3 ms·

"the point we make in the book is that few employees expect or want lifetime employment at a single company;" Expect? Of course not, anymore; you'd be a fool t

by kenko 11y ago

"the point we make in the book is that few employees expect or want lifetime employment at a single company;" Expect? Of course not, anymore; you'd be a fool to expect that. Want? Well, more complicated: if it's a matter of wanting lifetime employment in the presently existing field of options, as employment and firms are presently constituted (and as firms presently look at employees), maybe not. If it's a matter of wanting to be working in the kind of regime in which lifetime employment really was more common, the answer might change. Your response to 3 is a non sequitur. And employment as a condition is certainly not a voluntary matter: think of what that would mean! (Hint: it would mean that anyone who wanted to could quit their job and not seek employment elsewhere and things would be fine. We don't live in that world.)

chrisyeh 11y ago
Two clarifications: When I say "lifetime employment at a single company," I refer to spending one's entire career at a single firm. When I say that employment is a voluntary relationship, I mean that the employer cannot compel an employee to accept a job offer, and that an employee cannot compel an employer to extend one.
- chris_wot 11y ago
  You are basically saying that all employment is for contractors with fixed start and end dates and that must be extended! That's not how permanent employment works in many parts of the world, nor is it even desirable.
  - chrisyeh 11y ago
    I have to admit that I'm primarily familiar with the US economy, where nearly all workers are "at will" employees. This means that anyone can be terminated at any time, without a reason being given.
  - sokoloff 11y ago
    My experience suggests that those permanent employment policies serve to discourage employment. As a US-based employer, I'm often puzzled/confused by some of the practices around the world. (I'm sure the converse is probably true for EU-based employers considering expanding into the US.)

by kenko 11y ago

chrisyeh 11y ago

Two clarifications: When I say "lifetime employment at a single company," I refer to spending one's entire career at a single firm. When I say that employment is a voluntary relationship, I mean that the employer cannot compel an employee to accept a job offer, and that an employee cannot compel an employer to extend one.

chris_wot 11y ago
You are basically saying that all employment is for contractors with fixed start and end dates and that must be extended! That's not how permanent employment works in many parts of the world, nor is it even desirable.
- chrisyeh 11y ago
  I have to admit that I'm primarily familiar with the US economy, where nearly all workers are "at will" employees. This means that anyone can be terminated at any time, without a reason being given.
- sokoloff 11y ago
  My experience suggests that those permanent employment policies serve to discourage employment. As a US-based employer, I'm often puzzled/confused by some of the practices around the world. (I'm sure the converse is probably true for EU-based employers considering expanding into the US.)