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> as a result of the economy Right, right. Slack just won't make it unless everyone works through the holidays. I don't know about you all, but to me it's obv

> as a result of the economy Right, right. Slack just won't make it unless everyone works through the holidays. I don't know about you all, but to me it's obvious that C-levels use moody economic periods as an excuse to do all the Scroogey things they would actually be more than happy to do in any economic season. It would make just as much sense, if not more, to drastically cut their outlandish "performance" pay when the economy is down, but I don't think we'll be seeing much of that.

benatkin 4y ago
Some holidays Those aren't the biggest holidays for everyone, and it isn't even the new year for everyone
- spike021 4y ago
  Then maybe just allow employees to take the week off during a time that's relevant for them. But regardless, with this move everyone loses regardless of when they would enjoy the week off.
  - benatkin 4y ago
    They've absorbed those days, and it will inform their policies. I can see why they wouldn't just make a direct transfer of that time off.
  - namecheapTA 4y ago
    I think they already have something like this where you get a few weeks to take off per year whenever you like and you still get paid.
    - Dylan16807 4y ago
      And is that pool getting an extra week to compensate for this week being removed? And how true is the "whenever you like"?
      - namecheapTA 4y ago
        Idk, I think they're getting as many weeks as their employment contract dictates. That's how it always worked for me.
        Dylan16807 4y ago
        If I'd been getting an extra week beyond that, a long-standing perk that's used to help recruit employees, I'd certainly be annoyed and considering my options if it gets taken away.
        namecheapTA 4y ago
        People consider their options every single time they drive to work. No one is arguing that when perks are taken away you can be sad. But it's not like employers aren't disappointed by employees often too and still keep them for weeks, months, years longer after the disappointment.
- calvinmorrison 4y ago
  well, when the whole company shuts down its actually a lot nicer. Do it in the summer or winter whatever, but it's nice to not miss anything and really let work stop
- klabb3 4y ago
  As a foreigner, I don't care. Holiday schedule is one out of many issues with US-centric policy and culture, but mainstream biases exist everywhere. This is about an employee perk. Extra time off is always much appreciated, especially in the US tech sector where prestige white collar work = your life & identity. Most work overtime during the year anyway and are available outside of business hours and make countless other sacrifices for their employer every hour of every day. Moreover, many of us celebrate Thanksgiving and July 4th anyway, because, well everyone else is (ie the same reason as most Americans).
RpFLCL 4y ago
That reminds me of this post [1], which seems relevant to this circumstance > I read on a post somewhere that if you replace "the economy" with "rich people yatch money" a lot of headlines make more sense. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25507123 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25507123
adamparsons 4y ago
Yeah sorry but that excuse “because of the economy” feels like a half finished sentence. What exactly “the economy” do they mean? The sentence would make just us much sense if they said “because the moon”
- 8note 4y ago
  That's the thing - the economy can be doing however and it'll still be used as an excuse. If you think you're missing something it's because you are, mind you. Its the same meme as calling morbius the most movie
stevage 4y ago
Yep, just wait for the massive bonuses the execs take home despite "the economy".
darth_avocado 4y ago
This is exactly what it is. I feel "management" is just another word for "psycho lunatic sadists". Just do stuff to make people more miserable and blame it on the economy. Firing people and making the others work twice as much? It's the economy. Take free soda from the kitchen that costs cents? It's the economy. Remove 4 days of holidays that would otherwise improve morale and productivity? It's the economy. Make employees waste hours in commute everyday? We obviously need to do it because it's the economy.
shostack 4y ago
I don't know that I go so far as that take, but it certainly feels in some cases like companies had to "bite their tongues" as demand for employees and comp skyrocketed, and now that things are starting to stall, they are picking l pouncing on it to regain the power dynamic they once had through the threat of "be lucky you still have a job." And then they wonder why people leave once conditions permit. In some ways it's almost like the economic change is _welcomed_ because it puts downward pressure on comp (for companies that can weather the storm at least).
- cyberlurker 4y ago
  This is how to fight inflation. It is the goal, not just welcomed.
jdwithit 4y ago
Yeah. Place I was working did a massive layoff at the start of COVID, and immediately began hiring again for the vacated positions. Except now the hires were contractors in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe rather than FTEs in the US. I mean no offense to any posters from those locales. You are a human, I respect you and your skills, most of you are probably better at tech than I am. I am glad you have jobs. The point is the company said "OH NO, THE ECONOMY, WE HAVE TO DOWNSIZE, CANNOT AFFORD THIS HEADCOUNT" out of one side of its mouth. While backfilling those vacated spots as fast as it could from lower cost regions. It was a cowardly, calculated move that they had been praying for an excuse to execute.

