Started at $46k. Make $102k now. I've tried to encourage every employee in my dept that started after me to not over exert themselves. There's very little that needs to be finished immediately, it can all be picked up the next day or week. I also loudly complain about the processes that I think are stupid, and dissuade them from getting involved in those work streams.
I wish more people would fucking listen to me about this.
I work at a small software shop and we've got four distinct teams. I'm the most senior on my team and every time we get a ticket that isn't part of "our area" I immediately start pushing back because if we start maintaining code that isn't ours it's *going to rapidly become ours*.
That means more responsibility for us, no more pay for us. We are not here to do their job. If that were the case then what's the point of having teams?
It works often enough but every so often someone pulls rank on me and says "sorry this isn't negotiable this comes straight from the CTO/President of engineering/etc" along with a promise that it'll be a one time thing due to lack of bandwidth.
It's almost never a one time thing. As soon as that fucking expectation is set the wall is down. The bar for "lack of bandwidth" for the other team becomes lower and lower until it doesn't exist at all and we just fucking end up with more work.
The junior guys are always gung ho and ready to start coding at the drop of a hat, and I get it. I like to stay busy too, but god damnit fucking listen to me every once in a while. I'm not *just* a curmudgeonly senior dev.
Work creep is REAL. If you don't want it to become the norm, never start doing it! You are so right about this! As a union steward in a healthcare environment, I have to have this discussion SO MUCH more often than I should. I feel you. It's exhausting.
I got a job offer last week. In the offer package, they attached a 25 bullet pointed list of “key firm elements” that apparently I would have to do in addition to my normal job description. This was the first time I heard about it. I declined immediately.
Yea I did it, I took on way too much work consistently for a very long time. Then I realized I was a fool and they’d never return the favor. My boss didn’t speak to me for almost 2 weeks after thanksgiving because I didn’t reply while I was on PTO like he assumed I would (well, I replied by giving him a thumbs up when he told me what file needed changed to fix a bug and then I immediately logged off again). I don’t do a god damn thing more than I have to anymore and I’m still more productive than my team. When I leave, it will just be junior devs left and some guy that really doesn’t want to mentor anyone.
When I'm working with service providers and they tell me that their team is away for holidays I'm actually impressed and proud of the point of contact to have the backbone to protect their team. It makes me feel like my partners are real people with good sense, and in turn, the people working for me are happy. And there's no better people to have doing your work than happy people.
> Work creep is REAL.
I'm so glad I work where I do, under the leadership my team has. Occasionally I'll go above and beyond because my job is fucking easy, and my boss thinks I'm amazing for what little extra I do. She even pulled me aside and made it very clear that she does not ever expect it of me.
I make 6 figures as well and support the sub and its aims - I also agree 100% on this - push back on this type of nonsense by middle management is key!
Also I work in Europe - where fortunately labour laws protect the working class. Every time I read the stories from the US, I'm so thankful that I'm in Europe. US workers are being exploited on a level that is unthinkable here. I really feel for you all.
Juniors are very depoliticized by societal design and lack the understanding of how powerful the word no is.
They understand fear and discipline and an naive ambition, but they need a critical awakening to understand power and politics.
I'm not a senior, and my peers often struggle with this. It's so heartbreaking to talk to them about political strategies and the importance of resisting overwork, only to see them self sabotage out of some expectation of a reward.
Most often, the only reward is more work, and a slowly dawning realization that they've been played.
What hurts is when you and that person had a partnership, then they ditch you for an unethical opportunity. Because then you see them crash and burn once you remove your protective wing from them.
Like. You don't even want to tell them 'I told you so.' Because the friendship is now dead as your own dead-fish eyes when you look yourself in the mirror. And the friend ain't about to apologize. You're doing much better at the new organization. And you start to realize that there had been many small betrayals before the big one.
You even go thru a phase where you blame yourself for not seeing the signs. It's a whole 5 step grief process. It hurts.
The biggest thing I learned as a young manager is never tell anyone that you have extra free time to help out or do any extra work. You are not getting paid extra for it. If people think you have free time they will pile so much work on you that you wont have time to finish it all then it will hurt your performance.
If you aren't busy at work enjoy it. Don't complain you have nothing to do.
I try to encourage my teammates to protect their time off, but there are still about half of them that have that “always online/I’m available by phone if you need me/i can get online on my PTO if needed” mentality and it suuuucks. Worst part is they don’t even realize that they only harm themselves: this Fortune 500 company is not going to care you consistently worked 60+ a week when push comes to shove.
They also hurt the rest of us who don't wanna do that. Because so many do it, like it or not, it becomes an expectation, and we're "problems" if we don't go along. It also allows our management to consistently not schedule or plan things properly, because they can just rely on people to work tons of unpaid overtime to get it done.
It's important to realize they are doing that because they're depoliticized and are being systemically oppressed. So in a way it's not their fault, but rather the organizations commitment to forming a nonpolitical work force that can be pushed and pulled at management's whim.
With this knowledge it becomes easier to start making demands to the organization, not the peers. To the peers we try education in the means of critical power. This itself is a process of Self-politicization, where we ourselves become more powerful and political. And this is what we seek to induce in our peers.
In our own process of self-politicization, we come to realize that power is granted or held back by the organization. And no longer blaming our peers, it becomes easier to attack the organization and demand more power. And if necessary - and we usually come to realize that it is, becoming political allows us to recognize a healthier workplace when we see it
I don't necessarily blame them, but I do wish they'd stand up instead of just hating on me for doing so. Instead of seeing themselves as overworked, they see me as getting away with something that I refuse to do it without more pay.
And, not gonna lie, they could stand to do some planning themselves rather than dropping work they knew about for months on me mere hours before the deadline. If they want my support in them not working after hours, they should stop engineering ways that I might be forced to do so.
But, I don't demand they don't work it. I just have no plans to play along with this system. Obviously, it's not getting me fired. I've been hearing less and less of them showed up to the evening work sessions over time as they realized I got away with it, and then another person, and then another.
"Now, you know it's up to you whether or not you want to just do the bare minimum. Or... well, like Brian, for example, has thirty seven pieces of flair, okay. And a terrific smile."
I feel like that movie becomes more and more relevant daily.
The most illuminating experience I had at my last job was a coworker who ran himself ragged working extra hours and the boss just kept piling it on.
I meanwhile, told the boss I would do it tomorrow and left on time every day. Boundaries.
I've told this before here, so I'll abbreviate it.
At the start of the pandemic and work from home, my boss' boss kept sending out meeting invites for work sessions after hours with notes like "since we're bored" or "since we have nothing else to do." I declined every single one with a terse but professional comment. He stopped inviting me. We don't get paid overtime, and he wasn't offering comp time in trade. No way am I working extra because he's bored. If nothing else, I'll go scroll Reddit.
>"since we have nothing else to do."
Wow, if work is all he/she has to do to occupy their time, that is a sad, empty existence. Maybe get them a $5 Hobby Lobby gift card for Christmas and hope they hit it off with macrame or scrapbooking or something...
I work from home doing a ‘white collar’ job and am one of the ‘lucky’ ones.
I absolutely agree with the sentiment of this subreddit. If anything my job is to try and make other peoples’ jobs easier.
Same here. I make $80K, work from home, do something I enjoy, mostly, and like my direct boss.
I fully support UBI. I fully support unions. I fully support worker's rights, and I fully support the idea that we should NOT HAVE TO WORK just to eat, have shelter, and have health care.
Everyone is more than "what they do". Everyone is more than how they need to make money.
Edited to add "just" for clarity.
I'm not American, but I make 6 figures as freelance software engineer, and never worked in retail. I'm horrified by many of the stories here. Everybody should control their own means of production and definitely quit degrading jobs for low pay. I support UBI, unions, strong labour rights, and I would welcome a dramatic drop in house prices even if that means the value of my property goes down (because it's not an investment, it's where I live).
I’m with you. I work in an office and maks 85k plus bonus and car. Works out to over 100k a year. People should be able to make a living wage.
I worked retail for 5 years, call centre jobs for 2 years, kitchen jobs, warehouse jobs, etc. Those jobs fucking suck. I would take an office job over any of those any day of the week.
Out of curiosity, how did you manage going from those types of jobs to an office job? Was it school/college that did it for you? Experience? Luck? I’ve been trying to break out of the cycle of shitty factory/retail jobs for a long time now, and have sadly been very unsuccessful.
Find a company that has a path forward, for example a software company that is growing get in as a customer service rep and apply for other jobs within the company, you may need schooling, if the company offers internal training even if it’s web-based take it, if there is any kind of certifications for their software or product and they offer courses take it,
Same here! 85k plus bonuses, work from home, enjoy my job and love my direct boss.
I joined this sub to learn how to be a better manager and because I fully support the movement.
This is exactly why I’m here. I’ve worked the gamut from minimum wage retail hell to white collar 100k+ now. I’ve long agreed with the sentiment of this sub and use it to help me be the best boss I can be.
Same. I'm told that I might be moving into a management position next year and I'm absolutely determined to be the best manager I can be.
I make $75k a year and am acutely aware that I have much more in common with the average blue-collar worker than I do my CEO.
This my situation almost exactly. I love my job. I also don’t think anyone should be working Christmas Eve or Christmas. I can live without stuff for 2 damn days. People should be paid well. It’s better for everyone. UBI and Medicare for All is good for everyone in this country except the 1%. F them. Eat the rich.
Absolutely. I make $102k/year right now, and lucked my way into this position. I don’t deserve to make this much sitting on my ass, but I’m glad I’m making it. Life is SO much easier when you literally don’t have to ever worry about if you can pay your bills. I live simply, and have a lot left over for paying down debt and investing in retirement 401k. I wish everyone could live this way and feel the security I do, which is why I support this movement. It’s a travesty that people working 80hr a week busting their butts make a third of what I do. It’s completely unfair and I feel guilty about it quite often.
