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Mandatory Employee Party... (1 Viewer)

george kaplan

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All the more reason to change your career path. A professor is smack dab in a overbearing hierachical structure. Being a professor is not a good way to escape the rat race. To do that you either need to become independently wealthy, or being willing to really live in near poverty. Almost all real jobs (and being a professor is most certainly in that category) are fully part of the rat race.
 

Van Patton

Second Unit
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Jun 27, 2001
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456
Moreso than just escape the rat race, I'm looking forward to trying to better society by teaching a Political Science-esque class at a university. Money is not that large of a concern to me. Ever since I heard about Noam Chomsky my life has never quite been the same =)
 

george kaplan

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Well there are certainly a number of good things about being a professor, and a lot of good that can be done. But I can guarantee you that Noam Chomsky has spent more time in mandatory meetings than you will in your entire life. :)
 

Kirk Gunn

Screenwriter
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Aug 16, 1999
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1,609


The company is doing this because they believe the payback will be higher employee morale, teamwork, publicity, etc.... That will lead to greater productivity, which means higher profits that more than make up for the cost of the party.

They aren't doing it to because they need a tax write-off ;)
 

RobertR

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I hope you don't think that teaching Political Science is necessarily better for society than running a business. Others have informed you that being a professor is not as "special" as you thought it was. :)
 

Linda Thompson

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Linda
Ah...the ideals of youth. I remember those. :D

Having dreams and ideals is great, but I sincerely hope that you're prepared for the realities you're going to meet along the way. As the saying goes: "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

Best of luck in making things happen the way you hope, though...
 

Van Patton

Second Unit
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Jun 27, 2001
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I wouldn't expect the most encouraging advice about my idealistic life to come from a messageboard dedicated to an upperclass hobby that not many people have the luxury to even think about. When profit is the bottom line, the truth can get twisted in many ways.
 

Cees Alons

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That's highly unfair.

You complain about $3000 spent on 60 people, because, as you say, it could be used better (community kitchen or some people's wages).

But the main reason you complain seems to be because you don't like the social event itself and the fact that it's held during your free hours - without further visible financial compensation for you.

Yet, apparently, from the point of view of the restaurant, they spend an average of $50 on every employee, while organizing a social event that may help people get along better at their work and isn't directly work related (doesn't pay immediately for the company).

Now if you want to redistribute wages and/or contribute to community kitchens, there would be many other ways all employees could contribute to that, including yourself and without pointing the finger to someone else (the restaurant) first.

Also, you ask us, your fellow members on this forum, if we ever came across these things, and yes, we have. We even advise you to rethink your logic and attend the meeting.

The fact that most of us see a different reasoning here, doesn't make us capitalist swines, or characterize us typically as 'dedicated to an upper class hobby'. Nor do we 'twist the truth in many ways'.


Cees
 

D. Scott MacDonald

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 10, 1999
Messages
545
Van, I for one am not trying to be discouraging, but rather I am trying to share some insight. Believe me - I have been where you are, and someday you will be where I am now.

I am hearing you say the following things:

1) You hate having your employer telling you what to do with your "free time". I can understand this. When you are a salaried employee, however, there is not always a clear delineation between "free time" and "company time". In your current job the delineation is clear, but as a professor it most certainly will not be.

2) You don't like how your company is spending it's money, and would rather see them give it to the employees or to the community. I've seen this many times with every job that I've had, and have seen this quite a few times very recently. All I can say is that there's no real way to escape this unless you own the company yourself. Working for a university will not save you from this phenomenon.

3) Somehow being a professor makes you immune from the rat race. I would think that the reality is quite the opposite. If you want to be a professor because you want to teach, then you should be a professor. If you want to be a professor to remove yourself from backbiting, politics, petty competition, and policies that you do not agree with, then maybe you shouldn't be a professor.

If we are not outraged with you, it's not always because we've sold out. As humans we adapt to out environment, and if I became outraged with everything that I disagree with, I would have died long ago of a heart attack.
 

Glenn Overholt

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Mar 24, 1999
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Or - this way

1. My free time is MY free time, especially for such a menial and temporary job. While it may be true that some of my current fellow employees may stay at this place for life, I will not.

2. Again, when he does become a professor he will know that parties of this type will help to advance his career, Currently, it will not.

3. The rat race is for people that blindly do their jobs just so they can get ahead. Getting out of the rat race means not working. But, if you love the job, it is not a rat race at all. It is a way of life and every minute of it is pure joy.

