magnificently profitable. Achieving profitability and maximizing profitability are not necessarily the same thing. There are many ways in which employers maximize for the short-term while foolishly creating perverse incentives.

My brother’s own successful tenure as an executive for one of the nation’s most successful companies proves that it need not be a “fact of life” that “employers have no loyalty to the worker.” Sure, that loyalty can’t be the ONLY consideration, but heaven help us as a nation if we normalize and accept uncritically that maximizing profitability matters AND treating employees well doesn’t.

By: Missinginaction

Missinginaction — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:47:07 +0000

The last two sentences speak volumes. This woman has (or had) all her psyche wrapped up in her job. This is a real issue for older workers. Aside from the financial implications of a later in life lay-off there is all this emotional baggage.

Employers have no loyalty to the worker. In the end, business is responsible to the shareholders or business owners. Profitability is job #1. It’s simply a fact of life.

It’s easy for employees to get attached to their jobs but in today’s world attachment is a recipe for heartbreak.

Learn to separate yourself from your work. You are not your job description. Socialize outside of the work place. Develop interests outside of your job. Perhaps go to school after work. Volunteer!

Do something so that you have an identity outside of your job. Somewhere to go, psychologically, when and if that job goes away.

On more thing. Save, save, save for that rainy day. When you are laid off or lose a job later in life for any reason there is a very high probability that your earnings will never recover. In that case your only financial friend will be your assets.

Younger workers. Are you listening?