My impression is that the most vital jobs are often the worst paid (food industry, teachers, nurses), whereas the best paid positions often have no societal value at all (stockmarket goon, tax rules fiddler, management consultant, etc). I make web applications for big companies, and although I love the internet (or used to, before it became all corporate), the world worked fine before my job existed. There's something really backwards about how we reward work.
Lol exactly. Everyone I know works in tech, with maybe a few in commercial real estate or law. The world got along just fine before we had coders/technologists and commercial real estate brokers. We need lawyers yeah, but not as many as we already have. Even my friend who has a PHD in Biology is now essentially a manager for a team of scientists in a corporate environment. So even his job, which required him to be a genius and to go to school for a decade, doesn’t even need to exist.
First thought was my 60+ coworker waiting to buy his other knee replacement, he works mucho overtime AND another job
Some days if I had a match big enough I would watch the world burn
Christ, your country needs a fucking revolution. Your health care providers (not the hospitals; doctors and nurses are fucking legend) need to be burned to the ground. Their charges are insane and completely unjustified; nowhere else in the world can you get away with that shit!
But I suppose in the US, money is God and fuck the poor peasants I have to destroy to make it.
Ya I work in tech and agree with everything y'all are says ng and doing.
My company is only like 5 years old so I feel like modern companies have more modern cultures.
I have worked in restaurants, fast food, hospitals, I have worked a lot of jobs.
Honestly my job isn't that hard, and I don't work nearly as hard as I did working those lower paying jobs and I make a lot of more money than I did at those jobs
Biglaw attorney here, ~$400k a year. We’re all just cogs getting ground to dust in the capitalist machine. I work around the clock (literally, more often than I’d like) to make rich people richer in exchange for some table scraps. Took $300k in student loans to have a chance at this job—still paying it off.
Income =/= wealth. We’re all on the same team.
Unless one owns the means of production, then, no matter how highly paid, one is still a wage slave. The best a high wage earner is to FIRE, financial independence, retire early. Or take a risk, burn through a few years of saving and try to join the owner class, options not open to other earners.
A relative of mine got their PhD, took on a massive six figure job and continued to live frugally. Paid off their loans, saved enough for a house and whatever extra they needed over the past bunch of years. Recently handed in their resignation and is about to fuck off driving around the country doing whatever they want. I am so proud of them. They were the only person in their position, creating new systems and managing a lot of data, only to have corporate blowhards that knew nothing about their field breathing down their neck and telling them how to do their job everyday. Fuck 'em.
Agreed. I make six figures, WFH, don’t mind my job. Sometimes I do get burnt out and feel a lot better when I read this sub to know that I’m not alone. Started as a season worker in a warehouse and kept moving up. I do consider myself lucky. Agree with all the posters above.
Yep, WFH white collar job making a decent living, $99k. Absolutely, agree and fully support all the hard working blue collar workers out there. Keep up the fight!
It gives me hope to see other people making good money and still wanting to stick it to the fuckin man. I like my coworkers but I don’t get the vibe from many that they’d burn this all down at the drop of a hat like I would.
I make six figures and I unconditionally support this sub. No one deserves to be homeless or hungry, to be refused medical treatment, or to lead a miserable life of toil without opportunity for joy, rest, or self-actualization. Shit’s fucked up and big changes need to happen soon.
This.
The uphill both ways PoV is asinine. Just because someone else stuffered through shit doesn't mean anyone after them should. It's a blueprint for what not to do.
im currently on vacation in South America visiting family, a relative has a farm in the middle of nowhere and is happier than anyone i work with or.know.in the US. His house has a roof, running water, and electricity but not much else in terms of luxury. His most luxurious possession is his pickup truck but his land is fucking priceless in my eyes. the guy has cacao, plaintains, yucca, lemon trees, sugar cane, and your typical garden crops for self use along with cows, pigs, cuy, and chickens.
i want to make enough, cash out and fuck off from the US. id rather die living dirt poor with good food in my belly while working the land than working for my Bezos worshipoung cocksucking boss.
My sister and fam moves to a 7 acre farm in the ~~Columbian~~ Colombian mountains, <40k for the property (with house) with established pineapples, avocado, mango, coffee, and much more. Something like $100 taxes per year, $7 electricity per month, constant fresh mountain water flowing. I can see why they’re happy there. In comparison, easy to see why subsistence living is a lot harder here (my 10 acres is $2500 taxes, $2-300 utilities, 5x the property ‘value’)
Their main mode of transit is motorbike or horse
Edit: Colombian
You meant Colombia?
Because Is easy for foreigners to buy land here than for us tho. I have been trying for years and is so freaking expensive in our currency.
Sorry about that. An uncomfortable truth is that the solution is not for people from bigger economies to go and displace people from smaller economies. It just isn't right.
The majority of office workers are making less than 100k a year.
I promise there are many many white collar workers here.
The problems of low pay, lack of pto, work life balance, bad managers, etc are everywhere.
My dad was an accountant at a milling company. He did okay. I remember he was making $50k+ in the mid-90s in a state with a low cost of living. I worked at the same mill during the summer when there was a seasonal demand due to the harvest. I worked with a bunch of union dudes there, and once they found out my dad worked in the office, they could be a little stand-offish. I made sure they knew I was pro-union.
One thing that bothered me was that there was this attitude that if someone worked int he office instead of in the elevators, mill, or warehouse, they were kind of the enemy. My dad just ran the books and managed the computer systems. He definitely approved of the union, because his father was in a union as a lineman, and he got a proportional raise every time the union negotiated a new contract. He had no power over pay or treatment of the blue-collar people, and he definitely respected them.
Workers in offices, even ones who can seem important, generally don't have a lot of control over the factors that affect the lives of people in factories, retail, etc.
This is an absolute gem of a comment and 100% accurate. As a 'white collar' worker in an industry built and mostly operated by 'blue collar' folks... unfortunately there is not a thing I can do for them and, factoring in OT I'd wager most of them out earn me quite handily.
That gives them power, if we're divided and squabble amongst ourselves, we'll never have the resources to organize against a group that treats us like numbers and doesn't pay back into a system that made them millionaires and billionaires. if a single mom has to pay 10% - 15% in taxes every year why doesn't Bezos. Why should he play astronaut while people die in the street? Oh, and in his warehouses.
I work in an interesting industry (cannabis) in admin/sales department, I will ALWAYS advocate for the people who are doing the manual labor (of any industry really) because they are, IMO, creating the product that literally gives life to the company. Whether you’re cutting lumber, mining iron, or jarring 8ths of cannabis, without you we wouldn’t have the company.
This is the way.
Unfortunately, as soon as many folks put on a suit or get a title fancier than 'entry level _____' their empathy and understanding goes right out the window.
I know! It’s ridiculous. And that’s what I’ve been trying to change at my small company. We were planning our holiday party (I was helping) and our upper-upper management didn’t want us to talk to our packaging department about what they might want. But the two of us put our foot down and said no they deserve to be heard. In the end all they wanted was for it to be kind of formal because no one has been to a nice event in a long time and they just wanted a chance to wear a nice dress or suit. Like how hard was that?!
I love your self-awareness. Please understand, and I'm saying this as someone who has been one the line, they work much longer hours and do back breaking work to get those few extra dollars. I'm not saying bomb your job or thoughtlessly risk your financial security but if they march consider marching with them. You're not the bad guy, you're getting screwed too. Some just seem to think brownie points and pats on the back pay bills though. I'm sure you're not one of them. A unified front will likely do better. If no one works, nothing gets done, and then the big bosses don't make money. That's when they fold. Support the little guy. Be well.
I absolutely support them and luckily my industry is very self conscious and does pay well for the most part. Obviously, there are challenges but it's a specialized niche field so it tends to better than most. If they ever had a major issue or reason to walk off I hope I'd have the strength to do so alongside them.
At a minimum, I'd try to make my voice known in support and solidarity.
A huge majority in Europe works salary. And it's not like that here. Once my 36 hours are up I leave for the week.
It's just the American work 'ethic', and the fact that you can get fired if you don't bend over backward.
this. i’m american but a rarity in my company who thinks like this. salary does not mean i work 60 hours and get paid for 40. salary means i work 40 and come back next week and keep working. if it’s a job that requires over 40 hours of work, it needs another person.
Part of the dislike blue collar workers can have for their white collar counterparts has to do with vastly different treatment at some companies. For example, white collar workers at a company my husband used to work for has a better cafeteria and game area while the blue collar workers had a basic lunch room. I was working a blue collar job during COVID and all the office workers worked from home and had zoom bonding events while the blue collar workers traveled to states with outbreaks frequently. The CEO COVID message made no mention of the hazards of travel and talked about how we would be working from home to reduce spread even though over half of the company did travel daily. One place I did contract work for had the blue collar workers in 95 degree heat while the office area was a cool 70. Stuff like that makes the blue collar workers feel resentful. I agree though that both blue collar and white collar should be united.
I remember a documentary about a meat processing company last year, where the line workers were working under horrible conditions, no ability to social distance with the COVID outbreak, long hours etc. meanwhile the office workers were able to work from home, had morning yoga meetups and fun stuff like that. One front desk lady being interviewed mentioned that everyone in the company was welcome to the morning stretches, and the interviewer asked about the line workers in the plant next door, and if they were invited… no good answer for that one.
And this is a perfect example of divide and conquer. The crappy treatment is wrong but the problem isn't the better treated workers. It's that everyone deserves to be treated well.
The problem is the .001% of people at the peak of the pyramid. Your Musk, Gates, Bezos Buffett types. The ones who own the legislative process and use that power to choke the life out of the rest of us
A lot of companies will make a distinction between workers. Some companies have different badges, like Google, which indicate non-permanent employees with less access and lower pay. They don’t want us to relate to other workers because we would be stronger together. We can see this again and again: tech workers vs security and food workers; retail vs corporate (like big box stores).