benatkin 4y ago

Some holidays Those aren't the biggest holidays for everyone, and it isn't even the new year for everyone

spike021 4y ago
Then maybe just allow employees to take the week off during a time that's relevant for them. But regardless, with this move everyone loses regardless of when they would enjoy the week off.
- benatkin 4y ago
  They've absorbed those days, and it will inform their policies. I can see why they wouldn't just make a direct transfer of that time off.
- namecheapTA 4y ago
  I think they already have something like this where you get a few weeks to take off per year whenever you like and you still get paid.
  - Dylan16807 4y ago
    And is that pool getting an extra week to compensate for this week being removed? And how true is the "whenever you like"?
    - namecheapTA 4y ago
      Idk, I think they're getting as many weeks as their employment contract dictates. That's how it always worked for me.
      - Dylan16807 4y ago
        If I'd been getting an extra week beyond that, a long-standing perk that's used to help recruit employees, I'd certainly be annoyed and considering my options if it gets taken away.
        namecheapTA 4y ago
        People consider their options every single time they drive to work. No one is arguing that when perks are taken away you can be sad. But it's not like employers aren't disappointed by employees often too and still keep them for weeks, months, years longer after the disappointment.
calvinmorrison 4y ago
well, when the whole company shuts down its actually a lot nicer. Do it in the summer or winter whatever, but it's nice to not miss anything and really let work stop
klabb3 4y ago
As a foreigner, I don't care. Holiday schedule is one out of many issues with US-centric policy and culture, but mainstream biases exist everywhere. This is about an employee perk. Extra time off is always much appreciated, especially in the US tech sector where prestige white collar work = your life & identity. Most work overtime during the year anyway and are available outside of business hours and make countless other sacrifices for their employer every hour of every day. Moreover, many of us celebrate Thanksgiving and July 4th anyway, because, well everyone else is (ie the same reason as most Americans).

RpFLCL 4y ago

That reminds me of this post [1], which seems relevant to this circumstance > I read on a post somewhere that if you replace "the economy" with "rich people yatch money" a lot of headlines make more sense. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25507123 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25507123

adamparsons 4y ago

Yeah sorry but that excuse “because of the economy” feels like a half finished sentence. What exactly “the economy” do they mean? The sentence would make just us much sense if they said “because the moon”

8note 4y ago
That's the thing - the economy can be doing however and it'll still be used as an excuse. If you think you're missing something it's because you are, mind you. Its the same meme as calling morbius the most movie

stevage 4y ago

Yep, just wait for the massive bonuses the execs take home despite "the economy".

darth_avocado 4y ago

This is exactly what it is. I feel "management" is just another word for "psycho lunatic sadists". Just do stuff to make people more miserable and blame it on the economy. Firing people and making the others work twice as much? It's the economy. Take free soda from the kitchen that costs cents? It's the economy. Remove 4 days of holidays that would otherwise improve morale and productivity? It's the economy. Make employees waste hours in commute everyday? We obviously need to do it because it's the economy.

shostack 4y ago

I don't know that I go so far as that take, but it certainly feels in some cases like companies had to "bite their tongues" as demand for employees and comp skyrocketed, and now that things are starting to stall, they are picking l pouncing on it to regain the power dynamic they once had through the threat of "be lucky you still have a job." And then they wonder why people leave once conditions permit. In some ways it's almost like the economic change is _welcomed_ because it puts downward pressure on comp (for companies that can weather the storm at least).

cyberlurker 4y ago
This is how to fight inflation. It is the goal, not just welcomed.

jdwithit 4y ago

Yeah. Place I was working did a massive layoff at the start of COVID, and immediately began hiring again for the vacated positions. Except now the hires were contractors in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe rather than FTEs in the US. I mean no offense to any posters from those locales. You are a human, I respect you and your skills, most of you are probably better at tech than I am. I am glad you have jobs. The point is the company said "OH NO, THE ECONOMY, WE HAVE TO DOWNSIZE, CANNOT AFFORD THIS HEADCOUNT" out of one side of its mouth. While backfilling those vacated spots as fast as it could from lower cost regions. It was a cowardly, calculated move that they had been praying for an excuse to execute.