Unemployment - the new normal ?

reply to post by caitlinfae


Thank you caitlinfae - what you wrote was so true and it could have come straight from my heart !
The bosses who sacked you were scummy bullies and of course your mother is more important then their stupid schedules.

I have noticed that the workplace conditions have become much worse recently - with so many 'jobsworth' bullies in 'management' positions, it never used to be like this, having a petty tyrant for a boss is misery incarnate.

I think they are energy vampires who feed from the oppression they inflict on others.

Like you I never thought this would happen to me - I could move to London again, work is alot easier there, but it has changed so much, my quality of life would be too low.

I crave the countryside these days So I understand the dilemma of the rubbish job market, when away from the cities.

I am waiting to start a job, 2 years ago I left a corporate position and retrained at university, so I am a beginner again in a way. But I know the job market age discriminates, which is why i retrained.

I wish you lots of good luck in your future role and I hope your mother stays well.

reply to post by HelenConway

It never used to be the way it has become only in your memory,and you have not been around for a whole lotta years.

It is just a cycle,when enough people get sick of their horsecrap,like when the middle class in India demands more protection and rights in the workplace,they pack up shop and move on to the next batch of suckers.

Study history.

Knowing the truth won't set you free,but it will help you to realize you are not,and why you are not.

00.02

reply to post by HelenConway


I can totally relate to the bullying in "management"....I'm convinced it has something to do with new recruitment procedures and ideology that I started to see emerge about 12 years ago in a big way, which all seems to be concerned with personality types (psychopathy?) and willingness to engage in almost a hive mentality in the workplace. It's creepy and well hidden and in a way almost Disney-esque. They will dress up their corporate agendas in issues like customer service and compliancy training, and in truth it's really a way to weed out people who will question their methods.

When Walmart took over Asda in the UK many years ago, I remember some of the old school, and very efficient, retail managers just about starting a revolution over the idea that they would all now have to start their day singing the Walmart company song. I mean, seriously...what a pile of condescending juvenile trash to expect people to put up with... . I'm pretty sure they stood their ground and the idea was forgotten, but I always swore that if I ever got to the point where my line manager was suggesting we literally sing the company song, I would be out the door.

One day in my last managers job with a major company, the GM stood up at a weekly meeting and told us all about the head office do he's just attended. "And we all sang a song!" he said....."It was great fun actually....we might do it here later!"............that was the moment I decided I had had enough, and I was gone within a month.

It's like they want recruits, not staff. They want absolute blind obedience to the "company way" and will retrain and retrain...ie brainwash...to make sure that any compliance or legal issues can't possibly be theirs. All they care about is profit, image and avoidance of litigation and they don't care how they get it. They want staff who will follow the drills, shut up and work, don't answer back.

Being 40-something is actually a lovely time to be retraining, and I'm so excited, even on no money, to be looking at loads of new ideas. Good luck with the new job and I hope others can gain some kind of inspiration from your example.

reply to post by MyHappyDogShiner


Maybe that is true - but i am just talking about the changes I have seen in my life time

reply to post by caitlinfae


I could not agree with you more. I started to read about sociopaths and psychopathy a few years ago, because I could not understand the smiling assasins I encountered in the workplace.

I have to say most people were lovely - but a few shiny but bad apples can cause a whole lot of pain ! They tend to be particularly drawn to the public service jobs and sales like companies IMO [ taht may not be correct ]'

The big successful companies I have worked for - their managers were mainly really nice, but I think if the CEO is nice it trickles down and vice versa.

But a dog eat dog sort of culture is creeping into the British workforce and that is something new IMO.

Thank you for your good wishes caitlinfae - the job I retrained at is not too fancy, much lower paid and not really my dream job ... but hey !

"Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin

"... God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty.... And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

Thomas Jefferson


You gave up your guns, your government no longer fears you. They will be wealthy while the people starve.

reply to post by jimmiec

This is my favourite speech which tells the MPs in parliament [ politicians] to get stuffed -

Dissolution of the Long Parliament by Oliver Cromwell given to the House of Commons, 20 April 1653

''It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go! ''

Oliver Cromwell Speech - Dissolution of the Long Parliament

]

Addit: I am not sure if he was the best of people - some say he was a military dictator - but I like his speech !

Originally posted by caitlinfae
reply to post by HelenConway

 

I can totally relate to the bullying in "management"....I'm convinced it has something to do with new recruitment procedures and ideology that I started to see emerge about 12 years ago in a big way, which all seems to be concerned with personality types (psychopathy?) and willingness to engage in almost a hive mentality in the workplace. It's creepy and well hidden and in a way almost Disney-esque. They will dress up their corporate agendas in issues like customer service and compliancy training, and in truth it's really a way to weed out people who will question their methods.

Umm, you know I have been suspecting the same for around the same time as well...

I tell you why I got fired from Liverpool Victoria

I was dealing with sending out pension statements, this was not an automated process, you had to use the system to get the details of a client and input all the data needed into Excel which would then print out the statement.

One week I got told not to process anymore statements until further notice, so I kept the ones I had left locked in my drawers to finish them after being told to resume...

After 2 days they put a new procedure in to follow, within 20 minutes of processing something seemed weird with the figures and the rates being given to the customers, so I thought I'd try the old procedure and new procedure with each customer and see if I could spot the problem...

The problem was obvious, Liverpool Victoria was paying out much much less than before, I told a few people about it and we were once again informed not to process anymore until the problem had been fixed.

A week later I got fired for breaching Data Protection Act (keeping the work I got told to not process in my drawers) and for sending out wrong statements... they said that if it hadnt been for < insert some asshole's name> who found the problems with the pensions they'd be in a lot of trouble.

They did not believe it was me that found the error (someone else took credit) and did not care it was them who told me to not process the work anyway.

Seems to me that because I found this "error" out they did what they needed to get rid of someone who can spot things like that.

One of the Liverpool Victoria 'values' is: "treat your colleagues like family" (or something very similar)... which after I got laid off prompt me to say to my boss: "umm so your company values are to treat colleagues like family? what a bunch of f*ing hypocrites you are" and walked off.

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reply to post by Xality


It is funny you should say that - I closed an old account with liverpool and vic last year - they said they would pay me £1800 then wrote to me and said it was a mistake and it was actually £1200 ish ..

It is a sickness in the workplace and in our society in general, where others watch their own back and lie to the detriment of their colleagues. I have seen this happen, where when one member of the team is bening bullied, the others keep quiet and keep their heads down instead of sticking up for them or even sticking by them.

It stinks and I think this sort of attitude is getting worse, I believe it is because some people have no moral or value compass, they follow that new politically correct term [ unwittingly] called moral relativism.

Where by morals shift even ebb and flow with the situation... they see no such thing as being as black and white as right v wrong.

reply to post by HelenConway


Canada does indeed have this same issue, though we are better off here than many countries. For example, our banks (and homeowners!) weren't stupid enough to get involved with subprime mortgages. It's still tough, though. I'm not sure what the solution is (or I wouldn't be in this situation!) but here's my two cents on your comments:

-moving: This might help some people, but I'm fairly sure that most places I'd move would be worse off than here. I might not be able to get a good job, but at least I can get a job. Also, I wouldn't want to move for other reasons; I've grown up here, I have friends and family here, and I can't imagine myself ever moving away from this city, despite some of its problems.

-own business: This could be a solution, but it's an awful lot of work, and I don't think most people do that much better working on their own, though some definitely do. There's a saying about owning your own business; "you have the freedom to work whichever 70 hours a week you want to." I'm busy enough spending 40 hours a week at my job... :p

-more study: I don't think this would help me much. I think this is a good solution for people who haven't got any education yet, to get something under their belts that they can market themselves with, whether it's a university degree, trade school course, and so on. If you've already got something like that, that in theory should make you employable, I don't think getting more degrees is going to help.