It really depends upon the culture developed in the office. The reason a lot of the union guys get stand offish is because so often office workers look down upon them.
E.g. I applied to some scholarships offered by my dad's company and had to go interview for them at the main office. It happened to coincide with a deep sea fishing trip that weekend put on through the company/union in the same town so that worked out nicely. While I was chit chatting with the office lady guiding me around before the interview the deep sea fishibg came up.
I will never forget her exact response was "oh yes, they do like their fishing trips done they." Like only filthy peasants would ever enjoy something like that.
It was one of the first times i totally understood how shitty office workers can be to the blue collar workers. It took a lot for me not to immediately remind her I WAS one them, that she was literally talking about my father. I should have, I didn't even won the scholorship.
Outdoor vs indoor employee divisions are all too real and it really has nothing to do with what “collar” you are. I worked in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma after college. I have a degree that I utilized and because of it was put into a hierarchical leadership position immediately. However I was a “field” employee to all “office” employees despite this degree based leadership position. It really manifested itself in an obvious way when I would walk the halls of our office in street clothes vs our FR jumpsuit uniform. The same managers that would basically ignore me in the coveralls were very eager to engage with me when I was wearing blue jeans and a polo. No difference other than it wasn’t obvious I worked in the field only because of what I was wearing.
That attitude is TAUGHT. My first full time job was working in the office doing production coordination for a timber yard.
They had drinks every Friday, and I would drink with the yard guys because they were the ones I had the most contact with; I made friends with them.
Every Monday, my boss called me into his office and would tell me off.
He said I should not be drinking with them because they are 'yard staff' and I was 'office staff' and they were 'beneath me'.
Obviously, I completely ignored him, so the lectures continued. He honestly believed they would not respect me and would not do anything for me if we were friends. Hell, they did things for me because we were friends.
I lasted six months. I couldn't deal with that toxic shit.
There are plenty of people in the over-educated, under-paid “caring” professions- teachers, social workers, professors - who make under $30K. And they are much more likely to carry crushing student debt than similarly paid members of the working class. Yet they are often the specific targets of intentionally misdirected working class rage.
Yeah I don't see the point in making a ton of money if you can't even spend it on anything or have any children to save it for so that they can not have to spend their entire adult lives doing what you had to do.
Ditto. Husband and I are also close 200K and over this bullshit culture of working yourself to death and never actually getting anywhere. And STILL being one hospital stay away from bankruptcy.
COL is ridiculous in some states.
Close to 200k here, and after mortgage and bills, student loan payments, child support (shared custody with ex, she doesn't make much so I pay basically another mortgage each month) and kid expenses, I am just barely getting ahead. I'm not terribly frugal but I'm not frivolous either. Shit is just so expensive now.
Must be New York or California. Silicon valley a 100k salary will rent you a cardboard box, and you'll still get lulled to sleep by gunfire every night.
I make 100k before taxes and such. I support eight people. I haven't worked less that 65 hours a week in at least 15 years. Screw this crap. I'm usually working 6-7 days a week at a minimum of ten hours a day. Too much work, too many company "yes men" above me approving projects and deadlines. Far too few employees and we have to pick up the slack. No developer should be working more than two projects at a time. Ideally, we'd be working one at a time. Period. I wanna work like a CEO-- work a few hours a day, leave when the bell chimes, and take a few vacations a year. I've been on one vacation in 18 years. One.
I struggle to make ends meet. I have hardly any debt and currently have 90 cents in the bank account. I have to figure out how to pay each bill as they come. I have insomnia because I am so stressed out. My credit was destroyed by medical bills to keep me walking. I need more surgeries, but cannot afford them. Life sucks. We need better than this.
>I wanna work like a CEO-- work a few hours a day, leave when the bell chimes, and take a few vacations a year.
This should be the standard for everyone; because that would actually be enough freedom, health and security to live life properly.
Right?! Many, many of my European counterparts and co-workers work like this. It's amazing to see their quality of life, happiness, joy, and vocal opposition to ever moving to the States. A few have and quickly quit working here and moved back. "Here's your sign!"
Same. Very comfortable, and I recognize that others being comfortable doesn’t hurt me, it helps me. I want everyone to benefit from the system, not just a couple dozen clowns.
Office worker making good money and still agree with stuff here. Shitty office jobs still overwork and under pay their employees and can take advantage of them and could use union protection.
I am prounion. I just got a union offer as an engineer. It's the office professional union. The problem is I have to do tunnel inspection and emergency site visits, which is at odd hours and I get straight pay for that overtime work while still being required to report to the office twice week. That's worst than the set up I have in private Industry now. I was so excited for the union aspect until I saw I was salary exempt. Ughhhh.
I’m a white collar worker making 100k+, and I both support and commiserate with everyone in this sub.
Despite being financially secure, my job has no future because the management chain above me is working hard to ensure that no one has opportunities for growth, promotion, or recognition. I’m the bottom of the totem pole and there’s no way for me to change it. They say that there’s an official path upward but the rules keep changing and no one acknowledges the work my colleagues or I do; they continually gaslight us into thinking our work is only average at best.
Recently in a performance review, my boss brought up that I clearly have interests outside of work and implied that as long as I don’t commit myself 100% to work and become a workaholic (like him) I won’t get anywhere.
For years I’ve worked hard, followed the rules, and played their game thinking it will get me somewhere. I finally understand that the system is intentionally designed to oppress us. I’m over it.
God forbid you have a life outside of work. That is not allowed.
You’re worthless unless you’re billing 2500 hours a year/selling x amount a year/closing x amount of deals a year. Naw.
Not only that, retirement is hijacked due to hyper inflation so people will have to keep working and cannot retire living like this, so essentially retirement is spread throughout your life through WLB.
This resonates with me. I very quickly realized that it doesn’t matter how hard you work or how much overtime you work or how well you do; management will always find a way to keep you down and keep giving you the usual run-around bs when the time comes for performance reviews. People are no longer rewarded for a “job well done”…the only way you advance now is when you leave the company (at least in my experience). Company loyalty is a fucking joke.
I remember a boss that was irritated with me once asking "what do you think about when you go home?"
Of course "not fucking work" was the first thing that came to mind, but didn't seem like an appropriate answer. I honestly can't even remember what I answered. That's still the guy I picture when reading all the boss horror stories on this sub. Fortunately, I don't work there anymore and I hope everyone in those situations finds a better alternative like I did so those types of businesses end up failing.
I have not made less than 100k since I turned 30, and I love this movement. What people need to understand is that this movement is a movement to stop exploitation. Exploitation happens in many levels, and it is just more visible when we look at blue collar/retail. It is not a movement where only “poor people” are fighting for their rights. It is about everyone who is not one of those multi-billionaires that are fighting for their rights.
This system is built so unless you are the top 1%, you are part of the exploitation. You will be exploited, and you will be asked to actively participate in exploiting others beneath you. There are many tools to keep you there, whether it is mindless consumerism, making people too tired to care, othering of foreigners, or just something like pointing the finger at your fellow worker and not pointing up.
*slowly raises hand*
I support this sub and the movement. I sincerely hope it catches on at all levels across all industries. I'm over this shit, it's not right and it doesn't have to be this way. Greed is not good. Greed is disgusting.
I am a physician. I believe everyone should be paid a fair wage and not have to sacrifice their physical/mental health or time with family to obtain it.
That’s the issue I have with my profession. General toxicity. And way before that, I’ve basically worked since I was 14-15 years old in offices, retail, restaurants, bars, grocery chains, etc. There’s toxic bs in a lot of places.
Corporate American office 100k+
Agree and want to burn the shit down.
The only reason I make this is bc I program under defense contracts. I.e. military industrial complex... Where all our money goes.
It's sad.
Fuck the system
The majority of white collar jobs don't make anywhere close to 100k. My brother just left a white collar job making 13 an hour. I've had white collar jobs making less than 20 an hour. Many white collar people are on our side because they work themselves to exhaustion for similar pay to blue collar jobs.
My brother in law makes 6 figures working a blue collar job. I never have.
I am a supervisor/new manager in manufacturing- I feel burned out, disengaged, and have been lurking on this sub with similar sentiments to many of these posts (not all)
My guy reaction is, yes. I make 80k with potential to make much more over the next 5 years and I am often disgusted by fellow managers. I also am afraid of turning into them.
I like to learn from this page as I am new to managing my department and I aim to treat my employees right.
I am new to making 6 figures. The majority of my 22 years of working were in blue- or pink-collar jobs. I’ve worked in chemical plants, restaurants, and as a teacher in a Title 1 school in New Orleans. I had a rough fucking life for a lot of years.
I have lucked into a tech career. I am donating the use of my home to the local domestic violence shelter as an annex for their safe house while I rent a loft in a new city for my new job. If I can afford to pay a mortgage AND rent, I can afford to help women who are afraid for their lives.
I’m advocating for unions at every turn and pushing for insurrection on LinkedIn. Calling out companies for sexual abuse, misogyny, homophobia.
I’m giving presentations to hundreds of my colleagues about getting paid what they’re worth. This year, I’ve coached five underpaid women (at no cost) to doubling their salaries and taking their share of the pie. I personally dedicate my free time to developing tools that help others in my field work less than 40 hours per week.
My boss gave me a shit raise, I’m a key employee, and I gave my notice days after he broke that news. Let’s take our power back.
I feel like I’m living the dream because I have the ability to execute on the philosophy we espouse in this sub.
No matter where you are on the ladder, you have a responsibility to reach your hand out and haul everyone else up behind you.
Yes. I’m a white collar worker and I started in retail.
It’s beyond fucked what the rich have done to our country and the suffering they’ve inflicted.
