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More Than Ever, Employees Want a Say in How Their Companies Are Run (qz.com)
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.
there are zero barriers for entry in the workforce today. this push for diversity for nothing other than the sake of diversity is pointless.
the best person for the job regardless of race or gender is how it should be, nothing else.
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
We need to build a wall and keep all the females out until they can be throughly vetted. Over 50% of the poeple living in this country are female, did you know that? That's MILLIONS. We have to put a stop to this until we cn figre out WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON.
Someone had to do it.
I'm convinced that these petitions will be at least as effective as the ones posted on whitehouse.gov.
I'd like to be on the female side of the wall please. You know, so I can help figure out what's going on.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Just ask your union... Oh.
The workers think they have an opinion that matters.
The current American culture gives absolutely no shits what workers think, only that they show up and do what it says on the tin.
You want to have an opinion? Fight for it. Walk out. Organize. Use the tools that are available to you, not spineless open letters that only provide the status quo with targets to aim at.
And, btw, when you have that opinion, don't give it up. Remind everybody that you fought hard for the right to have a voice, as opposed to workers in the 70s, 80s, and 90s that happily gave up their ability to affect change.
That intern was taught an invaluable business lesson.
the growth in cynicism and rebellion has not been without cause
1. Dress codes (outside of safety) have little to do with working hard and more to do with enforcing unnecessary conformity. As long as your clothing's sanitary and safe for the typical workday environment, I don't see a reason why it can't be worn to work. Employees undistracted by uncomfortable clothing are productive employees. Asking for this should got get one fired as it has nothing to do with workload.
2. In mentioning 'white men' the letter's author exposes a racist viewpoint. Just because someone's white and male does not mean he is responsible for all suffering.
say we used the word Union. It would be an organization of people from the same industry banded for the benefit of all workers. Maybe the workers could donate a little of their monthly income so the Union could hire lawyers and lobbying power. Its just an idea...
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
First, I say this from the perspective of someone who has been an employee in a number of companies for nearly 50 years, not an employer!
If employees want a say in how a company is run they should go out and start their own. It is the employer's right, within the relevant laws and regulations governing the business, to decide how the company is run. Put up or fuck off!
Why not club together with your fellow employees to collectively purchase stock in the company that you work for? That way, you can force issues at the board level when management comes up for re-election.
You know how these big companies foster "local culture"? Because that's what makes us all "a family". So some people end up believing it and because they and others believe it they become a community, they become a family. isn't it normal for members of the community to have a say? -it can certainly be a win/win for both employee and employer. Some C level execs think "culture" is the BS to feed the peasants so they work harder for free...that's even true to an extent but when those peasants unite; those managers which are arrogant and do think of rank and file as peasants often end up being circumvented. Great employees have choices. Great companies need those employees. Often one without the other amounts to less. Wouldn't you want to be in a company that actually takes note of how you think things should run if there'sa chance that it's actually a better way?! There are few reasons to stay and give your best for a company that is all flash and no substance. (It's late and I'm on morphine so apologies if this turned into a random rant)
A 'singular oddity' is an event that cannot be explained and only happens when you are alone.
unions are good, worker co-operatives are better https://medium.com/@PrestoViva...
Your otherwise excellent policy proposal fails because it does not describe how to pay for the wall. Here's an idea: make the females pay for the wall. Oh, wait. They might be happy to do that. :-) Walls work two ways.
I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
We're sorry, but North Carolina will have to see your birth certificate, please.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
Generalization aside, I was actually sort of with you on that until...
They also think they're entitled to power even though they haven't worked hard enough to earn a management position.
That should read "they haven't worked long and/or smart enough to earn a management position."
Entrepreneurs who are successful enough to found their own self-sustaining company are exempt from this, naturally...
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
They also promote the image the company wants to project publicly in many cases.
I hate the dress codes too, but they can be there for a reason.
I was at a place that started out having all men wear ties, women were dresses, or if in pants they had to be pretty formal looking.
After a few years there, they relaxed the dress codes to much more casual when in the work place when not meeting or being seen by customers.
But if we had to meet with customers or they were coming into our building, we had to go back to ties and formal looks those days.
