That Which Can’t Continue
Herb Stein | Corporate Schizophrenia | Factoids | Elsewhere
That which can’t continue, won’t.
| Herb Stein
Yes, I watched the debate last week.
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Corporate Schizophrenia
Tensions are mounting in the workplace.
One example: employers place a high value on employee authenticity in the workplace, which simultaneously ruling out a variety of topics of discussion.
A recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey showed this disjunction:
Around three-quarters of hiring managers (76%) say their company places a great deal/moderate amount of priority on encouraging employees to be authentic (i.e., bring their whole selves) at work.
[…]
Yet digging deeper, only around 2 in 5 say their company places a great deal of priority on authenticity (39%).
Companies say they want people who express themselves and share their thinking with others, but only 40% those hired say they can.
In particular, many topics are explicitly not to be discussed [emphasis mine]:
An inability to discuss topics openly at work could hinder some employees from feeling welcome to share and add their unique perspectives at the company.
The majority of hiring managers (70%) say there are topics employees are discouraged from discussing at their company — including politics (38%), salary/wages (38%), religion (35%) and their health (both physical and mental) (24%). Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (12%) and family (12%) are also off the table at some companies.
What sort of authenticity is it when many of the most important issues are explicitly blocked from conversation by management? And with 56% of 'job seekers’ unsure of what is ok to talk about, no surprise that 86% say they ‘like to keep their home life separate from their work life’.
So, be ‘yourself’ at work, but not a ‘yourself’ that wants to talk politics, salaries*, religion, health, DEI, belonging, or family.
What’s left? Entertainment? Sports? Wordle? Gardening? Cooking?
Almost all the things most important to people are ruled out of bounds.
* It is illegal in the U.S. for employers to prohibit employees from discussing salaries.
Factoids
Email translations.
“I was under the impression” Translation: I’m furious
“As per my email” Translation: I’m furious
“With respect” Translation: I’m furious
“Whilst I appreciate” Translation: I’m furious
“As I’m sure you’re aware” Translation: I’m furious
“As previously discussed” Translation: I’m furious
…
EV remorse.
46% of EV owners in the U.S. said they were "very" likely to switch back to owning a gas-powered vehicle in their next purchase. | McKinsey
…
Bleisure seizure.
The “bleisure” travel trend that soared to popularity during the pandemic recovery, merging business trips with personal leisure time, may be going by the wayside, according to an annual global business travel survey by SAP Concur.
Nearly 91% of survey participants say their company has cut back on allowing certain options in the past 12 months. That includes 27% who have seen reductions in allowing remote work while traveling for pleasure to avoid taking leave days. And 25% say employers have trimmed adding personal days to a business trip. The changes aren’t sitting well with employees, with 22% indicating they’d decline a trip that can’t be extended for personal reasons, according to the travel management company’s survey.
Employers are also pulling back on requests to stay overnight to avoid a long day of travel for a day trip, pay more for a nonstop flight, allow business or premium class bookings or use taxis or ride-share apps instead of public transportation. The review included 3,750 business travelers in 24 markets. | Brian Delk
Skin flint says ‘Be yourself!’
…
The shines they are a’changing.
These days, even CEOs are ditching loafers for more casual shoes. To adapt, some shoeshiners now offer sneaker-cleaning. | Brian Delk
Elsewhere
For paid subscribers only: Hamilton Nolan on unionization, Zephyr Teachout on corporate surveillance, and yours truly on The Notetaking Bullshit Industrial Complex.
Hamilton Nolan
In It Is Simple For Companies to Treat Employees Ethically. And Yet., Nolan wonders at the simplicity of ethical corporate behavior around unionization:
When employees decide that they want to have a union, this is what it takes to be an ethical company: Nothing. Do nothing. That is all that decency requires of you. Be neutral! Do not tell people that unions are bad. Do not tell them unions are good. Do not tell them anything. Shut the fuck up and let them figure it out and then, if they unionize, proceed to negotiate a contract with them in good faith, as is required by law. That is all. That is the low, low bar you must clear to be ethical. As you can see, it should be very easy.
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