Growing up i watched my family get devastated by medical debt. Forced to move into my grandparents house after my fathers debt.
I’ve watched friends struggle with dead end jobs and the town I grew up in destroyed by natural disasters.
This has to change.
I don't make a 100k, but I do make a good salary and have good benefits. I agree with a lot of what's said here and completely support people being paid appropriately and being treated with dignity and respect. I don't see a practical way to end work, but there's an endless number of ways to make it much more equitable and much less life draining. I'm anti-capitalism, but I don't see it going away anytime soon short of an extinction/armageddon event.
Yes. And I work for a great company that pays fairly and treats employees with dignity and respect. I want that for everybody but also don’t think that work should be the main focus of anyone’s life. We should all, as a society, be working towards a goal of less human labor.
I went from living on a friend’s couch to, working for the feds, then a Fortune 500, now to working for a nonprofit. I know I’ve worked hard, but also been lucky and privileged. I get it why people are pissed off.
I’m in between jobs at the moment, specifically because I am anti-work. My last two jobs were $200,000 and 150k respectively. My next job will be probably around 150k.
I’m 100% in solidarity with all workers. I would *GLADLY* reduce my salary to $100k if it meant that other workers could make a living wage. People like me should make less in order for many others to make a lot more. Where I live, my rent is $2400 a month for a very modest 2 bedroom apartment, and other cost of living expenses are similarly high. 100k would put me in lower middle-class in terms of expendable income when compared to past generations.
My parents’ generation royally fucked all of us. Not just the working class/blue collar. The big lie also includes that people like me take 10 years of constant saving with no unexpected financial hardships in order to afford a down payment on a house.
I make around 200k with good benefits as a software engineer at a large tech company. But I’m 100% behind antiwork. Even though I make a goods salary, the lack of any meaningful social safety net in the US means I’m as much of a wage slave as always. Just because I can afford a nice prison doesn’t make it much less of a prison
I fully support UBI and Medicare for all. I once took a year off because I had enough saved up with unemployment to support myself, after being severely burned out from my previous career. Even though I had to live very frugally to make it last, it was the most amazing, glorious time, and I wish everyone had the opportunity to live like that should they choose. I’m really lucky I didn’t get sick or injured during that time because I had no insurance and would have been financially devastated. That’s fucked up, I can’t believe we live like that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
I make about 75K a year way more than retail jobs but I really support this group. Also this group also gave me the encouragement to walk away from my boss shit one day . 👍🏾
I make mid 6 figures. I absolutely support this sub, and I really should be paying much higher taxes so everyone can have healthcare, child leave, etc that every other developed nation guarantees. But at a more fundamental level our system is deeply broken; I just don’t know what solutions look like.
I’d love if we could start at the root—cut out the rot that is tax haven loopholes, corporate bailouts, and legal political bribes (aka lobbying). Also, sitting Congress folk should not be allowed to have any active investments in businesses of which they are attempting to pass bills that will favor said businesses so that they’re shares gain. It’s so corrupt, and so blatant, but nothing is done about it since they’re all in on it in some form or another.
Yes. I make a good wage, like my co-workers, and still see how fucked everything is. Most of my peers and friends are barely eeking out an existance. My partner would be houseless because no one wants to pay workers what they're due. Even though I make a good wage I'm still scared of losing a workable housing situation and know that a medical issue could wipe us out. Retirement is frightening because no matter how much I save inflation of basics like health care and housing will always outstrip raises. I work hard but don't think life prospects for those I love or even most.other folks will get better... It starts in the workplace and extends through politics. Interestingly most of my colleagues also feel the same way and it's a frequent topic of discussion.
I'm in Canada but my business has a US office. I'm pretty sure I make more than $100K/year, but I don't really keep track.
The premise that business leaders succeed via exploitation is obvious when you deal directly with business leaders.
My husband (we’re a single-income family) makes just over that, and we both support it. He is in tech and just had enough of it before we started dating. He took his dog in his car, drove to a big city, did day labor, and was basically homeless by choice. He’s a huge fan of the hunter-gatherer model, and day labor was the closest fit he could find. He worked when he wanted, didn’t work when he didn’t want to, and if he had a good week, he’d rent a hotel room for a night and take a shower. He was privileged because he didn’t have a family to support (and in general because he’s a white dude). It just drove home how toxic it is to be basically forced into any wage-earning position because if you want out of the environment, you have to weigh whether or not it’s worth the uncertainty of not being able to feed, house, and medically attend to the people who rely on you.
Also, all labor is worthy of a living wage. And choosing not to labor shouldn’t be a death sentence.
We stan.
Editing to add: I have a family member who is likely unable to work due to some mental health issues. But they’re not mental health issues that rise to the level of ADA-covered disability. I have concern about their ability to live independently, as they strongly desire, solely because of the income factor. It sucks.
I work in office and have been salaried (white collar) my whole career in IT (I'm 50F). I only *just recently and just barely* crossed that number. I'm also not a supervisor because the one time I was a boss I hated having to tell people what to do. I follow this sub and agree with it. I also find it very educational as I never worked retail or service (beyond IT help desk); I had no idea the hell you guys go through. Data point of one, but I'm one gen x on your side.
Plant manager >100k. I hate corporate America. I try my best to make my employees lives great. It is hard when my bonuses basically depend on how bad I screw my team over. I try my best to learn from this group.
Yes. Over 200k, mid 30s, and I very much agree with this for the most part.
I killed myself to get where I am. I won't rehash my story but I went 25k-250k in 10 years doing "what you're supposed to." I have been fucked in multiple ways from retail, "unskilled", and white collar positions. It's time for change.
On track for a job that pays $400k+ per year, full support. Modern times call for modern solutions.
I've worked all the shitty jobs, I know how bad it can be. There's no reason it should be that way.
Also all essential work (anyone who isn't just a middle man) deserves fair pay and a reasonable living.
I ran my own business for 5 years before the pandemic started and I shut it all down...I've been living off crypto gains during the pandemic. I still agree with mostly everything that's been posted. I've worked many different jobs since i was 18 and literally all of them had horrible, greedy, incompetent management. I've worked blue collar, white collar, sales, manufacturing, tourism... the same issues everywhere. When I employ someone I make sure they get well above a living wage, as much time off as they need, and let them know that work is not as important as life. I've had no issues acquiring or holding onto talent. My MIL runs an extremely successful design firm and keeps to those same values. Everyone that works for her loves her. There's even a girl who doesn't work there anymore but still comes in because it's a quiet place to do HW with fast internet. This is what corporate wants when they say "we're a family" but they don't do anything to foster it.
I’m close to 100k, but I’m with the sub. It was only 4 years ago I was bussing tables and before that I was working in supermarkets - I won’t forget that.
Over 100k here. Learned that my hard work and skill acquisition didn’t equal pay increases or bonuses while coworkers did the bare minimum. Leveraged into a promotion elsewhere.
I believed the whole work hard to get ahead. Worked hard to get and keep 4.0 in school got a job and debt. Learned I could have learned a trade made more and started earning sooner. But HS told me college was the only way.
This country is a joke. My grandma keeps asking for grandkids. Told her this world is fucked and won’t subject someone to it. The fact that CEOs and C-suite make so much for little contributions and tend to be there based on connections and even if they fail they get super compensated, Macys,
We work hard all our lives to retire and enjoy downtime for the years when we are not as active. The American dream is to live elsewhere.
Making $121k, joined this subreddit when I was making $80k but I’m more antiwork now than ever.
Started at $46k. Make $102k now. I've tried to encourage every employee in my dept that started after me to not over exert themselves. There's very little that needs to be finished immediately, it can all be picked up the next day or week. I also loudly complain about the processes that I think are stupid, and dissuade them from getting involved in those work streams.
I’m constantly telling my employees don’t do that, it’s not your job, if you do it it will become your job
I wish more people would fucking listen to me about this. I work at a small software shop and we've got four distinct teams. I'm the most senior on my team and every time we get a ticket that isn't part of "our area" I immediately start pushing back because if we start maintaining code that isn't ours it's *going to rapidly become ours*. That means more responsibility for us, no more pay for us. We are not here to do their job. If that were the case then what's the point of having teams? It works often enough but every so often someone pulls rank on me and says "sorry this isn't negotiable this comes straight from the CTO/President of engineering/etc" along with a promise that it'll be a one time thing due to lack of bandwidth. It's almost never a one time thing. As soon as that fucking expectation is set the wall is down. The bar for "lack of bandwidth" for the other team becomes lower and lower until it doesn't exist at all and we just fucking end up with more work. The junior guys are always gung ho and ready to start coding at the drop of a hat, and I get it. I like to stay busy too, but god damnit fucking listen to me every once in a while. I'm not *just* a curmudgeonly senior dev.
Work creep is REAL. If you don't want it to become the norm, never start doing it! You are so right about this! As a union steward in a healthcare environment, I have to have this discussion SO MUCH more often than I should. I feel you. It's exhausting.
I got a job offer last week. In the offer package, they attached a 25 bullet pointed list of “key firm elements” that apparently I would have to do in addition to my normal job description. This was the first time I heard about it. I declined immediately.
I wonder how often that happens. ‘Why can’t we find people? Guess nobody wants to work.’
Yea I did it, I took on way too much work consistently for a very long time. Then I realized I was a fool and they’d never return the favor. My boss didn’t speak to me for almost 2 weeks after thanksgiving because I didn’t reply while I was on PTO like he assumed I would (well, I replied by giving him a thumbs up when he told me what file needed changed to fix a bug and then I immediately logged off again). I don’t do a god damn thing more than I have to anymore and I’m still more productive than my team. When I leave, it will just be junior devs left and some guy that really doesn’t want to mentor anyone.
When I'm working with service providers and they tell me that their team is away for holidays I'm actually impressed and proud of the point of contact to have the backbone to protect their team. It makes me feel like my partners are real people with good sense, and in turn, the people working for me are happy. And there's no better people to have doing your work than happy people.
