SpinOff Thread: Do Companies Offer A Lot Less To Their Employees

Of course not. Just look at real income growth since the 80s or so. It is pathetic.

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rocket31

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You are an odd dude.

Consider what health care costs companies now vs. when your dad had his benefits. And the amount of time and money that companies are spending complying with government rules and regulations. Companies used to offer better benefits and it didn't cost them as much as they are spending now on top of salaries.

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You have to ask yourself "what other choices do I have?". Personally, I think its almost inhuman to have your typical office.. You know, its filled with cubicles with several offices throughout. Its a depressing look. An area that has white walls, carpet and then in each cubicle there is someone working, spending the majority of the day in..

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You are an awesome troll. Well done.

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Employee loyalty used to be important to companies and employees were compensated in many ways. Today it seems companies believe all employees are replaceable and loyalty doesn't matter.

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This is true. Today, being loyal can only hurt you in the end.

Health insurance costs have skyrocketed in the past 20 years which means less companies can afford to pay employees health insurance or only offer that benefit to higher level employees. And people are living longer which deters companies from offering pension-type benefits since it means they're more likely to be paying that benefit out for longer period of time

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Employers pretty much universally require experience prior to making new hires and simply do not value training. Education costs have increased by several hundred percent. Wages are stagnant or regressing especially when factored in most people having to pay for college thru student loans. Technology has allowed employers access to employees lives far beyond the walls of the office like never before, expecting 24/7 availability through email, etc. Benefits costs have skyrocketed with less actual benefit. Retirement offerings outside of a modest 401k match are all but nonexistent.

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OT folks love to bash Europe, but then pine for standard European perks. Extensive training programs for professionals and apprenticeships for skilled labor. Free college tuition. 6 weeks vacation (and the vacation is a real vacation - no email, no phone calls). No expectations to work more than 40 hrs/week. Decent pension system. Decent health care. Salaries are less though.

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Today, being loyal can only hurt you in the end.

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I'm not sure this is true. I have 21 years of engineering with the same company. I have 5 weeks of vacation. I get nice bonuses for doing good work. I have a real office (14'x12'). I have received incentive stock options 4 times in the past 21 years.

Edit.... only 9 more years until I get a 6th week of vacation.

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What's your point? You gonna sit on the sidelines for the rest of your life or live at home cause the benefits aren't as good as or better than your dad had?

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You know what else has changed (for the worse)? Employee's attitudes. Those millineals don't want to start at the bottom and work their way up anymore. They've got a degree so that makes them valuable

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First you tell me how I should just deal with it because my benefits are less valuable, then you tell me I have a bad attitude? Hmmm....

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They also like to job hop. Bet those boomers and other oldsters worked the same job for 40 years

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Corporate culture has changed.

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They worked a shite ton of overtime without pay or comp time and actually gave a shite about their job.

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And herin lies the root of the problem, IMHO. The generation of business runners created this "job is the almighty" attitude that is pervasive through american business culture. They grew up in an era where College became widely accessible. So they got degrees their predecessors didn't have, and it afforded them a plethora of opportunities. And then they worked ungodly hours all in the name of advancement, and advance they did. And then when they had the ability to hire, they started demanding college educations that they weren't required to have and work hours that they weren't required to work.

You are making my point for me. Think about it: How absurd is it to expect an employee to work overtime without compensation? Do you offer your employees fabulous benefits and perks that compensate them for this expected extra effort? Do you give them extra compensation for obtaining that degree? No, which is why we're here. (And BTW, you got those fabulous benefits and pensions when you did)

Lets turn it around. If you were buying a car, and you agreed on a price, and you went to sit down and sign the paperwork, does the dealer expect you to shell out an extra $5K just because they ask? If you ask for a bunch of upgrades on the car, do you expect the dealer to give them to you for free? If you hire a man to paint your living room, do you expect him to paint the rest of your house as well at no charge? Why should you expect your employees to put in extra hours without compensation?

And I fail to see why training is such a dirty word. Don't you want to get the most out of your assets? Aren't employees an asset? If you take an active role in teaching your people how to do the job, at the end of the day they'll be more effective, and they'll make you more money.