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There is nothing new about abuse or folks becoming assholes or bad work situations. Although I do agree the American workplace has a high degree of dysfunction

by jqm 12y ago

There is nothing new about abuse or folks becoming assholes or bad work situations. Although I do agree the American workplace has a high degree of dysfunction and is not nearly what it could be.

chatmasta 12y ago
The only abuse in this story is between Mara and her own mindset. She is willing to work at a place like this after she gets both her degrees. She priced herself out of a better economy when she chose to apply to retail jobs. The problem is that propaganda preaches employment and jobs. People feel pressured to get a job, and therefore desperate for any job. This irrational self-deprecation artificially increases supply in the entry-level labor market, pushing down the price of labor. As retail becomes automated, employees become overqualified. Literally, "anyone could do that." If anyone can build widgets, then widget factories can hire anyone. If a factory can hire anyone, then it only needs to match the lowest price demanded by a potential employee. It's a cycle. Automation displaces jobs, employees become overqualified, most do not have savings to sustain long job search, so they become desperate, apply for underqualified job, lower price of job itself. The bottom rung of the employment ladder is like those blocks you need to jump on in old Mario games. You know, the ones that move up and down, you need to jump on them at the right place, and then jump off them at the right time to get to the next platform. You're not supposed to stay on the bottom rung. You're supposed to get on it, then jump off it. The focus of entry-level employment should be on career-development and opportunity expansion. As an employer, recognize that no employee wants to stay in entry-level forever. How can you help your employees expand their set of opportunities?
- jazzyk 12y ago
  "She is willing to work.." What the heck are you talking about? She needs to pay her rent and eat. Once you get into a hamster wheel of minimum-wage supposed-to-be-only-temporary job, it is VERY hard to look for a better job. It is a real problem everywhere, but even more so in the US, where college education cost is insane and adds to the pressure of taking ANY job.

by jqm 12y ago

There is nothing new about abuse or folks becoming assholes or bad work situations. Although I do agree the American workplace has a high degree of dysfunction and is not nearly what it could be.

chatmasta 12y ago

The only abuse in this story is between Mara and her own mindset. She is willing to work at a place like this after she gets both her degrees. She priced herself out of a better economy when she chose to apply to retail jobs. The problem is that propaganda preaches employment and jobs. People feel pressured to get a job, and therefore desperate for any job. This irrational self-deprecation artificially increases supply in the entry-level labor market, pushing down the price of labor. As retail becomes automated, employees become overqualified. Literally, "anyone could do that." If anyone can build widgets, then widget factories can hire anyone. If a factory can hire anyone, then it only needs to match the lowest price demanded by a potential employee. It's a cycle. Automation displaces jobs, employees become overqualified, most do not have savings to sustain long job search, so they become desperate, apply for underqualified job, lower price of job itself. The bottom rung of the employment ladder is like those blocks you need to jump on in old Mario games. You know, the ones that move up and down, you need to jump on them at the right place, and then jump off them at the right time to get to the next platform. You're not supposed to stay on the bottom rung. You're supposed to get on it, then jump off it. The focus of entry-level employment should be on career-development and opportunity expansion. As an employer, recognize that no employee wants to stay in entry-level forever. How can you help your employees expand their set of opportunities?

jazzyk 12y ago
"She is willing to work.." What the heck are you talking about? She needs to pay her rent and eat. Once you get into a hamster wheel of minimum-wage supposed-to-be-only-temporary job, it is VERY hard to look for a better job. It is a real problem everywhere, but even more so in the US, where college education cost is insane and adds to the pressure of taking ANY job.