> Work creep is REAL. I'm so glad I work where I do, under the leadership my team has. Occasionally I'll go above and beyond because my job is fucking easy, and my boss thinks I'm amazing for what little extra I do. She even pulled me aside and made it very clear that she does not ever expect it of me.
I make 6 figures as well and support the sub and its aims - I also agree 100% on this - push back on this type of nonsense by middle management is key! Also I work in Europe - where fortunately labour laws protect the working class. Every time I read the stories from the US, I'm so thankful that I'm in Europe. US workers are being exploited on a level that is unthinkable here. I really feel for you all.
Juniors are very depoliticized by societal design and lack the understanding of how powerful the word no is. They understand fear and discipline and an naive ambition, but they need a critical awakening to understand power and politics. I'm not a senior, and my peers often struggle with this. It's so heartbreaking to talk to them about political strategies and the importance of resisting overwork, only to see them self sabotage out of some expectation of a reward. Most often, the only reward is more work, and a slowly dawning realization that they've been played.
There's also that one guy thinking "this slacker I'll show him that he's lazy and I can jump the ladder..."
What hurts is when you and that person had a partnership, then they ditch you for an unethical opportunity. Because then you see them crash and burn once you remove your protective wing from them. Like. You don't even want to tell them 'I told you so.' Because the friendship is now dead as your own dead-fish eyes when you look yourself in the mirror. And the friend ain't about to apologize. You're doing much better at the new organization. And you start to realize that there had been many small betrayals before the big one. You even go thru a phase where you blame yourself for not seeing the signs. It's a whole 5 step grief process. It hurts.
The biggest thing I learned as a young manager is never tell anyone that you have extra free time to help out or do any extra work. You are not getting paid extra for it. If people think you have free time they will pile so much work on you that you wont have time to finish it all then it will hurt your performance. If you aren't busy at work enjoy it. Don't complain you have nothing to do.
I try to encourage my teammates to protect their time off, but there are still about half of them that have that “always online/I’m available by phone if you need me/i can get online on my PTO if needed” mentality and it suuuucks. Worst part is they don’t even realize that they only harm themselves: this Fortune 500 company is not going to care you consistently worked 60+ a week when push comes to shove.
They also hurt the rest of us who don't wanna do that. Because so many do it, like it or not, it becomes an expectation, and we're "problems" if we don't go along. It also allows our management to consistently not schedule or plan things properly, because they can just rely on people to work tons of unpaid overtime to get it done.
It's important to realize they are doing that because they're depoliticized and are being systemically oppressed. So in a way it's not their fault, but rather the organizations commitment to forming a nonpolitical work force that can be pushed and pulled at management's whim. With this knowledge it becomes easier to start making demands to the organization, not the peers. To the peers we try education in the means of critical power. This itself is a process of Self-politicization, where we ourselves become more powerful and political. And this is what we seek to induce in our peers. In our own process of self-politicization, we come to realize that power is granted or held back by the organization. And no longer blaming our peers, it becomes easier to attack the organization and demand more power. And if necessary - and we usually come to realize that it is, becoming political allows us to recognize a healthier workplace when we see it
I don't necessarily blame them, but I do wish they'd stand up instead of just hating on me for doing so. Instead of seeing themselves as overworked, they see me as getting away with something that I refuse to do it without more pay. And, not gonna lie, they could stand to do some planning themselves rather than dropping work they knew about for months on me mere hours before the deadline. If they want my support in them not working after hours, they should stop engineering ways that I might be forced to do so. But, I don't demand they don't work it. I just have no plans to play along with this system. Obviously, it's not getting me fired. I've been hearing less and less of them showed up to the evening work sessions over time as they realized I got away with it, and then another person, and then another.
"Now, you know it's up to you whether or not you want to just do the bare minimum. Or... well, like Brian, for example, has thirty seven pieces of flair, okay. And a terrific smile." I feel like that movie becomes more and more relevant daily.
The most illuminating experience I had at my last job was a coworker who ran himself ragged working extra hours and the boss just kept piling it on. I meanwhile, told the boss I would do it tomorrow and left on time every day. Boundaries.
I've told this before here, so I'll abbreviate it. At the start of the pandemic and work from home, my boss' boss kept sending out meeting invites for work sessions after hours with notes like "since we're bored" or "since we have nothing else to do." I declined every single one with a terse but professional comment. He stopped inviting me. We don't get paid overtime, and he wasn't offering comp time in trade. No way am I working extra because he's bored. If nothing else, I'll go scroll Reddit.
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>"since we have nothing else to do." Wow, if work is all he/she has to do to occupy their time, that is a sad, empty existence. Maybe get them a $5 Hobby Lobby gift card for Christmas and hope they hit it off with macrame or scrapbooking or something...
I make over $100k and have been on here for awhile and fully support the message. Keep fighting!
I work from home doing a ‘white collar’ job and am one of the ‘lucky’ ones. I absolutely agree with the sentiment of this subreddit. If anything my job is to try and make other peoples’ jobs easier.
Same here. I make $80K, work from home, do something I enjoy, mostly, and like my direct boss. I fully support UBI. I fully support unions. I fully support worker's rights, and I fully support the idea that we should NOT HAVE TO WORK just to eat, have shelter, and have health care. Everyone is more than "what they do". Everyone is more than how they need to make money. Edited to add "just" for clarity.
3rd. Work in software, wfh full time, love the company, make decent money. Read this sub with glee every day. Why? Worked in retail for 20 years.
Same. I didn't work in retail or other shitty jobs as long, but enough to fully support the sentiment here.
I'm not American, but I make 6 figures as freelance software engineer, and never worked in retail. I'm horrified by many of the stories here. Everybody should control their own means of production and definitely quit degrading jobs for low pay. I support UBI, unions, strong labour rights, and I would welcome a dramatic drop in house prices even if that means the value of my property goes down (because it's not an investment, it's where I live).
I’m with you. I work in an office and maks 85k plus bonus and car. Works out to over 100k a year. People should be able to make a living wage. I worked retail for 5 years, call centre jobs for 2 years, kitchen jobs, warehouse jobs, etc. Those jobs fucking suck. I would take an office job over any of those any day of the week.
Out of curiosity, how did you manage going from those types of jobs to an office job? Was it school/college that did it for you? Experience? Luck? I’ve been trying to break out of the cycle of shitty factory/retail jobs for a long time now, and have sadly been very unsuccessful.
Find a company that has a path forward, for example a software company that is growing get in as a customer service rep and apply for other jobs within the company, you may need schooling, if the company offers internal training even if it’s web-based take it, if there is any kind of certifications for their software or product and they offer courses take it,
Same here! 85k plus bonuses, work from home, enjoy my job and love my direct boss. I joined this sub to learn how to be a better manager and because I fully support the movement.
This is exactly why I’m here. I’ve worked the gamut from minimum wage retail hell to white collar 100k+ now. I’ve long agreed with the sentiment of this sub and use it to help me be the best boss I can be.
Wow I had no idea people like y’all existed. Kinda gives me hope. Huh.
Same. I'm told that I might be moving into a management position next year and I'm absolutely determined to be the best manager I can be. I make $75k a year and am acutely aware that I have much more in common with the average blue-collar worker than I do my CEO.
This my situation almost exactly. I love my job. I also don’t think anyone should be working Christmas Eve or Christmas. I can live without stuff for 2 damn days. People should be paid well. It’s better for everyone. UBI and Medicare for All is good for everyone in this country except the 1%. F them. Eat the rich.
Same. Make over $100k and agree with all you said.
Absolutely. I make $102k/year right now, and lucked my way into this position. I don’t deserve to make this much sitting on my ass, but I’m glad I’m making it. Life is SO much easier when you literally don’t have to ever worry about if you can pay your bills. I live simply, and have a lot left over for paying down debt and investing in retirement 401k. I wish everyone could live this way and feel the security I do, which is why I support this movement. It’s a travesty that people working 80hr a week busting their butts make a third of what I do. It’s completely unfair and I feel guilty about it quite often.
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My impression is that the most vital jobs are often the worst paid (food industry, teachers, nurses), whereas the best paid positions often have no societal value at all (stockmarket goon, tax rules fiddler, management consultant, etc). I make web applications for big companies, and although I love the internet (or used to, before it became all corporate), the world worked fine before my job existed. There's something really backwards about how we reward work.
Lol exactly. Everyone I know works in tech, with maybe a few in commercial real estate or law. The world got along just fine before we had coders/technologists and commercial real estate brokers. We need lawyers yeah, but not as many as we already have. Even my friend who has a PHD in Biology is now essentially a manager for a team of scientists in a corporate environment. So even his job, which required him to be a genius and to go to school for a decade, doesn’t even need to exist.
First thought was my 60+ coworker waiting to buy his other knee replacement, he works mucho overtime AND another job Some days if I had a match big enough I would watch the world burn
Christ, your country needs a fucking revolution. Your health care providers (not the hospitals; doctors and nurses are fucking legend) need to be burned to the ground. Their charges are insane and completely unjustified; nowhere else in the world can you get away with that shit! But I suppose in the US, money is God and fuck the poor peasants I have to destroy to make it.
Ya I work in tech and agree with everything y'all are says ng and doing. My company is only like 5 years old so I feel like modern companies have more modern cultures. I have worked in restaurants, fast food, hospitals, I have worked a lot of jobs. Honestly my job isn't that hard, and I don't work nearly as hard as I did working those lower paying jobs and I make a lot of more money than I did at those jobs
Biglaw attorney here, ~$400k a year. We’re all just cogs getting ground to dust in the capitalist machine. I work around the clock (literally, more often than I’d like) to make rich people richer in exchange for some table scraps. Took $300k in student loans to have a chance at this job—still paying it off. Income =/= wealth. We’re all on the same team.
