Dear Employees: Please be advised that the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend has been cancelled.

[Connemara]

I may have to work Christmas Eve and day after Christmas at my new job. How dare they! That would be unheard of in my current do-nothing political gig. Last year I took off several weeks in December.

 

[Amelorn]



I agree with this to some extent, however, I don't think its an entirely accurate. My point of contention is that there is value is learning to work hard and producing quality output. There is no value, or even negative value in slovenly behavior. Healthy skepticism is ok, but once it turns you into deadweight you become expendable.

On the other hand, that quality output can designate someone as "too valuable" to promote out of a position. Combine that with boomers hanging onto senior positions with a death grip, stagnating pay, an employer's market for hiring, and patronage hiring/promotions, and you've got a recipe for apathy.

 

[ama]



On the other hand, that quality output can designate someone as "too valuable" to promote out of a position. Combine that with boomers hanging onto senior positions with a death grip, stagnating pay, an employer's market for hiring, and patronage hiring/promotions, and you've got a recipe for apathy.

I have a hard time believing that an abundance of quality output is one of the challenges the young workforce that this country faces. Hard work and quality output are rewarded far more often than not. I simply don't think the quality output is there.

I believe your second point is true. The market conditions of 2008 - 2009 changed a lot of people's retirement plans.

 

[zarathustra]



To be fair, upward mobility is a lot harder nowadays - people are hanging onto their senior positions for longer, companies lay off at the drop of the hat. There is no loyalty either way, and salaries haven't really risen to reflect the uncertainty. If I was a millennial, I would be rightfully skeptical of putting in that time when the chance for advancement and reward is just so much lower.

Based upon that logic, someone should never work too hard, until they get a job with a clear path to upward mobility. Don't you think that the failure to work hard in the past will hamper those opportunities?

 

[zarathustra]



On the other hand, that quality output can designate someone as "too valuable" to promote out of a position. Combine that with boomers hanging onto senior positions with a death grip, stagnating pay, an employer's market for hiring, and patronage hiring/promotions, and you've got a recipe for apathy.

Ditto for my comment above.

 

[akatsuki]



Based upon that logic, someone should never work too hard, until they get a job with a clear path to upward mobility. Don't you think that the failure to work hard in the past will hamper those opportunities?

That is pretty much what the boomers had, right? Work hard, stay the course and you will make it. There has to be some level of engagement from both sides, nobody is going to bust ass without some sense of future advancement and real appreciation.

 

[why]



That is pretty much what the boomers had, right? Work hard, stay the course and you will make it.

More like graduate from high school, work in the local industry with your friends or family, punch out at 5, drinks at 7, and demand your pension at 50.

 

[zarathustra]



More like graduate from high school, work in the local industry with your friends or family, punch out at 5, drinks at 7, and demand your pension at 50.

Doesn't sound so bad right now...

 

[Amelorn]



Based upon that logic, someone should never work too hard, until they get a job with a clear path to upward mobility. Don't you think that the failure to work hard in the past will hamper those opportunities?

First: I am attempting to explain the existence of an attitude among my generation, not act as an apologist for apathy. (I feel that this is a necessary remark to make)

It goes without saying that staying with a company for 30 years is effectively a dead paradigm. Why produce exceptional work when adequate to good enough will do, and one can jump ship for another firm looking for someone with 3-5 years experience? On the other hand, there are a number of people (that I know personally) who do not fit into the prior statement, but they were generally hired by top firms (Goldman Sachs, McKinsey). Of course that cycles back to my original comment on millennials: the top performers are truly exceptional.

 

[FLMountainMan]



More like graduate from high school, work in the local industry with your friends or family, punch out at 5, drinks at 7, demand your pension at 50, and bankrupt your grandkids.

FTFY

 

[why]



FTFY

Well, that was implied. Seems like at least one person missed it, though.