And hell, for the times it is for conformity, I'd think the snowflake generation would be used to wearing the "school uniform"...don't most public and private schools today require uniforms?
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
I agree with your second point, but dress code, is important. I work completely differently in shorts and a tee than a button down shirt.
A button down puts me in a completely different mindset and attitude. Having a co-worker in sandals and ripped shorts is distracting. When I go to a client or have a client come to me, I want myself and all my co-workers looking like professional bad-asses at work, not slackers. It's all perception.
Long time ago, someone also told me to dress for the job I want, that's been somewhat successful.
Appropriate clothing for the job being done is important.
I don't know where in the US you are located, but where I live, pretty much all the public schools require uniforms, it was put in to keep the poor kids from feeling bad next to the better dressed wealthier kids.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
then you get a chance at the table.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
So true. In fact, if I were CEO of IBM, I'd make it publicly known that I literally used their petition as toilet paper and tell them to get back to fucking work. If you don't like your job, quit.
You deserve an unlimited number of mod points for this comment.
What we have is a new generation that:
- believes they are ENTITLED to have what they want
- has never been told "no" by their parents
- believes that rock n' roll, sex and drugs can effect change
FTFY
Employees generally have the right to express a non-attack style opinion, on the job. Except for invaluable employees, managers, executives, or part owners, it makes no sense to give all employees a say in how a company is run. That's not not how business works. If I hire a worker, I welcome their opinions, But, unless they're hired to manage a specific area of my business, they can't hold the reins.
And even the high executives shouldn't. The only thing a man in a suit and tie says to me is "I'm going to overcharge you by the cost of this suit"
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
http://dilbert.com/strip/2017-03-29
You're missing the boat. The lazy slacker is the most efficient employee you can have. He'll find a way to get the job done in a quarter of the time and a tenth of the cost- just so he can goof off the rest of the day.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
The person in charge of you is your boss, and tells you what to do.
Unless you're a contractor. Your boss can direct your work but they can't tell you what to do. Otherwise, you're an employee and the employer has deliberately misclassified you to commit tax fraud.
We'll make the women pay for the wall!
Just another day in Paradise
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.
Just another day in Paradise
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.
Hmmm...could be. On the other hand it occurs to me that people who own stock have a say in running the company. Why is that? I'm certain that they pay more for stock or take less compensation in order to get partial control. Why couldn't people who work for a company want partial control for similar reasons? They think that if they have control then their investments (in time, in "roots", whatever) are better represented. You seem to be saying that the only reason an employee would want control is to work less hard, but I recall the company before last that I worked for. Management decided that instead of being a hardware and software company that they wanted to be a software-only company. I thought that was particularly poorly thought out, but I had no control.
By the way, you might want to get a narrower brush.
~Loyal
I aim to misbehave.
In America, about 20% of public schools require uniforms. This is an increase from around 12% in the 1999-2000 school year. Uniforms are more common in low income areas where classroom control and gangs are bigger problems.
As for the uniforms, no, not that I'm aware of. At least not here in New Brunswick.
Dresscodes shouldn't be super anal, but I wholly agree with dressing nicely when dealing with customers. Impressions go a long way, regardless of skill level. Combine both and you are set for life.
I tend to rant.
And even the high executives shouldn't.
Neckties constrict blood flow to the brain. Taking an IQ test while wearing a tie lowers your score by an average of 3 points. Neckties make you stupid, at least while you are wearing them.
As far back as the 90's, uniforms existed in public education. In Washington State, I attended a public school for a year which required them. It was damn entertaining being sent home for wearing bluejeans one day!
Takes two to dance that dance. Don't pretend that being a "contractor" doesn't have advantages for the one being the contractor. In my line of work, contractors don't get "company" benefits and are the first to go when business slows down, but unlike us "first class citizens" with 401k match and benefits, they get to charge by the hour whereas we are salaried.
"Nearly all the people at high levels at the paper deciding what we cover and how are white men,"
Nearly all. So not, in fact, all. So how many non whites is "enough"? Does it matter who we replace, so long as we're just replacing a white guy? And isn't that a little, oh, I dunno - racist? You can't scream racism when you propose a racist solution.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
It is a cultural problem. A problem you've illustrated quite well. Why does a tie imply professionalism? Why not focus on how efficient your employees are and the accomplishments of your company instead of associating it with arbitrary fashion? This applies to your customers as well. I realize you're bowing to pragmatic reality, but fashion obsession is anything but professional (unless of course you work in the fashion biz).
