> but to the necessity of the hierarchy and authoritarian control structures that define American workplaces
Yep - this whole thing is upsetting middle-management. When they're not able to do the whole "manage culture"/butts-in-chairs thing their worth goes to near-zero outside of harassing workers and slinging office documents around.
Regardless of if it's workers/managers, work remote does one thing: it cuts the performers from non-performers because the best metric to measure success is output. THIS is why people are freaking out - if they can't APPEAR to be working it'll become very apparent that they're a net-negative to the company they're a parasite of.
Some people might appear less productive because they're dealing with child care etc. I've been able to keep up my output, but I'm a bachelor whose life hasn't changed much in the last couple months
But good point. Just we shouldn't be applying aggregate performance reviews based on this episode which don't account for the varying burdens being experienced
> Just we shouldn't be applying aggregate performance reviews based on this episode which don't account for the varying burdens being experienced
Empathetically I agree, but as a realist you can't expect that burden to be shouldered by American businesses who are already hurting. If I kept employing someone that was a net-negative I'd be penalizing those who are keeping their stuff together by keeping them on the payroll during a market downturn... pandemic or not. You don't stay in business by accepting extraneous risk over people's personal problems.
This is why I'm supportive of a livable UBI - most of the American corporate environment is make-work and it shouldn't be looked down on for non-market-performers to exit the workforce and exist doing whatever. Leave the work to people who want to work... simple as that.
Yep - this whole thing is upsetting middle-management. When they're not able to do the whole "manage culture"/butts-in-chairs thing their worth goes to near-zero outside of harassing workers and slinging office documents around.
Regardless of if it's workers/managers, work remote does one thing: it cuts the performers from non-performers because the best metric to measure success is output. THIS is why people are freaking out - if they can't APPEAR to be working it'll become very apparent that they're a net-negative to the company they're a parasite of.