Thank you Katharine. I have worked in various offices since I wrote the original piece. For the past 15+ years I have been working from home, connected to the office in London by a slender umbilical cord. That is the way I like it best, even though I never made the grade as a fat cat lawyer.
What a great article. I live in the US and I think we rein supreme in developing the extreme working hours environment. Starting in the age of technology many people looked at those who stayed at the office for 12+ hours as admirable. The tech industry sometimes had workers stay overnight to get projects done. Most of the staff were younger and overwhelmingly male at the beginning. The company had games for them to play and food and snacks available on site. This was at the expense of having a life outside of the company. Truly idiotic and mentally and physically preposterous.
Appreciation of workers is really the gold star of success. So many companies in the US hire workers on a “consultant” basis. They pay well but don’t cover one of the best compensation packages for Americans…no medical coverage. Consultants are brought in and if there is a slowdown after a big project, the company simply fires them. It’s not much better for direct employees. If they are fired from the job, they will be without medical benefits and must pay shockingly high rates for medical care if needed. Hospitalization can bankrupt ANYONE! Medical bills are the number one reason for bankruptcy in the US.
On top of that college graduates are drowning in debt. So the idea of showing appreciation for workers is far better than high wages that you have no time to spend.
It’s so nice to hear that you recognized the importance of people over profits. ❤️
Thanks so much for your comments. You have hit many nails firmly on the head! I too worry about health care in both our countries for different reasons: yours because of the crippling cost, and ours because it is becoming less fit for purpose by the day.
Smart daughter! The only thing in our hand is changing parts toward the better and she did that! Kudos! I realized many years back that the issue with working in an organization was not your competence but office politics, death to personal peace. So I promptly worked my way into a consulting role, where you focus on delivering good work and leave the others to handle the politics!
Thank you, Richard, for the historical perspective and the current update. Your daughter seems to have made a good choice. Personally I solved the issue by becoming self-employed after quite a few years of avoiding office politics as much as possible in various corporate positions. Looking forward to more tales.
Thank you Katharine. I have worked in various offices since I wrote the original piece. For the past 15+ years I have been working from home, connected to the office in London by a slender umbilical cord. That is the way I like it best, even though I never made the grade as a fat cat lawyer.
What a great article. I live in the US and I think we rein supreme in developing the extreme working hours environment. Starting in the age of technology many people looked at those who stayed at the office for 12+ hours as admirable. The tech industry sometimes had workers stay overnight to get projects done. Most of the staff were younger and overwhelmingly male at the beginning. The company had games for them to play and food and snacks available on site. This was at the expense of having a life outside of the company. Truly idiotic and mentally and physically preposterous.
Appreciation of workers is really the gold star of success. So many companies in the US hire workers on a “consultant” basis. They pay well but don’t cover one of the best compensation packages for Americans…no medical coverage. Consultants are brought in and if there is a slowdown after a big project, the company simply fires them. It’s not much better for direct employees. If they are fired from the job, they will be without medical benefits and must pay shockingly high rates for medical care if needed. Hospitalization can bankrupt ANYONE! Medical bills are the number one reason for bankruptcy in the US.
On top of that college graduates are drowning in debt. So the idea of showing appreciation for workers is far better than high wages that you have no time to spend.
It’s so nice to hear that you recognized the importance of people over profits. ❤️
Thanks so much for your comments. You have hit many nails firmly on the head! I too worry about health care in both our countries for different reasons: yours because of the crippling cost, and ours because it is becoming less fit for purpose by the day.
Smart daughter! The only thing in our hand is changing parts toward the better and she did that! Kudos! I realized many years back that the issue with working in an organization was not your competence but office politics, death to personal peace. So I promptly worked my way into a consulting role, where you focus on delivering good work and leave the others to handle the politics!
Very interesting and all too familiar. I did wonder where your pin striped suit and cigar had gone!
Thank you, Richard, for the historical perspective and the current update. Your daughter seems to have made a good choice. Personally I solved the issue by becoming self-employed after quite a few years of avoiding office politics as much as possible in various corporate positions. Looking forward to more tales.
Thank you! I now use my pin-striped suit for gardening and I sold my cigar