By all means, if you work better in a shirt and tie, wear them. Someone who works better in shorts and T shirt should be able to wear that if he chooses (again barring safety concerns). You are making the typical mistake of projecting your mental state onto your others. Just because you need to dress the part and play-act it doesn't mean they need it too. Clothing shouldn't define the employee or the job, the skills possessed and the skills required should, respectively.
Beyond specific safety concerns (eg a plastic suit for a clean room, or steel toed boots in a factory), clothing choice is entirely irrelevant and should be left to the employee's level of comfort. The fewer distractions at work the better.
Where I am they treat contractors exactly the same as employees, except they get a bit extra money rather then health benefits.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Agree with your crock of shit statement. I *despise* wearing a tie. However, all that is psychological, not physical.
Any idea what some IBM employees found objectional in CEO Ginni Rometty's letter to US president Donald Trump? https://www.ibm.com/blogs/poli...
Was it that he congratulated Trump on his victory? Otherwise it seems very business focused and not political at all.
Where I am they treat contractors exactly the same as employees, except they get a bit extra money rather then health benefits.
Since I work for contracting agencies, I get the extra money and a full benefit package.
In my line of work, contractors don't get "company" benefits and are the first to go when business slows down, but unlike us "first class citizens" with 401k match and benefits, they get to charge by the hour whereas we are salaried.
I never work directly for the clients. I work as an employee for a contracting agency that provides a full benefit package to stay competitive in the labor market. I'm usually the "contractor" that the company brings in after they fire all the full-time staff members to clean up the mess.
Either way, your staffing firm charges by the hour of which you get (I would guess) a pretty high percentage. People who rail against contractors just don't know what they're talking about.
I have seen dress pants / ties / nice shits cabling / hooking and unhook systems from desks jobs. That can get measly fast.
dress pants, button-down shirt and tie preferred for a temp PC move in an office building job.
"Why does a tie imply professionalism? Why not focus on how efficient your employees are and the accomplishments of your company instead of associating it with arbitrary fashion? This applies to your customers as well."
The customer is always right. They get to vote with their wallet or feet, and don't have to be professional.
Just another day in Paradise
It's pretty obvious to me that the worker revolution is going to be happening in the next 20 years if not sooner. The rich keep trying to squeeze whatever they can out of people and the environment and the younger generation is pissed.
Be seeing you...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
AFAIK this is real.
(As heard on the No Agenda podcast.)
Dress codes do indeed have little personal benefit if you're sitting at a desk in an office all day. However it's also been proven that dressing professional makes people act more professional. And often people have to interact with clients, even if you're just sitting at a desk, clients may come in for meetings, they expect a certain decorum.
Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
I opened this tread with enthusiasm and what do I see - it's about clothing and white men. Well, I think this is the least of our problems. How about this - my company might be soon a subject of a hostile take over from US corporation. Now, I would very much like if the employees had any say about THAT, you know.....tens of thousands of jobs are at the stake plus enormous losses to the country and society should my company disappear. Not to mention the hit on the environment - the US corp has a dismal record and gives less than shit about it - that is why they have the money, cause we spend extra cash on sustainability..... But it's private business and we are all hostages to the whims and greed of as handful of individuals. Game over, man!
OK, then listen up - I have a fact to tell you about the white men - hopefully it might provoke a bit of that moron thing that we sometimes do - you know it is called thinking [RIP George]. I am studying advanced Dutch ATM and the text book is very recent and modern - talks about all the social issues of the day. Pity I can't post screenshot from the book - statistics from 2014 - percentage of women in high management positions per country. Guess who are the champions [top ten] - the former Soviet countries with Russia NUMBER ONE in the world. China plus Philippines and Indonesia are also in. At the same time US and UK are at the BOTTOM ten on that account with [attention!] the Netherlands being second to last before only Japan.
