The Stockholm Syndrome of American Workers

In this blog, I try not to divulge too much about individual companies I have interviewed with. I don’t want to get into trouble with any potential employer, so no names will ever be mentioned. It’s only fair.

However, two recent job interviews that I went on recently crystalized two trends I see in today’s workplace: corporate penny-pinching at its most cheesy and transparent as well as the utter contempt upper management displays toward its employees.

The first job was one near my home with a Major Media Company. I mean, a really, really big media company. Again, no name, but if you own a TV or a computer with an Internet connection, you know this company.

Not to go into too much detail, but it was a job I have extensive experience in and could do very well. Yet since it was a “contract” position, I would be paid only an hourly rate but be afforded no benefits like health care or a 401(k).

That’s not the part that upset me. Companies routinely advertise for contract workers. It saves them money in subsidized benefits. And as I’ve been told on several occasions, if a contract worker doesn’t “work out” the company can easily can them.

Now, as someone who has been laid off two times in the past four years, I think I know the system pretty well. How difficult is it to lay off workers? Does it entail extra paperwork? Maybe, but isn’t that what HR people do? Paperwork? We even clean out our own desks.

And as someone who has been given the “we can no longer support your position so pack up and desk and leave” speech twice, I can assure you no HR person broke out in a sweat, nor was any member of upper management harmed in the process. It’s not that hard to do…for the person doing the lay off, that is. For the person being laid off, it’s sucks pretty bad.

In theory, I have no objection to contract work. With Obamacare, I could probably find some affordable health plan in November. Retirement? Well, that’s another story.

But what truly galled me about this job wasn’t the no-benefits aspect. It was the fact that the interviewers informed me that I would routinely be verbally abused by co-workers (and I use that term loosely, we would work in the same office, that’s about it) who apparently make a sport out of demeaning lowly paid contract workers who are merely doing their job.

I’m no stranger to being reamed out by bosses. I’ve worked with bipolar sufferers and raging alcoholics who brought me to tears at times. We all have. No, I don’t like being screamed at, especially if it's for something that is not of my doing. If I've made a mistake, I'll take the consequences. But if I'm doing my job and doing it professionally, I fail to see why I have to endure bad treatment.

I also have a problem with confrontations; I don’t handle them well. I believe that if I act professionally then the people around me should do the same. Am I in the minority?

Again, what I object to most in this particular case is that I would have to endure these regular beat downs for no health insurance!

Seriously, this company has enough revenues to support benefits for all its employees. It’s also a media outlet that has written and posted many articles on how companies are reducing benefits for workers. What hypocrites! Instead of habitually humiliating underlings, perhaps these puffed-up hotshots should take a look into their own house and how well their own company treats all its workers.

I didn’t get the job. I took a test, but I don’t think even if I did well on the test I would have been hired. The minute I stumbled over the question about how I would handle these egotistical buffoons I was toast. (BTW…if part of the job is to be routinely verbally accosted, why not list that in the requirements, rather than blindsiding applicants with a rather appalling scenario? Seriously, if that is part of the job, let applicants know.)

At least the interviewers were polite to me, even after it was apparent they considered me a weak-kneed bubblehead. I can only wish whomever they hired good luck and skin as thick as an elephant’s. They’ll need it, that and a reasonably priced self-funded health plan.

Just today, I had a similar experience. Again, I’ll overlook the fact that the head of the company didn’t seem to have a specific job description for what he wanted other than “to make my life easier.” (Don’t we all want that? Does he want a worker or a wife?)

I’ll even give him a pass on his obvious lack of understanding about how the industry works. Or the fact that he used swear words during the job interview. 

And since it’s a nice spring day I’ll forgive him for the insulting way he told me “at your age, it would be difficult to get a job.” Way to boost my confidence! Like I didn’t know that already?

No, what really upset me and set off screeching red flags in my mind were his references to his volatile temper. (Another man in the office mentioned his bad temper as well.) Great, another workplace bully.

When he did get into specifics about what the duties of this vaguely defined job would be, he rattled off an absurdly extensive list that would kill a hamster on speed. Having worked in the industry for many years, I know no one could do what he wanted at a high enough level to please him or without getting burnt out in six months to a year. All for a salary that is barely a livable wage in this area of the country.

I could take the low wages, but what I cannot take, nor do I think I should have to take, is workplace bullying for that measly salary.

And was his comment about my age and dim job prospects a threat? “No one else will hire you so you have no choice but to take my mistreatment and like it. Got it?”

Is this what the employment landscape has become in this country? A place where harassment by management, low wages and no benefits are the norm? A place where we can be terminated at any time, for any reason?

Are companies taking advantage of workers and job seekers, especially those out of work through no fault of their own? Are they manipulating our desperation to find and keep a job to pay us low wages, slash benefits and treat us badly?

This depressing situation sadly supports the perception that wealthy and famous people in this country believe they have the right to mistreat anyone they see as beneath them. Shameful. But they obviously don't think they are doing anything wrong.

 Am I the fool for believing I’ll ever work again? Do I accept any job, just for the paycheck, even it it means regular degradation?

Just how much abuse in the workplace are we to tolerate before we rebel and take back our voice? Have workers in this country become Stockholm Syndrome victims?