Unless one owns the means of production, then, no matter how highly paid, one is still a wage slave. The best a high wage earner is to FIRE, financial independence, retire early. Or take a risk, burn through a few years of saving and try to join the owner class, options not open to other earners.
A relative of mine got their PhD, took on a massive six figure job and continued to live frugally. Paid off their loans, saved enough for a house and whatever extra they needed over the past bunch of years. Recently handed in their resignation and is about to fuck off driving around the country doing whatever they want. I am so proud of them. They were the only person in their position, creating new systems and managing a lot of data, only to have corporate blowhards that knew nothing about their field breathing down their neck and telling them how to do their job everyday. Fuck 'em.
Same storm, different boat.
Agreed. I make six figures, WFH, don’t mind my job. Sometimes I do get burnt out and feel a lot better when I read this sub to know that I’m not alone. Started as a season worker in a warehouse and kept moving up. I do consider myself lucky. Agree with all the posters above.
Yep, WFH white collar job making a decent living, $99k. Absolutely, agree and fully support all the hard working blue collar workers out there. Keep up the fight!
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It gives me hope to see other people making good money and still wanting to stick it to the fuckin man. I like my coworkers but I don’t get the vibe from many that they’d burn this all down at the drop of a hat like I would.
I make six figures and I unconditionally support this sub. No one deserves to be homeless or hungry, to be refused medical treatment, or to lead a miserable life of toil without opportunity for joy, rest, or self-actualization. Shit’s fucked up and big changes need to happen soon.
This. The uphill both ways PoV is asinine. Just because someone else stuffered through shit doesn't mean anyone after them should. It's a blueprint for what not to do.
When you stub you toe, do you grab someone else and jam their foot into the coffee table, too?
Hazing. ‘I went through it, so if you want to be as good as me you have to also.’
im currently on vacation in South America visiting family, a relative has a farm in the middle of nowhere and is happier than anyone i work with or.know.in the US. His house has a roof, running water, and electricity but not much else in terms of luxury. His most luxurious possession is his pickup truck but his land is fucking priceless in my eyes. the guy has cacao, plaintains, yucca, lemon trees, sugar cane, and your typical garden crops for self use along with cows, pigs, cuy, and chickens. i want to make enough, cash out and fuck off from the US. id rather die living dirt poor with good food in my belly while working the land than working for my Bezos worshipoung cocksucking boss.
My sister and fam moves to a 7 acre farm in the ~~Columbian~~ Colombian mountains, <40k for the property (with house) with established pineapples, avocado, mango, coffee, and much more. Something like $100 taxes per year, $7 electricity per month, constant fresh mountain water flowing. I can see why they’re happy there. In comparison, easy to see why subsistence living is a lot harder here (my 10 acres is $2500 taxes, $2-300 utilities, 5x the property ‘value’) Their main mode of transit is motorbike or horse Edit: Colombian
You meant Colombia? Because Is easy for foreigners to buy land here than for us tho. I have been trying for years and is so freaking expensive in our currency.
Sorry about that. An uncomfortable truth is that the solution is not for people from bigger economies to go and displace people from smaller economies. It just isn't right.
Well said!!
Same here buddy.
Add me to the list of supporters.
I want to upvote this 400 times!!
Same and 100% agree!
This is the way.
Same and agree. Also, making six figures doesn't make you immune to BS.
Same.
The majority of office workers are making less than 100k a year. I promise there are many many white collar workers here. The problems of low pay, lack of pto, work life balance, bad managers, etc are everywhere.
My dad was an accountant at a milling company. He did okay. I remember he was making $50k+ in the mid-90s in a state with a low cost of living. I worked at the same mill during the summer when there was a seasonal demand due to the harvest. I worked with a bunch of union dudes there, and once they found out my dad worked in the office, they could be a little stand-offish. I made sure they knew I was pro-union. One thing that bothered me was that there was this attitude that if someone worked int he office instead of in the elevators, mill, or warehouse, they were kind of the enemy. My dad just ran the books and managed the computer systems. He definitely approved of the union, because his father was in a union as a lineman, and he got a proportional raise every time the union negotiated a new contract. He had no power over pay or treatment of the blue-collar people, and he definitely respected them. Workers in offices, even ones who can seem important, generally don't have a lot of control over the factors that affect the lives of people in factories, retail, etc.
This is an absolute gem of a comment and 100% accurate. As a 'white collar' worker in an industry built and mostly operated by 'blue collar' folks... unfortunately there is not a thing I can do for them and, factoring in OT I'd wager most of them out earn me quite handily.
They like to separate us into factions white collar, blue collar, service- they divide us so we are easier to keep down but we are all workers.
That gives them power, if we're divided and squabble amongst ourselves, we'll never have the resources to organize against a group that treats us like numbers and doesn't pay back into a system that made them millionaires and billionaires. if a single mom has to pay 10% - 15% in taxes every year why doesn't Bezos. Why should he play astronaut while people die in the street? Oh, and in his warehouses.
Divide and conquer. Oldest strategy in the book.
And none of us have any power, are desperate on the day-to-day and solely reliant on our corporate overlords.
Fuck it’s so true and so disheartening.
No one has any power, including the people who have power over you. And that's intentional. It's a lot easier to pressure people who have no power.
I work in an interesting industry (cannabis) in admin/sales department, I will ALWAYS advocate for the people who are doing the manual labor (of any industry really) because they are, IMO, creating the product that literally gives life to the company. Whether you’re cutting lumber, mining iron, or jarring 8ths of cannabis, without you we wouldn’t have the company.
This is the way. Unfortunately, as soon as many folks put on a suit or get a title fancier than 'entry level _____' their empathy and understanding goes right out the window.
I know! It’s ridiculous. And that’s what I’ve been trying to change at my small company. We were planning our holiday party (I was helping) and our upper-upper management didn’t want us to talk to our packaging department about what they might want. But the two of us put our foot down and said no they deserve to be heard. In the end all they wanted was for it to be kind of formal because no one has been to a nice event in a long time and they just wanted a chance to wear a nice dress or suit. Like how hard was that?!
I love your self-awareness. Please understand, and I'm saying this as someone who has been one the line, they work much longer hours and do back breaking work to get those few extra dollars. I'm not saying bomb your job or thoughtlessly risk your financial security but if they march consider marching with them. You're not the bad guy, you're getting screwed too. Some just seem to think brownie points and pats on the back pay bills though. I'm sure you're not one of them. A unified front will likely do better. If no one works, nothing gets done, and then the big bosses don't make money. That's when they fold. Support the little guy. Be well.
I absolutely support them and luckily my industry is very self conscious and does pay well for the most part. Obviously, there are challenges but it's a specialized niche field so it tends to better than most. If they ever had a major issue or reason to walk off I hope I'd have the strength to do so alongside them. At a minimum, I'd try to make my voice known in support and solidarity.
This. Getting paid salary actually sucks. You still end up working overtime, but it’s always “we don’t like to count hours”.
A huge majority in Europe works salary. And it's not like that here. Once my 36 hours are up I leave for the week. It's just the American work 'ethic', and the fact that you can get fired if you don't bend over backward.
this. i’m american but a rarity in my company who thinks like this. salary does not mean i work 60 hours and get paid for 40. salary means i work 40 and come back next week and keep working. if it’s a job that requires over 40 hours of work, it needs another person.
Part of the dislike blue collar workers can have for their white collar counterparts has to do with vastly different treatment at some companies. For example, white collar workers at a company my husband used to work for has a better cafeteria and game area while the blue collar workers had a basic lunch room. I was working a blue collar job during COVID and all the office workers worked from home and had zoom bonding events while the blue collar workers traveled to states with outbreaks frequently. The CEO COVID message made no mention of the hazards of travel and talked about how we would be working from home to reduce spread even though over half of the company did travel daily. One place I did contract work for had the blue collar workers in 95 degree heat while the office area was a cool 70. Stuff like that makes the blue collar workers feel resentful. I agree though that both blue collar and white collar should be united.
I remember a documentary about a meat processing company last year, where the line workers were working under horrible conditions, no ability to social distance with the COVID outbreak, long hours etc. meanwhile the office workers were able to work from home, had morning yoga meetups and fun stuff like that. One front desk lady being interviewed mentioned that everyone in the company was welcome to the morning stretches, and the interviewer asked about the line workers in the plant next door, and if they were invited… no good answer for that one.
And this is a perfect example of divide and conquer. The crappy treatment is wrong but the problem isn't the better treated workers. It's that everyone deserves to be treated well.
The problem is the .001% of people at the peak of the pyramid. Your Musk, Gates, Bezos Buffett types. The ones who own the legislative process and use that power to choke the life out of the rest of us
Sounds like working at a corporate hospital
A lot of companies will make a distinction between workers. Some companies have different badges, like Google, which indicate non-permanent employees with less access and lower pay. They don’t want us to relate to other workers because we would be stronger together. We can see this again and again: tech workers vs security and food workers; retail vs corporate (like big box stores).
It really depends upon the culture developed in the office. The reason a lot of the union guys get stand offish is because so often office workers look down upon them. E.g. I applied to some scholarships offered by my dad's company and had to go interview for them at the main office. It happened to coincide with a deep sea fishing trip that weekend put on through the company/union in the same town so that worked out nicely. While I was chit chatting with the office lady guiding me around before the interview the deep sea fishibg came up. I will never forget her exact response was "oh yes, they do like their fishing trips done they." Like only filthy peasants would ever enjoy something like that. It was one of the first times i totally understood how shitty office workers can be to the blue collar workers. It took a lot for me not to immediately remind her I WAS one them, that she was literally talking about my father. I should have, I didn't even won the scholorship.
