Free Time Friday: Another Workplace Trend

With empty office buildings in every city in the country, prices higher than they’ve ever been, and a Congress more interested in funding a war than protecting the rights of American workers, things are looking pretty bleak for the average Joe in the U.S.A.

Thank goodness for the First Amendment. It guarantees a free press that can discover the truth about the deterioration of the working class. Our Constitution allows journalists to give a voice to those without one. They can speak out against the laundry list of injustices being committed against the American workforce and shed light on what’s really going on here:

ABC NEWS: ‘Bare minimum Monday’ marks latest quiet quitting trend

FORTUNE: ‘ Conscious quitting’ is the newest trend sweeping the workplace. Here’s what leaders can do to avoid it

FORBES: How Career Cushioning Can Help You Prepare For A Job Loss

THE GUARDIAN: The era of quiet quitting is over. The age of loud firing has begun

So much for the press.

Shoot, American journalism standards have fallen significantly since Watergate. In today’s society, reporters would spin Nixon’s illegal tactics as “doing whatever it takes to win” or even worse, the story would be cut by editors before the words ever saw the light of day. I don’t know why I’m so shocked at the state of journalism in America. It’s powered by profits, not truth. The truth isn’t lucrative, it takes time, energy, and resources. Those things hurt the bottom line. Media outlets have more in common with content mills than actual reporting. It’s the only way to explain all these workforce terms. They are nothing but content fillers to fuel clicks, not educate Americans. I’m not even sure why the media needs all these work terms. It doesn’t take much research to see what’s going on. People are sick of being underpaid, overworked, and mistreated by toxic workplaces. Sure, it’s not as sexy as “quiet quitting” or “loud firing”, but it’s more truthful than that corporate spin.

Rather than reporters digging into the minds of workers to learn their perspective during these unprecedented times, America’s journalists are doing the bidding of the union busters, the underpayers, and the crooks, who are paid 399 times as much as a typical worker (in 2021). Alarmingly, CEO pay has skyrocketed 1,460% since 1978. How much has the average American’s pay increased in the same time? 18%. I guess it’s a slow moving trickle for those economics.

Sure, us poor folk should stop buying new iPhones, vacations, and avocado toast, but CEOs should stop buying third vacation homes, yachts, private jets, and stock buyback options. Who really is wasting money? The people buying $4 coffee for an expensive shot of joy or the guy spending $10 million on a plane to avoid airport wait times?

Although, there is some hope.

BUSINESS INSIDER: I rage-applied to 5 jobs after being passed over for a promotion and scored a higher-paying position in less than a week

Rage apply? Forbes defines it as “a great way to get even with your mean boss by aggressively shotgunning your rèsumè to several companies to find a new job and hefty pay increase quickly.” Shit. I’ve been doing that since the early 2000s. And to more than five jobs at a time. It blows my mind that when a CEO cuts labor costs and hires the lowest bidder to maximize his company’s returns, it’s touted as “smart business.” When a worker shops his value aka labor to maximize his returns, it’s called “rage applying.”

But who wants to read about that?

There’s a new trend on TikTok. It’s called “Free Time Fridays.” I’ll interview some CEOs and HR Managers on their thoughts about it. I can also write a story that gives managers tips to stop “time theft” on “Free Time Fridays” because at the end of the day, it’s about the guy signing the checks, not the ones funding them.

Originally published at https://brianvstheworld.com on March 3, 2023.