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SpaceX sends real people on rockets into space. If they dont do the job right, people could die. Ive had a back injury, I actually had an artificial disc plac

SpaceX sends real people on rockets into space. If they dont do the job right, people could die. Ive had a back injury, I actually had an artificial disc placed at my L4/L5 (which by the way is a life-saver and my back is 100% now). But there is no way in hell I could do a demanding job or any job at all when I was going through that. Creating redundancy for his position is a no-brainer in this situation.

SXX 4y ago
Right. Making people work 10 hours a day, 7 days a week is exactly the way to avoid human error and accidents.
- trident5000 4y ago
  Thats shifting the goalpost, I didnt comment on SpaceX overall work hours. I commented on a specific employee being disabled. That said, his rockets work - so what argument do you really have? for jmull below: "no relevant information" He needed back surgery and I have myself had back surgery. I have first hand experience on this topic. Your comment is really out of touch.
  - jmull 4y ago
    You've diagnosed a person's work capacity despite having none of the relevant information and no training to do so. Really, how can you possibly believe this judgement has any bearing on the situation?
  - SXX 4y ago
    I was referring to OP that you replied to. You basically stating that SpaceX have to be careful about letting him work after surgery. At the same time they're totally okay overworking engineers all the time which is known to inevitably lead to human errors. Fact that Musks' rockets work might be very well despite terrible work conditions.
    - SXX 4y ago
      Historical reference: soviet rockets also worked even though some of engineers almost died in Gulag camps.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
ben_w 4y ago
If that was all they'd done, it would've been fine. However, according to this story, that was just the turning point and even his manager didn't know what was happening.
iancmceachern 4y ago
No. I design medical devices, same thing. Its OK for people to take time off for things like back surgury, and people should be able to expect they get their job back when they recuperate. The business processes' should be setup such that the business can accomidate this kind of thing, its the cost of doing business. Anything less is just lazy and cheap management and leadership.
- trident5000 4y ago
  Designing medical devices does not equivalate to having had a back issue and knowing what that entails. They run a lean team, they need their people now. Not in 6 months to a year after a back issue is resolved. Its not a union job. Thats what you sign up for. for teh_klev below: You're taking a complete strangers begruntled story at face value. Again, I had back surgery, there is no way in hell he only missed a few days of work or was working anywhere close to capacity through this ordeal. Back injuries where you need surgery dont just disrupt your work, it disrupts your entire life and it takes time to put the pieces back together.
  - teh_klev 4y ago
    > they need their people now. Not in 6 months to a year after a back issue is resolved. You may have missed this from the article: "I said I expected to be out for only a few days" and "returned to work after missing only a few days, as expected" That's absolutely no time at all.
  - nickitolas 4y ago
    He claimed he only missed "a few days", and that he had given advance notice 1-2 months of notice. I don't see the problem with that.
  - bumby 4y ago
    >They run a lean team Isn't this at odds with your previous comment about redundancy being a no-brainer? He was a principle engineer in an optics lab. Having worked in both optics labs and aerospace, I can say there is very little reason to think that a "bad back" in those roles puts astronauts at additional risk.
lostlogin 4y ago
Would you be happy for your roles to be taken off you with no discussion or involvement in the process? After all, you might die?
II2II 4y ago
Yes, redundancy is a good thing. On the other hand, addressing it for an older employee after an injury makes their motivations sound suspect. Would they have treated a younger employee in similar circumstances the same way (because, yes, younger people do get injured)? For that matter, why didn't they have redundancy built into an important role from the outset (making it policy would reduce the likelihood of ageist behaviour)?
- soco 4y ago
  Because stakeholders revenue and all that very important stuff on the yearly reports which loses relevance the next year. Because both bonus and dividends are calculated on yearly basis, I'm not sure there's much motivation on the decision makers to put enough weight on the long-term plans. Lip service aside, yeah the most obvious things will be made redundant, all the rest getting pushed aside as "cost of doing business". And they're not even completely wrong.

SXX 4y ago

Right. Making people work 10 hours a day, 7 days a week is exactly the way to avoid human error and accidents.

trident5000 4y ago
Thats shifting the goalpost, I didnt comment on SpaceX overall work hours. I commented on a specific employee being disabled. That said, his rockets work - so what argument do you really have? for jmull below: "no relevant information" He needed back surgery and I have myself had back surgery. I have first hand experience on this topic. Your comment is really out of touch.
- jmull 4y ago
  You've diagnosed a person's work capacity despite having none of the relevant information and no training to do so. Really, how can you possibly believe this judgement has any bearing on the situation?
- SXX 4y ago
  I was referring to OP that you replied to. You basically stating that SpaceX have to be careful about letting him work after surgery. At the same time they're totally okay overworking engineers all the time which is known to inevitably lead to human errors. Fact that Musks' rockets work might be very well despite terrible work conditions.
  - SXX 4y ago
    Historical reference: soviet rockets also worked even though some of engineers almost died in Gulag camps.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]

ben_w 4y ago

If that was all they'd done, it would've been fine. However, according to this story, that was just the turning point and even his manager didn't know what was happening.

iancmceachern 4y ago

No. I design medical devices, same thing. Its OK for people to take time off for things like back surgury, and people should be able to expect they get their job back when they recuperate. The business processes' should be setup such that the business can accomidate this kind of thing, its the cost of doing business. Anything less is just lazy and cheap management and leadership.

trident5000 4y ago
Designing medical devices does not equivalate to having had a back issue and knowing what that entails. They run a lean team, they need their people now. Not in 6 months to a year after a back issue is resolved. Its not a union job. Thats what you sign up for. for teh_klev below: You're taking a complete strangers begruntled story at face value. Again, I had back surgery, there is no way in hell he only missed a few days of work or was working anywhere close to capacity through this ordeal. Back injuries where you need surgery dont just disrupt your work, it disrupts your entire life and it takes time to put the pieces back together.
- teh_klev 4y ago
  > they need their people now. Not in 6 months to a year after a back issue is resolved. You may have missed this from the article: "I said I expected to be out for only a few days" and "returned to work after missing only a few days, as expected" That's absolutely no time at all.
- nickitolas 4y ago
  He claimed he only missed "a few days", and that he had given advance notice 1-2 months of notice. I don't see the problem with that.
- bumby 4y ago
  >They run a lean team Isn't this at odds with your previous comment about redundancy being a no-brainer? He was a principle engineer in an optics lab. Having worked in both optics labs and aerospace, I can say there is very little reason to think that a "bad back" in those roles puts astronauts at additional risk.

lostlogin 4y ago

Would you be happy for your roles to be taken off you with no discussion or involvement in the process? After all, you might die?

II2II 4y ago

Yes, redundancy is a good thing. On the other hand, addressing it for an older employee after an injury makes their motivations sound suspect. Would they have treated a younger employee in similar circumstances the same way (because, yes, younger people do get injured)? For that matter, why didn't they have redundancy built into an important role from the outset (making it policy would reduce the likelihood of ageist behaviour)?

soco 4y ago
Because stakeholders revenue and all that very important stuff on the yearly reports which loses relevance the next year. Because both bonus and dividends are calculated on yearly basis, I'm not sure there's much motivation on the decision makers to put enough weight on the long-term plans. Lip service aside, yeah the most obvious things will be made redundant, all the rest getting pushed aside as "cost of doing business". And they're not even completely wrong.