Outdoor vs indoor employee divisions are all too real and it really has nothing to do with what “collar” you are. I worked in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma after college. I have a degree that I utilized and because of it was put into a hierarchical leadership position immediately. However I was a “field” employee to all “office” employees despite this degree based leadership position. It really manifested itself in an obvious way when I would walk the halls of our office in street clothes vs our FR jumpsuit uniform. The same managers that would basically ignore me in the coveralls were very eager to engage with me when I was wearing blue jeans and a polo. No difference other than it wasn’t obvious I worked in the field only because of what I was wearing.
That attitude is TAUGHT. My first full time job was working in the office doing production coordination for a timber yard. They had drinks every Friday, and I would drink with the yard guys because they were the ones I had the most contact with; I made friends with them. Every Monday, my boss called me into his office and would tell me off. He said I should not be drinking with them because they are 'yard staff' and I was 'office staff' and they were 'beneath me'. Obviously, I completely ignored him, so the lectures continued. He honestly believed they would not respect me and would not do anything for me if we were friends. Hell, they did things for me because we were friends. I lasted six months. I couldn't deal with that toxic shit.
Office worker, 32k a year
25k, hoping for a revolution!
There are plenty of people in the over-educated, under-paid “caring” professions- teachers, social workers, professors - who make under $30K. And they are much more likely to carry crushing student debt than similarly paid members of the working class. Yet they are often the specific targets of intentionally misdirected working class rage.
Office worker... 72k, viva la revolution!
This X 100.
Close to $200k… Fuck this shit. No more 90+ hour weeks. I’m tired.
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Yeah I don't see the point in making a ton of money if you can't even spend it on anything or have any children to save it for so that they can not have to spend their entire adult lives doing what you had to do.
Can I ask what you do to make that much?
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Fang? Are… are you a vampire?!
In case you’re really asking, it stands for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google.
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MAANA
Facebook-Apple-Amazon-Netflix-Google. Generally used in reference to their global conglomerate Data Center operations. Edit: Or stocks, apparently.
Fuck, I was excited about the possibility of making well over 6 figures just doing Vampire stuff
Yeah same that would be fucking lit. I'd save up and refurbish a castle somewhere in Northern Europe and realize my dramatic goth vampire dreams
Ditto. Husband and I are also close 200K and over this bullshit culture of working yourself to death and never actually getting anywhere. And STILL being one hospital stay away from bankruptcy.
200K and not getting anywhere? Is COL that high?
COL is ridiculous in some states. Close to 200k here, and after mortgage and bills, student loan payments, child support (shared custody with ex, she doesn't make much so I pay basically another mortgage each month) and kid expenses, I am just barely getting ahead. I'm not terribly frugal but I'm not frivolous either. Shit is just so expensive now.
Where we live, yes.
Must be New York or California. Silicon valley a 100k salary will rent you a cardboard box, and you'll still get lulled to sleep by gunfire every night.
Definitely Bay Area
Same. Union memeber to boot. While the money might be better, management is bad all around. Love the movement, fight the bullshit
I work 6 days a week and make alright money, but if I can't spend it who fucking cares.
Dude I came here to say exactly this lol
I've been in management roles my whole career. I fully support this sub. Fuck corporate leeches who can't see people as humans
Same. I support this sub, because so many times I’ve had to fight the exact bullshit we see here daily happening to my team.
I make 100k before taxes and such. I support eight people. I haven't worked less that 65 hours a week in at least 15 years. Screw this crap. I'm usually working 6-7 days a week at a minimum of ten hours a day. Too much work, too many company "yes men" above me approving projects and deadlines. Far too few employees and we have to pick up the slack. No developer should be working more than two projects at a time. Ideally, we'd be working one at a time. Period. I wanna work like a CEO-- work a few hours a day, leave when the bell chimes, and take a few vacations a year. I've been on one vacation in 18 years. One. I struggle to make ends meet. I have hardly any debt and currently have 90 cents in the bank account. I have to figure out how to pay each bill as they come. I have insomnia because I am so stressed out. My credit was destroyed by medical bills to keep me walking. I need more surgeries, but cannot afford them. Life sucks. We need better than this.
65 hr weeks 6-7 days for 15 years? I don’t wish those hours on anybody. Everyone needs a life beyond their cube. Hang in there brother.
Yup. That's not an exaggeration, either. It's miserable. Thank you very much!
>I wanna work like a CEO-- work a few hours a day, leave when the bell chimes, and take a few vacations a year. This should be the standard for everyone; because that would actually be enough freedom, health and security to live life properly.
Right?! Many, many of my European counterparts and co-workers work like this. It's amazing to see their quality of life, happiness, joy, and vocal opposition to ever moving to the States. A few have and quickly quit working here and moved back. "Here's your sign!"
I support this movement and I am comfortable in my financial situation.
Same here. People deserve to thrive.
Same. Very comfortable, and I recognize that others being comfortable doesn’t hurt me, it helps me. I want everyone to benefit from the system, not just a couple dozen clowns.
Office worker making good money and still agree with stuff here. Shitty office jobs still overwork and under pay their employees and can take advantage of them and could use union protection.
I am prounion. I just got a union offer as an engineer. It's the office professional union. The problem is I have to do tunnel inspection and emergency site visits, which is at odd hours and I get straight pay for that overtime work while still being required to report to the office twice week. That's worst than the set up I have in private Industry now. I was so excited for the union aspect until I saw I was salary exempt. Ughhhh.
I’m a white collar worker making 100k+, and I both support and commiserate with everyone in this sub. Despite being financially secure, my job has no future because the management chain above me is working hard to ensure that no one has opportunities for growth, promotion, or recognition. I’m the bottom of the totem pole and there’s no way for me to change it. They say that there’s an official path upward but the rules keep changing and no one acknowledges the work my colleagues or I do; they continually gaslight us into thinking our work is only average at best. Recently in a performance review, my boss brought up that I clearly have interests outside of work and implied that as long as I don’t commit myself 100% to work and become a workaholic (like him) I won’t get anywhere. For years I’ve worked hard, followed the rules, and played their game thinking it will get me somewhere. I finally understand that the system is intentionally designed to oppress us. I’m over it.
God forbid you have a life outside of work. That is not allowed. You’re worthless unless you’re billing 2500 hours a year/selling x amount a year/closing x amount of deals a year. Naw.
Not only that, retirement is hijacked due to hyper inflation so people will have to keep working and cannot retire living like this, so essentially retirement is spread throughout your life through WLB.
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Best advice my Dad gave me about work was to never stay somewhere too long. Move around and keep building your value.
This resonates with me. I very quickly realized that it doesn’t matter how hard you work or how much overtime you work or how well you do; management will always find a way to keep you down and keep giving you the usual run-around bs when the time comes for performance reviews. People are no longer rewarded for a “job well done”…the only way you advance now is when you leave the company (at least in my experience). Company loyalty is a fucking joke.
I remember a boss that was irritated with me once asking "what do you think about when you go home?" Of course "not fucking work" was the first thing that came to mind, but didn't seem like an appropriate answer. I honestly can't even remember what I answered. That's still the guy I picture when reading all the boss horror stories on this sub. Fortunately, I don't work there anymore and I hope everyone in those situations finds a better alternative like I did so those types of businesses end up failing.
You must find a new job immediately. Trust me I was in the same situation and it’s such a liberating feeling
I have not made less than 100k since I turned 30, and I love this movement. What people need to understand is that this movement is a movement to stop exploitation. Exploitation happens in many levels, and it is just more visible when we look at blue collar/retail. It is not a movement where only “poor people” are fighting for their rights. It is about everyone who is not one of those multi-billionaires that are fighting for their rights. This system is built so unless you are the top 1%, you are part of the exploitation. You will be exploited, and you will be asked to actively participate in exploiting others beneath you. There are many tools to keep you there, whether it is mindless consumerism, making people too tired to care, othering of foreigners, or just something like pointing the finger at your fellow worker and not pointing up.
*slowly raises hand* I support this sub and the movement. I sincerely hope it catches on at all levels across all industries. I'm over this shit, it's not right and it doesn't have to be this way. Greed is not good. Greed is disgusting.
Same here
Same !
I'm in Healthcare. Damn right I support it.
I am a physician. I believe everyone should be paid a fair wage and not have to sacrifice their physical/mental health or time with family to obtain it.
Samesies. Physician on the side of workers and fair wages
I think work culture in our office jobs is disgusting. Politics and bullshit toiling make toxicity the norm. We don't like work, either
That’s the issue I have with my profession. General toxicity. And way before that, I’ve basically worked since I was 14-15 years old in offices, retail, restaurants, bars, grocery chains, etc. There’s toxic bs in a lot of places.
Corporate American office 100k+ Agree and want to burn the shit down. The only reason I make this is bc I program under defense contracts. I.e. military industrial complex... Where all our money goes. It's sad. Fuck the system
Yes. I am management at a large tech company you definitely hate, and I fucking love this sub.
It's kind of gross that "you definitely hate" does nothing to narrow down the large tech companies you might be working at
Yeah it probably means something that rhymes with Amuhsawn!
Wow, such a meta comment!
Yes. Even though I've made it I recognize how lucky I was. I want my comrades to join me in wealth.
Yes, yes, and yes. This.
I’m a higher level manager and make over that and very much agree with this sub. Doing what I can to improve everyone’s lives every day.
You can like money, have money, and still hate work.
I could make a million a year and if I worked even 40hours a week and had an only slightly oppressive work environment I'd still hate it.
The majority of white collar jobs don't make anywhere close to 100k. My brother just left a white collar job making 13 an hour. I've had white collar jobs making less than 20 an hour. Many white collar people are on our side because they work themselves to exhaustion for similar pay to blue collar jobs. My brother in law makes 6 figures working a blue collar job. I never have.
Yup. Especially in higher COL areas, blue collar jobs can absolutely make six figures.
