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I was once called into HR for smoking outdoors on a balcony that no one ever told me was no smoking. No signs. I found the ritual humiliating and belittling. Th
by okareaman 5y ago
I was once called into HR for smoking outdoors on a balcony that no one ever told me was no smoking. No signs. I found the ritual humiliating and belittling. Then they had an issue for going to group therapy at the end of the day because management decided to get pizza and make everyone work late. I hated corporate culture with a passion. It definitely screwed up my creativity and productivity. If you like going into the office go, but let people like me work at home please. I like to write code, not fit into your idea of a new family.
- dkjaudyeqooe 5y agoThis rings true. The fact that people enjoy corporate offices and make friends there beggars belief. I always though that's where people with personality disorders ended up. Sociopathic (and usually incompetent) management, petty office politics of the lowest order and a focus on anything but the actual work meant that the only way I could tolerate it was a few months at a time, and as a contractor. Then they at least mostly left you out of it. I'm sure every place is different, and there are happy offices with cool people (I had no such luck), but unless you're cut out for this particular flavor of social pathology, it's living hell.
- okareaman 5y agoThe people who enjoy the camaraderie of the office, signing birthday cards, gossiping by the water cooler and talking about their 10K run for charity never struck me as the smartest people. It always struck me as a ridiculous waste of time.
- dougmwne 5y agoThe entire thing feels like such a charade to me. Cute birthday cards and asking about each other's weekends. All signaling and no real human empathy. The moment someone needs actual support they are kicked to the curb. Not our problem! The person who sat in the cube with my Partner for years committed suicide. Poof, it was like he never worked there. Have facilities clean out the desk. This is not your family.
- okareaman 5y agoThey encouraged us to dress up for Halloween. A coworker came in with a cowboy costume including a toy gun. HR sent him home for bringing a gun to work. It was one of those you used to be able to buy at the 5 and dime. It might even have been his toy gun when he was a kid. It was absurd. As soon as it was time to do layoffs, they let him go. The family friendly atmosphere evaporates quickly when it's time to do layoffs. Your description of what happens after a suicide sounds about like I would expect.
- dougmwne 5y agoI managed a Black woman. She was being harassed by an executive. I tried to intervene. It got worse. It was racist. I saw it with my own eyes. My boss saw it with his own eyes. She went to HR. I supported her. My boss supported her. I was fired. My boss was fired. No one stood up for us. Everyone cut contact with us. The "work family" people really don't get it.
- dkjaudyeqooe 5y agoThat's shocking but not surprising. When people site "a feeling of belonging" for why they take full time jobs, it just plain creeps me out. It's the inverse of family behavior: people use their power over you solely for their own benefit, usually in an immoral way.
- okareaman 5y agoImagine your real family was like a corporate family. You're at a family gathering and your grandfather calls you aside and tells you, "we're sorry, we're going to have to let you go. We don't think you're a good fit for our family. It's just not working out."