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More Than Ever, Employees Want a Say in How Their Companies Are Run (qz.com)

Posted by msmash on from the taking-a-stand dept.

Two readers share a report: While workers have traditionally looked to unions to address their grievances, a new generation is trusting in the power of petitions to force changes. At the Wall Street Journal, 160 reporters and editors, delivered a letter to their managers protesting the lack of women and minorities running the organization, Business Insider reported yesterday. "Nearly all the people at high levels at the paper deciding what we cover and how are white men," the letter read. IBM employees are circulating an online petition objecting to the tone of CEO Ginni Rometty's letter to US president Donald Trump, and calling on her affirm what they call the company's progressive values. [...] Other employee petitions call for Oracle to oppose US president Donald Trump's second travel ban, and to let men who work at US regional supermarket Publix grow beards. Employee petitions are now so popular there's a website, coworker.org, devoted to hosting them. In some cases, the campaigns work: Starbuck's relaxed its rules about visible tattoos and unnatural hair color for baristas after thousands signed petitions asking for a change. Sometimes, they fail disastrously. Interns at one (unnamed) company described in a blog about being fired en masse after signing a petition asking for a more relaxed dress code.

5 of 231 comments (clear)

  1. Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Let me translate. A bunch of whining millennial snowflakes want a say in getting out of working hard. They also think they're entitled to power even though they haven't worked hard enough to earn a management position. Millennial snowflakes are crybabies and don't deserve to be promoted.

    1. Re:Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      1. Dress codes (outside of safety) have little to do with working hard and more to do with enforcing unnecessary conformity.

      If you're an employee who deals with customers then suck it up. Your employer has every right to demand you dress appropriately, else you could be costing them business. Don't like it?...gtfo. Our office has a business casual dress code...don't come in wearing shorts or flip flops. If you want to be a slob, go somewhere else.

      I've also had occasion to ask HR to talk to a female employee about her exposing a bit too much...every day. I'm no Puritan, but sheesh, the office isn't a place to share your cleavage, or wear skirts that expose your panties.

      Three problems I see here:
      1) You believe shorts / flip flops are directly associated with being a slob in the workplace. Your belief is purely anecdotal. There are plenty of slobs who wear suit+ties every day. It comes down to the individual every time.
      2) You believe that shorts / flip shops are not workplace appropriate clothing for those who "deal" with customers. I "deal" with customers everyday and wear shorts/flip flops. I "deal" with them remotely. Wearing a suit+tie or long khakis makes me edgy and uncomfortable while sitting. Being in shorts/flip flops keeps me calm and comfortable. Take your pick which frame of mind you want a senior engineer in while they are troubleshooting a downed system that is costing more than yours or my salary each minute its down. (And I'm not stupid - if I end up going onsite I dress up accordingly).
      3) You are forcing your beliefs on others. Seeing others follow standard business policies (including dress code) I have no problems with but the reason you did so - because it personally offended YOUR sensibilities about workplace appropriate clothing - is problematic.

      No offense but I would have you removed from my team immediately and put you on a blacklist internally - your language and beliefs would be toxic to our company. Hint #1 - keep an open mind about interacting with others, your current beliefs are locking you out of several opportunities. Hint #2 - never use the phrase "deal" with a customer in a business setting - ever. Hint #3 - the fact you took the time to go to HR and register a complaint over this tells me you are not focused enough and likely have other ongoing issues that would be wasting the company's time.

  2. Typical millennial thinking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    The person in charge of you is your boss, and tells you what to do. There is no communication in the other direction other than "yes, sir."

    Business is not a democracy.

  3. Re:this is really getting tiring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Let me take a wild stab here. You are a straight white male, right?

  4. Re:this is really getting tiring by Oligonicella · · Score: 1, Troll

    However often people of other races have a hard time acquiring the money to make it over the barrier, it is as impossible for them as for me to become a black lesbian woman.

    Bullshit. You can just declare yourself as identifying as a black lesbian. In truth, minorities have an easier time acquiring funding than white candidates do.