4 ms·

This has been true for a very long time. It's not a modern phenomenon. There was probably a "golden age" in the middle of the last century when it was a good i

This has been true for a very long time. It's not a modern phenomenon. There was probably a "golden age" in the middle of the last century when it was a good idea to be a company man. But before that, and after that once the MBA mentality took over, workers have been treated like disposable units. It only makes sense for a worker to strategize to maximize their own career and income, instead of placing their loyalties in a company that not only doesn't care about them, but actively propagandizes in an attempt to make its workers feel like "family."

kevinventullo 2y ago
actively propagandizes in an attempt to make its workers feel like "family." In my experience, post-COVID they’ve given up even maintaining that illusion.
phone8675309 2y ago
Companies saying "we're a big family here" are deeply amusing to me as someone who had a turbulent home life as a child and who only talks to his relatives once a year on Christmas. I think the people saying this don't think about people who have a still-acrimonious relationship with their family. If you're telling me that you're a big family then I am not interested.
- jarsin 2y ago
  I was laid off with zero severance and no recommendation etc from a company that was big on "we are a family". Never heard from one single person there after the layoff. I was like yup this is how my family is too. Ever since I have always felt joining a company is like getting adopted into another dysfunctional family.
  - phone8675309 2y ago
    The difference between a company and my family is that the company I work for always pays me to keep me coming back whereas my family it's more hit or miss.
orwin 2y ago
We ought to stop blaming the "MBA mentality". I dislike them as much as any IC, but they aren't the issue. The issue is how wealth is distributed. Just after WW2, in my country, if a salaried woodworker in a chop added 1000$ of value on average each month after all other costs were paid (sales, stock, distribution), he took home 600, gave 100 to the government and 300 to his shop owner/shareholders. Nowadays, his added value is 2000€ each month, he takes home roughly 860, give the government 120, and the shop owner/shareholders take the rest, more than half of his added value.
- Havoc 2y ago
  This is hn. Everything bad about modern capitalism is apparently the fault of mba people. (No I didn’t do a mba)
  - ruszki 2y ago
    I worked for several small projects and startups. All of them became shitter for employees when MBA people took over.
    - Havoc 2y ago
      >All of them became shitter for employees You don't hire MBAs to improve employee experience
- twobitshifter 2y ago
  who is behind the shift to owner and shareholder?
  - Gud 2y ago
    It’s a natural progression where technology has improved production increases. However since the workers of the world have a very limited share of the ownership of the means of production, they don’t get anything from this increase in production output.
dalke 2y ago
I'm old enough that my father worked for one of those "golden age" companies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wometco_Enterprises https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wometco_Enterprises It was a conglomerate, starting with theaters then adding TV and other entertainment, plus soft drink bottling and more. The individual companies were well funded, they had plenty of staff, and there cross-company staff discounts. My dad worked for the TV station WTVJ and we got discounts to go to the movie theaters owned by Wometco. There was a yearly Christmas party for staff and family, and the Wometco would be flown in by helicopter, dressed as Santa. After his death it got bought by KKR in a LBO, split up, and sold for parts. Staff was greatly reduced and overworked. The Christmas party was no more.
- oooyay 2y ago
  My dad worked for Borden and Kraft, which were similar. They were also bought and split up by KKR.

kevinventullo 2y ago

actively propagandizes in an attempt to make its workers feel like "family." In my experience, post-COVID they’ve given up even maintaining that illusion.

phone8675309 2y ago

Companies saying "we're a big family here" are deeply amusing to me as someone who had a turbulent home life as a child and who only talks to his relatives once a year on Christmas. I think the people saying this don't think about people who have a still-acrimonious relationship with their family. If you're telling me that you're a big family then I am not interested.

jarsin 2y ago
I was laid off with zero severance and no recommendation etc from a company that was big on "we are a family". Never heard from one single person there after the layoff. I was like yup this is how my family is too. Ever since I have always felt joining a company is like getting adopted into another dysfunctional family.
- phone8675309 2y ago
  The difference between a company and my family is that the company I work for always pays me to keep me coming back whereas my family it's more hit or miss.

orwin 2y ago

We ought to stop blaming the "MBA mentality". I dislike them as much as any IC, but they aren't the issue. The issue is how wealth is distributed. Just after WW2, in my country, if a salaried woodworker in a chop added 1000$ of value on average each month after all other costs were paid (sales, stock, distribution), he took home 600, gave 100 to the government and 300 to his shop owner/shareholders. Nowadays, his added value is 2000€ each month, he takes home roughly 860, give the government 120, and the shop owner/shareholders take the rest, more than half of his added value.

Havoc 2y ago
This is hn. Everything bad about modern capitalism is apparently the fault of mba people. (No I didn’t do a mba)
- ruszki 2y ago
  I worked for several small projects and startups. All of them became shitter for employees when MBA people took over.
  - Havoc 2y ago
    >All of them became shitter for employees You don't hire MBAs to improve employee experience
twobitshifter 2y ago
who is behind the shift to owner and shareholder?
- Gud 2y ago
  It’s a natural progression where technology has improved production increases. However since the workers of the world have a very limited share of the ownership of the means of production, they don’t get anything from this increase in production output.

dalke 2y ago

I'm old enough that my father worked for one of those "golden age" companies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wometco_Enterprises https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wometco_Enterprises It was a conglomerate, starting with theaters then adding TV and other entertainment, plus soft drink bottling and more. The individual companies were well funded, they had plenty of staff, and there cross-company staff discounts. My dad worked for the TV station WTVJ and we got discounts to go to the movie theaters owned by Wometco. There was a yearly Christmas party for staff and family, and the Wometco would be flown in by helicopter, dressed as Santa. After his death it got bought by KKR in a LBO, split up, and sold for parts. Staff was greatly reduced and overworked. The Christmas party was no more.

oooyay 2y ago
My dad worked for Borden and Kraft, which were similar. They were also bought and split up by KKR.