Now look again and explain to me how those facts fit the narrative of the big bad eastern bear and other fucking communists [China, China, China, China, China]. But are really the former communist state less sexists? You mean the Russians who on other counts [gays] are adamant enemies to the humanistic values - they are less sexists than us - yhea it is true. Reason - communism. One - no strong religion [it's coming back though], two - equality between people also implies equality between genders. My mom did much better career than dad, brought more money home and noone batted an eyelid.
But think again - is the Netherlands a hell hole of sexism? Or Japan for that matter....no they are not [NL certainly isn't]. So perhaps, just perhaps such statistic does not tell the whole story and maybe we should concentrate on things I described in the first paragraph rather than how many white men are at the top.
Uh huh. White collar work and hourly caps don't really mix. Sane countries like France have abysmal unemployment numbers because of thinking like that.
Fun anecdote about this that happened to a friend who's a linux sysadmin at a midsize software house here in Finland. Much like me (and most people I know that don't have to be in regular customer contact). He usually wears hoodies, t-shirts, cargopants. You know, the typical 'casual and comfortable nerdy look" but for said meeting with a larger customer he was prepared to suit up, when his boss actually interrupted him and told him not to do that but wear his regular clothes.
The reason for this is that having your linux guy look slightly nerdish (while still being clean and professional) is something they wanted to do for image reasons.
I've never much like suits partially because being in a wheelchair getting into one takes a fuckton of time and I rather dress comfortably, so unless I'm outright ordered to do so by my superiors I'll wear what I always wear. And just recently I was in a joint meeting with several people, some guys from the army were along. Some people were wearing suits, one was wearing a woolen shirt, the officers were all in uniforms and I was in the corner wearing a Metallica-hoodie. If they did judge me for that they were very good at hiding it, because I sensed no disrespect from anyone, and never have, but I'd like to think that's because I know what I'm talking about and the respect is earned through actions and not based on appearance.
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" -Alfred North Whitehead
Try a cravat instead. Couple of with a monocle. That look never goes pour of style.
SJW n. One who posts facts.
The only reason employees feel compelled to take the wheel is because they realize that their leadership is completely incompetent and delusional. We'd really actually like REAL leaders that actually do their job so we can just do ours but that's apparently like asking for the sun, the moon and the stars anymore.
I think the best part is how there are plenty of articles about burnt out and overworked managers with self help strategies like delegating work. So, let me get this straight, you, the poor woe is me manager, that's sitting in meetings all day playing on your phone is so stressed out that you should get special privileges to delegate any work arbitrarily that you want to and get paid more money? Where's my special privilege? Why can't I delegate that fly-in on fire shit ball task that you want done yesterday? Double standard.
We'll make great pets
Literally, the only way to own Publix stock is to work there. If one of the owners (that's what workers are - they get shares) is circulating a "petition" then they don't understand how ownership in a company works.
Do you have ESP?
The answer is simple. Start your own company!!!! Then you can run it how ever you want!!!!
I think you just gave management the list of who to fire first, working for old media it isn't like you are going to make it to retirement working for a newspaper. Poor job choice. Poor-er decision to paint a target on your back.
What make you think that I'm associated with "old media" in general and newspapers in particular? Those are two industries that I never worked in.
Find a different job, give notice, at the exit interview tell them how great they are so they will give you a great reference.
I've been a contractor for 20+ years. The trend among Fortune 500 companies for the last 20+ years is to hire more contractors. I've gotten great references because I'm the guy who gets called in to clean up the messes left behind by full-time employees or contractors.
Yes, and in sane countries salaried positions had the union negotiate the max number of hours per week, too.
I haven't worked overtime in over a decade because my employment contracts prohibits me from working over 40 hours a week. Fortune 500 companies and the government don't want to pay overtime at my rate.
So, first you let big business destroy unions in the US, when folks grandparents fought, in many cases literally, to form, and how you feel helpless.
And a petition's going to get upper management to change their minds. I'm sure the idea of forming a union again never entered your pretty little libertarian-brainwashed heads....
Long time ago, someone also told me to dress for the job I want, that's been somewhat successful.
I tried that, but they told me the cape and cowl were not appropriate.
but where I live, pretty much all the public schools require uniforms
Note the "where I live" qualifier there.
Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.