You are just a number...

[yesitsme]

We had a death in here the other week, not literally in the office but a guy died while on holiday in Florida.

He'd been with the company for nearly 40 years, he was the guy who was always in late, always in at the weekends, always in.

And now he's dead.

He was only 55.

For someone who's worked here for so long it's like if you didn't know he was gone you'd never know he was here.

We have minute silences for fucking anything and yet we can't put up an R.I.P. on the intranet or send a message around the company to say how sad we are to see one of our colleagues and friends pass at such an early age.

I've thought it for a long while, you know you're just a number to 'them' but this has confirmed it.  It's certainly made me think I'll never do another seconds overtime again.

RIP Johnny.  You're being missed.

[bgmnts]

Who?

[Captain Z]

he was the guy who was always in late, always in at the weekends, always in.

That worked out well, then.

[fat_abbott]

I was called a cynic at my place of employment because I couldn't accept that the reason we are now allowed to work from home is to save the company money, rather than some altruistic scheme to benefit out health and wellbeing. The employers who are good or even approaching fair to their staff are few and far between these days.

[yesitsme]

That worked out well, then.

Yeah, terrible.  I've always been of the mindset that when it comes to work we're all in the same boat.  If we're doing well as a company then (in theory) we should be doing well as individuals.

I know that's crazy talk but our CEO is always banging on about how 'our people' are what makes us 'special' and that we're all a 'family'.

Well, we've been sold to one of our main rivals so they'll probably have some guy who did the same job as our bloke, so...y'know.  Get those calls taken.

[im barry bethel]

He'd been with the company for nearly 40 years, he was the guy who was always in late, always in at the weekends, always in.

And now he's dead.

Some people will do anything to get out of the wife's hair

[Maurice Yeatman]

[tag]Anaesthetist leaves thread in tears[/tag]

[yesitsme]

We've brought this all on ourselves of course.  We even tell each other 'You're LUCKY to have a job!' and 'If you don't like it - leave!'

Well, I'm not 'lucky' because I'm one of the few 'old school' ones in here who can actually remember how to do the job right and I'd rather make things right than quit because the people above me haven't got a fucking clue what they're doing.

We've traded our dental plan for an extra keg of booze at the work's softball game and now we're getting run in to the ground.

[thenoise]

I was called a cynic at my place of employment because I couldn't accept that the reason we are now allowed to work from home is to save the company money, rather than some altruistic scheme to benefit out health and wellbeing. The employers who are good or even approaching fair to their staff are few and far between these days.

I was absolutely torn apart by the middle managers above me when I pointed out that their 'simplification' of our pension scheme amounted to a cut in benefits of over 1/3 for most people.  Many people who were in their 50s, and sick as dogs from years of staring at screens and eating biscuits, had their dreams of early retirement taken from them that day.  Stop being so negative, they said.  This is about flexibility and simplicity.  Nothing to do with saving the company money.

I don't even expect them to treat us well, but why do we have to pretend not to notice?

[Sebastian Cobb]

I know that's crazy talk but our CEO is always banging on about how 'our people' are what makes us 'special' and that we're all a 'family'.

I've heard that one before and can never see it as anything other than empty platitudes, but if you look round the room often the suits and bullshitters are lapping it up so maybe they really do believe their own hype.

[hummingofevil]

I was called a cynic at my place of employment because I couldn't accept that the reason we are now allowed to work from home is to save the company money, rather than some altruistic scheme to benefit out health and wellbeing. The employers who are good or even approaching fair to their staff are few and far between these days.

Saying that my girlfriend has a job that involves quite a lot of meetings and conference calls. We accidentally ended up in the Clwydian hills one day couple of weeks ago when she was supposed to be doing a meeting so she just improvised, put her headphones in and did everything she needed walking along Offa's Dyke path.

In contrast today she has got up at 5am, flown the length of the country and will do the same tonight to get home after day of meetings.

I know which version she preferred and there was literally zero disadvantage from the first option. Yeah there that fucking horrific thing of never being off work if your office is your phone but if you do away with offices and stick to reasonable working hours is way better.

And RIP to your man. My boss who recently retired (can't be much over 60 but still worked 35 years teaching kids) has just got pancreatic cancer. Super fit and active guy with plenty of money saved to enjoy his retirement years. Shite.

[Twed]

I know that's crazy talk but our CEO is always banging on about how 'our people' are what makes us 'special' and that we're all a 'family'.

Just say "this must be incest then, because you're fucking us".

[Icehaven]

...This is about flexibility and simplicity....

If it means I'll get more money I'll take rigid complexity please.
The enormous rise in hideous euphemisms like this since the post-crash cuts started kicking in has been one of the most sick-making things about the whole shitshow. We simply want to enable you to enjoy the freedom and flexibility our newly restructured remuneration and benefits package allows by not getting bogged down with complications and obligations like paying you more.
I know it's old news now but the endpoint of this is zero hours contracts, about as flexible as you can get (Don't want to work today? Then simply don't!) and lacking in those nasty complications like employee rights and benefits that make it so hard to get the most out of your workforce.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Maybe they don't want to remember his passing formally or draw attention to it because he gone and touched "ver kidz".

[alan nagsworth]

We had a death in here the other week, not literally in the office but a guy died while on holiday in Florida.

He'd been with the company for nearly 40 years, he was the guy who was always in late, always in at the weekends, always in.

And now he's dead.

That's right, DEAD serious about that particular line of work!

[yesitsme]

Remember when the minimum wage came in?  It was held up as a safety net for those on low pay, not it's held up as an aspiration dream.  Work long hours, on zero hours for free and one day my son YOU sould be earning minimum wage.

How much did that Minor Royal Wedding cost us?

Why aren't their heads on spikes right now?