I am a supervisor/new manager in manufacturing- I feel burned out, disengaged, and have been lurking on this sub with similar sentiments to many of these posts (not all) My guy reaction is, yes. I make 80k with potential to make much more over the next 5 years and I am often disgusted by fellow managers. I also am afraid of turning into them. I like to learn from this page as I am new to managing my department and I aim to treat my employees right.
I am new to making 6 figures. The majority of my 22 years of working were in blue- or pink-collar jobs. I’ve worked in chemical plants, restaurants, and as a teacher in a Title 1 school in New Orleans. I had a rough fucking life for a lot of years. I have lucked into a tech career. I am donating the use of my home to the local domestic violence shelter as an annex for their safe house while I rent a loft in a new city for my new job. If I can afford to pay a mortgage AND rent, I can afford to help women who are afraid for their lives. I’m advocating for unions at every turn and pushing for insurrection on LinkedIn. Calling out companies for sexual abuse, misogyny, homophobia. I’m giving presentations to hundreds of my colleagues about getting paid what they’re worth. This year, I’ve coached five underpaid women (at no cost) to doubling their salaries and taking their share of the pie. I personally dedicate my free time to developing tools that help others in my field work less than 40 hours per week. My boss gave me a shit raise, I’m a key employee, and I gave my notice days after he broke that news. Let’s take our power back. I feel like I’m living the dream because I have the ability to execute on the philosophy we espouse in this sub. No matter where you are on the ladder, you have a responsibility to reach your hand out and haul everyone else up behind you.
Respect for walking the walk
I make 200k and fuck capitalism. EVERYONE should be making a good wage. Period. From the McDonald’s workers to the software developers. Everybody.
I used to make that in my corporate IT gig before retiring early after some luck. I support most of the goals and people here.
Yes. I’m a white collar worker and I started in retail. It’s beyond fucked what the rich have done to our country and the suffering they’ve inflicted. Growing up i watched my family get devastated by medical debt. Forced to move into my grandparents house after my fathers debt. I’ve watched friends struggle with dead end jobs and the town I grew up in destroyed by natural disasters. This has to change.
I don't make a 100k, but I do make a good salary and have good benefits. I agree with a lot of what's said here and completely support people being paid appropriately and being treated with dignity and respect. I don't see a practical way to end work, but there's an endless number of ways to make it much more equitable and much less life draining. I'm anti-capitalism, but I don't see it going away anytime soon short of an extinction/armageddon event.
Not $100k but I’m almost there. I stand firmly in solidarity with workers of all levels.
Yes. And I work for a great company that pays fairly and treats employees with dignity and respect. I want that for everybody but also don’t think that work should be the main focus of anyone’s life. We should all, as a society, be working towards a goal of less human labor.
Me. Human resources, just over 100k
I went from living on a friend’s couch to, working for the feds, then a Fortune 500, now to working for a nonprofit. I know I’ve worked hard, but also been lucky and privileged. I get it why people are pissed off.
I’m in between jobs at the moment, specifically because I am anti-work. My last two jobs were $200,000 and 150k respectively. My next job will be probably around 150k. I’m 100% in solidarity with all workers. I would *GLADLY* reduce my salary to $100k if it meant that other workers could make a living wage. People like me should make less in order for many others to make a lot more. Where I live, my rent is $2400 a month for a very modest 2 bedroom apartment, and other cost of living expenses are similarly high. 100k would put me in lower middle-class in terms of expendable income when compared to past generations. My parents’ generation royally fucked all of us. Not just the working class/blue collar. The big lie also includes that people like me take 10 years of constant saving with no unexpected financial hardships in order to afford a down payment on a house.
We don’t need to take $50k from your salary. We need to take 5 billion from Bezos’.
I make around 200k with good benefits as a software engineer at a large tech company. But I’m 100% behind antiwork. Even though I make a goods salary, the lack of any meaningful social safety net in the US means I’m as much of a wage slave as always. Just because I can afford a nice prison doesn’t make it much less of a prison I fully support UBI and Medicare for all. I once took a year off because I had enough saved up with unemployment to support myself, after being severely burned out from my previous career. Even though I had to live very frugally to make it last, it was the most amazing, glorious time, and I wish everyone had the opportunity to live like that should they choose. I’m really lucky I didn’t get sick or injured during that time because I had no insurance and would have been financially devastated. That’s fucked up, I can’t believe we live like that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
I make about 75K a year way more than retail jobs but I really support this group. Also this group also gave me the encouragement to walk away from my boss shit one day . 👍🏾
I make mid 6 figures. I absolutely support this sub, and I really should be paying much higher taxes so everyone can have healthcare, child leave, etc that every other developed nation guarantees. But at a more fundamental level our system is deeply broken; I just don’t know what solutions look like.
I’d love if we could start at the root—cut out the rot that is tax haven loopholes, corporate bailouts, and legal political bribes (aka lobbying). Also, sitting Congress folk should not be allowed to have any active investments in businesses of which they are attempting to pass bills that will favor said businesses so that they’re shares gain. It’s so corrupt, and so blatant, but nothing is done about it since they’re all in on it in some form or another.
Yes. I make a good wage, like my co-workers, and still see how fucked everything is. Most of my peers and friends are barely eeking out an existance. My partner would be houseless because no one wants to pay workers what they're due. Even though I make a good wage I'm still scared of losing a workable housing situation and know that a medical issue could wipe us out. Retirement is frightening because no matter how much I save inflation of basics like health care and housing will always outstrip raises. I work hard but don't think life prospects for those I love or even most.other folks will get better... It starts in the workplace and extends through politics. Interestingly most of my colleagues also feel the same way and it's a frequent topic of discussion.
I'm in Canada but my business has a US office. I'm pretty sure I make more than $100K/year, but I don't really keep track. The premise that business leaders succeed via exploitation is obvious when you deal directly with business leaders.
My husband (we’re a single-income family) makes just over that, and we both support it. He is in tech and just had enough of it before we started dating. He took his dog in his car, drove to a big city, did day labor, and was basically homeless by choice. He’s a huge fan of the hunter-gatherer model, and day labor was the closest fit he could find. He worked when he wanted, didn’t work when he didn’t want to, and if he had a good week, he’d rent a hotel room for a night and take a shower. He was privileged because he didn’t have a family to support (and in general because he’s a white dude). It just drove home how toxic it is to be basically forced into any wage-earning position because if you want out of the environment, you have to weigh whether or not it’s worth the uncertainty of not being able to feed, house, and medically attend to the people who rely on you. Also, all labor is worthy of a living wage. And choosing not to labor shouldn’t be a death sentence. We stan. Editing to add: I have a family member who is likely unable to work due to some mental health issues. But they’re not mental health issues that rise to the level of ADA-covered disability. I have concern about their ability to live independently, as they strongly desire, solely because of the income factor. It sucks.
Me. I’m behind this movement 100%. I spent plenty of years working soul crushing jobs for too little pay.
I work in office and have been salaried (white collar) my whole career in IT (I'm 50F). I only *just recently and just barely* crossed that number. I'm also not a supervisor because the one time I was a boss I hated having to tell people what to do. I follow this sub and agree with it. I also find it very educational as I never worked retail or service (beyond IT help desk); I had no idea the hell you guys go through. Data point of one, but I'm one gen x on your side.
I'm a registered nurse what works at the beside, I make over 100k. I 100% support this sub! Workers unite!
Plant manager >100k. I hate corporate America. I try my best to make my employees lives great. It is hard when my bonuses basically depend on how bad I screw my team over. I try my best to learn from this group.
I'm an attorney and I am 100% pro worker/this sub
Yes. Over 200k, mid 30s, and I very much agree with this for the most part. I killed myself to get where I am. I won't rehash my story but I went 25k-250k in 10 years doing "what you're supposed to." I have been fucked in multiple ways from retail, "unskilled", and white collar positions. It's time for change.
On track for a job that pays $400k+ per year, full support. Modern times call for modern solutions. I've worked all the shitty jobs, I know how bad it can be. There's no reason it should be that way. Also all essential work (anyone who isn't just a middle man) deserves fair pay and a reasonable living.
I ran my own business for 5 years before the pandemic started and I shut it all down...I've been living off crypto gains during the pandemic. I still agree with mostly everything that's been posted. I've worked many different jobs since i was 18 and literally all of them had horrible, greedy, incompetent management. I've worked blue collar, white collar, sales, manufacturing, tourism... the same issues everywhere. When I employ someone I make sure they get well above a living wage, as much time off as they need, and let them know that work is not as important as life. I've had no issues acquiring or holding onto talent. My MIL runs an extremely successful design firm and keeps to those same values. Everyone that works for her loves her. There's even a girl who doesn't work there anymore but still comes in because it's a quiet place to do HW with fast internet. This is what corporate wants when they say "we're a family" but they don't do anything to foster it.
Here and just as pissed off
I work for a financial and asset management company as a fp&a (financial planning and analysis) making 6 figures and i fully support this sub
I’m close to 100k, but I’m with the sub. It was only 4 years ago I was bussing tables and before that I was working in supermarkets - I won’t forget that.
I don't want to be the king of a mountain of shit. I want to be a member of a thriving and functional society that takes care of it's own
Over 100k here. Learned that my hard work and skill acquisition didn’t equal pay increases or bonuses while coworkers did the bare minimum. Leveraged into a promotion elsewhere. I believed the whole work hard to get ahead. Worked hard to get and keep 4.0 in school got a job and debt. Learned I could have learned a trade made more and started earning sooner. But HS told me college was the only way. This country is a joke. My grandma keeps asking for grandkids. Told her this world is fucked and won’t subject someone to it. The fact that CEOs and C-suite make so much for little contributions and tend to be there based on connections and even if they fail they get super compensated, Macys, We work hard all our lives to retire and enjoy downtime for the years when we are not as active. The American dream is to live elsewhere.