General Discussion

lapislzi

(5,762 posts)

51. There are several people in my office today, hacking and sneezing.

Thu Dec 29, 2011, 03:06 PM

Dec 2011

One actually is running a fever. These workers will likely infect others.

Why are they here? Because it's the last week of the year and they've all burned through their 5 sick days. And "borrowing" from next year is not allowed. If you're sick, you're encouraged to stay home, but don't expect to be paid for more than 5 days.

It is strict company policy that you are expected to show up for work no matter how much snow has fallen, or is falling, regardless of whether the governor has declared a state of emergency, or whether the National Guard is out on the roads. If you don't, you will be docked a sick day. Rationale? "Well, so-and-so (who owns a Toyota Land Cruiser and lives all of 10 minutes away&quot could get here."

And let it be said that the company I work for is generous and fair. I have no complaints.

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Why do we work harder than Germans? [View all] Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 OP

"Shut up and go back to your cubical" FreakinDJ Dec 2011 #1

Dumber? More indoctrinated? More broke? nt bemildred Dec 2011 #2

All of the above? OR a nefarious capitalistic system that is a slave driver? I think the latter Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #11

Last year, I had a horrible cold. Javaman Dec 2011 #3

Worker drones is what workers are in the U.S. - perfect name. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #7

"American dream" ideology keeps Americans at work longer Bragi Dec 2011 #4

We are disposable and are disposed of every day. Javaman Dec 2011 #6

The American Dream was a nice piece of propaganda. It sounds great on paper and in movies. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #15

Agreed, the truth lies in statistics, not anecdotes Bragi Dec 2011 #27

People need to make that clear to others, so finally the myth of the American Dream will die. Part Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #29

Yep Bragi Dec 2011 #32

And that's a huge part of the message of OCCUPY. Thank goodness for OCCUPY and ANONYMOUS nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #43

there are still a lot of people who believe in the "dream" Nostalgic Dec 2011 #66

As has already been pointed out by greater minds than mine: JDPriestly Dec 2011 #52

The American Dream continues to be a dream and not a reality. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #55

I tend to refer to it as the American Nightmare - TBF Dec 2011 #61

LOL! I loved and love George Carlin nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #64

omg I never thought of it that way. Nostalgic Dec 2011 #65

Americans waste their time AT work izquierdista Dec 2011 #5

I'm sure that can happen. After all, they expect you to not waste 1 second. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #9

I guess that depends on the type of job dana_b Dec 2011 #46

We are conditioned. Turbineguy Dec 2011 #8

Yup, the American workplace is an experiment with hamster-people. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #10

see my post at #6. nt Javaman Dec 2011 #12

Because our safety net is weak cthulu2016 Dec 2011 #13

Exactly. And the fact that American corporations took jobs out of here and took them elsewhere Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #18

Good old American-style Calvinism hifiguy Dec 2011 #14

EXACTLY! The employer here is a king. The workers are the serfs. You know what's funny? Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #17

Calvin was so obnoxious that hifiguy Dec 2011 #23

LOL! Serves him right. I didn't know that, by the way. Now I think I want to read his bio. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #28

one reason SixthSense Dec 2011 #16

Que? gater Dec 2011 #25

sadly SixthSense Dec 2011 #26

What the relevant and precise amount of work-hours going into our NATO commitments LanternWaste Dec 2011 #34

not sure where I'd get the numbers to calculate that SixthSense Dec 2011 #36

You made the assertion that Americans work harder to fulfill our commitment to NATO LanternWaste Dec 2011 #38

A lot of spending is fungible SixthSense Dec 2011 #41

Are the theaters really that separate? JDPriestly Dec 2011 #53

Post removed Post removed Dec 2011 #19

That's partly it. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #20

Also, when we are working there is a whole "LOOK BUSY" mentality. Odin2005 Dec 2011 #21

YES! That 'look busy' mentality is sick, and typically only found in third world nations. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #22

Jesus is coming. hifiguy Dec 2011 #24

Well they went through terrible events in the 20th century Drale Dec 2011 #30

Because Germans were witness to a dictatorial regime that took them into an unnecessary Lint Head Dec 2011 #31

Kaiser Wilhelm? nt Snake Alchemist Dec 2011 #35

Maybe so. However, the French workers have it even better. nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #40

Some observations . . . HughBeaumont Dec 2011 #33

This is the best description of the American worker's life I have ever seen. Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #39

That is a brilliant and accurate description of the hifiguy Dec 2011 #59

Incredibly strict immigration laws? Snake Alchemist Dec 2011 #37

I'm not a good one to ask about immigration. I think Mexicans clearly are not occupying... Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #42

Not sure what this has to do with my response. Snake Alchemist Dec 2011 #44

Brown nosing and yes men are as American as apple pie. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2011 #45

Which brings up a question: how are Americans raised to be this way? Is it the very concept of the Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #48

America has made "working hard" into a moral issue and an indication of "worthiness". Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2011 #49

"Why do we work harder than Germans?" MilesColtrane Dec 2011 #47

+1 obnoxiousdrunk Dec 2011 #50

There are several people in my office today, hacking and sneezing. lapislzi Dec 2011 #51

It's the American way! Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #54

Do they really get paid more? hfojvt Dec 2011 #56

Well, when I lived abroad years ago, I went as a school teacher. I had taught here... Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #57

The huge difference is made up of the welfare safety net and health care, I think KitSileya Dec 2011 #58

Thank you so much for posting this. I think sometimes we Americans are ignorant of how others live Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #63

right now I have 36 days of sick leave hfojvt Dec 2011 #68

Because the PTB like it that way. Rex Dec 2011 #60

workers are part of decision teams RainDog Dec 2011 #62

They don't seem to have greater productivity. dems_rightnow Dec 2011 #67

The Puritan-Ethic is pervasive and long-lasting SoCalDem Dec 2011 #69

Definitely. Problem is, other former Protestant ethic countries got healed.... Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #73

kr Great thread. I experienced this in retail. Norrin Radd Dec 2011 #70

Thanks! The 'look busy' bs, you mean? nt Sarah Ibarruri Dec 2011 #71

We're Americans Proud Liberal Dem Dec 2011 #72

Many reasons, but I believe it's because of our lack of universal health care Politicub Dec 2011 #74