Glenn
 

Mike Voigt

Supporting Actor
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Sep 30, 1997
Messages
799
Van - it stinks, doesn't it? Either you don't attend - and possibly lose your job, or you do - and get food and drink paid for, while being there a few hours.

See, the company is actually spending money on y'all. Think of it this way - $3000/60 persons = $50/person. At the 5.50 you're talking about this is approx. 9 hrs of work equivalent.

For the company, they spent the equivalent of 9 hrs of work from you and your colleagues. And they didn't get anything except a bunch of folks sitting there. They certainly didn't get the normal work output from your group. That translates to a loss. You really expect them to pay for your time, too?

You bet they expect a gain from that event. No one spends that kind of money/money equivalent just for kicks and grins.

So go, find out what's up, maybe they have unannounced plans to open a second store, maybe they want to start some sort of training party - or maybe they just want to have y'all try a bunch of new dishes they're about to serve. Who knows?

But don't expect this to not happen elsewhere. Everyone gets to deal with it - regardless of job.
 

RobertR

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Dec 19, 1998
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Exactly how do we "profit" by informing you about the realities of life? If you think those who aren't interested in "capitalist profit" never twist the truth, you have an enormous amount to learn.
 

Van Patton

Second Unit
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Jun 27, 2001
Messages
456
Ehh that was really just two seperate points that just happened to follow each other =)

But, IMHO this is a perfect example of not having the same values that your work place wants you to have. I want to work. I work hard. I don't go to work to make friends. The corporation's values are not my values. I am offended when a private tyranny tries to impose its values upon me.

The bigger picture is that events like this are not an altruistic endeavor. Employees are encouraged to go and get drunk with fellow coworkers to form bonds and a "family" enviroment. This, in turn, means larger profits for the corporations since the employees are a cohesive unit that don't bicker and view each other in a positive light.

But, this is all just my simple perspective.
 

BrianW

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But since it is a private tyranny, you're perfectly free to walk. And leaving, not protesting, is the proper course of action.

I just love it when young, idealistic people enter the corporate world. Sometimes I wish I had a camera.

Your choice has been made clear. Go to the party, or look for a new job. Sorry, but there just isn't much middle ground here. Companies are free to impose their many of their values on their employees, even to the point of dictating how much facial hair they can have and what color suits they must wear. Either go along with it, or find work at a company whose values you agree or can live with. It's that simple.

As for me, I draw the line at working for suicide cults.
 

RobertR

Senior HTF Member
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Dec 19, 1998
Messages
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Of course, a public tyranny is worse when it does the same thing (you do realize that public entities do this sort of thing, don't you?), because it gives you no choice as to whether you are a part of it (unlike a private entity, which you can resign from). In addition to what Brian said, it's been pointed out to you that this "tyranny" you speak of is also present at universities, which puts you in a rather difficult situation, one you seem unwilling to want to face head on.
 

Carl Miller

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 17, 2002
Messages
1,461

The reality is indeed exactly the opposite. A college professor's entire career depends on bringing in money to the college/university they work for by adding to the credentials of the college/university through being published, winning grants or gaining recognized expertise on a particular subject matter.

These credentials translate into more money for the college or university...and if the professor doesn't bring in the credentials, he/she likely won't get tenure and will eventually be replaced in favor of someone who costs less to employ.

If a college professor doesn't produce enough credentials for the employer, and sometimes even if they do, the professor will have to do a ton of politicking, arse kissing and cozying up to those who have a vote in order to get tenure and keep their jobs.

Van, you're planning on embarking on a career path that is notorius for back office politicking, back stabbing amongst peers and cut throat business practices by the employer. As a newly minted professor, your first employer will allow you 3-5 years to achieve tenure. If you don't get it, they'll either fire you or leverage you into an adjunct position where you'll have no control over the classes you teach, how many classes you have and thus how much money you earn...And trust me, how much money you earn will matter to you by then simply because your bills will be larger.

The next job you find, your window will be about the same. After that, if you don't get tenure, your window will decrease at your next job, and the job after that if you still don't have tenure.

This socializing at parties like this is an exercise in being phony most of the time, no doubt about that. But until this changes, it is a necessary evil for most people. Doing it right is a learned skill that in all liklihood will be necessary for you to achive your goals when you are actively teaching at the college level.

I said it in my previous post, I'll say it again...Go to the party. The practice will do you good.
 

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