Do People Just Not Want To Work Anymore?

[Lizard Queen]

When I was off those years helping my mom, I really wanted to work. It bugged me that I wasn't doing what I felt I should be doing by helping support my husband and children. When I was working part-time, I really wanted to be full-time because it bugged me that I was losing out on oodles of benefits. Now I just want to be on vacation all the time. I think what I really want is the pay/benefits without working full-time and having to wake up early. I like to work some--helps me structure my day/week.

My 74 yo FIL now has a part-time job. He doesn't need the money. He probably just wants to keep himself occupied.

[thyme4change]

It is two and a half weeks since the extra payments in Arizona have ended. So, all our jobs are being filled and all those employment problems are solved. I can't wait to see the July numbers. If this truly was due to a single reason, then we should see a decent reduction in the numbers.

[resolution]

Arizona is also offering a $2000 bonus payment to people on unemployment that find a job and work a specified number of hours over the next few months. It should be a good test. 

[giramomma]

Jul 28, 2021 12:44:54 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

When I was off those years helping my mom, I really wanted to work. It bugged me that I wasn't doing what I felt I should be doing by helping support my husband and children. When I was working part-time, I really wanted to be full-time because it bugged me that I was losing out on oodles of benefits. Now I just want to be on vacation all the time. I think what I really want is the pay/benefits without working full-time and having to wake up early. I like to work some--helps me structure my day/week.

My 74 yo FIL now has a part-time job. He doesn't need the money. He probably just wants to keep himself occupied.

Working part time for DH was one of the best changes we made. He needs the structure too keep being productive at home Otherwise, he'd be like..meh, I'll do laundry tomorrow, ad infinitum. Then it would be "Oh crap, I really procrastinated."

[teen persuasion]

Jul 28, 2021 8:51:51 GMT -5 jeffreymo said:

Put me in the camp of those who don’t want to work anymore or work less. I want to retire early and I may need to retire early. So many jobs are being automated. Through continuous process improvement what used to take 40 hours is now taking only a fraction of the time. So boredom sets in and to keep busy through the week we continue to test and find ways to do the work even more efficiently. Really what was a 5 day work week should probably be 4 days and possibly even 3. It’s really hard to envision what my job will look like in 5 years. I’m hoping to hang on for 10.

ETA: And for every group like mine there are others out there that create monotonous work for themselves to justify the 40 hours. And others that don’t or aren’t able to utilize technology. I can’t work like that.

It's really that "40 hour" standard work week - tied to eligibility for benefits - that needs to be rethought.  I'd love for health insurance and retirement accounts to be decoupled from employers.  But until that happens, part-timers are treated as lesser beings, not worthy of benefits that full-timers get.  One way to view it is - benefits are the extra perk to encourage people to work 40+ hours consistently.  Another way to view it is - part-time workers can legally be denied benefits (which cost the employer more money), so using a higher proportion of part-timers nets the employer more manhours for less expense (pay only vs pay + benefits).

I think many people would prefer less than full time work, but it's either not an option in certain fields, or not an option because of the need to have health insurance.  And others want more hours for higher pay, but can't get full-time because employers want to limit benefits.

[giramomma]

I dunno.

We have been understaffed since 2016. It keeps getting worse, not better.

I've done the efficiency thing to the point where I'm now doing the work of about three people. I do more work than folks that get paid twice as much as I do.

The problem is we're supposed to double the number of customers we serve..in one half of the business that means going from 250 to 500 customers. The other have from 5K customers to 10K customers by 2025. And, oh, by the way, there are very few people doing anything to meet these numbers. I happen to be one of them.

We aren't getting any extra hands. We got a supervisor, who now can't do the work needed to meet the targets. Because my supervisor's time is going to be taken up with "strategic planning." Which, as we all know, is a giant exercise in navel-gazing and wasting time.

So, I guess the expectation is that I do the work of 6 people by 2025. Actually, more, because our leader is dismantling other parts of our department, which means more work will fall on our unit.

Clearly, that can't happen in a 40 hour work week.

The benefits are my golden handcuff. But, I am seriously starting to rethink it.

[sesfw]

The benefits are my golden handcuff.

Unfortunately right now this is what it is.

I have refused full time where I work because I don't want to take a job from someone that needs the benefits.

Group health insurance is cheaper than individual and that really hurts financially.

I have a co-worker whos' wife is still working full time in a office and she really shouldn't be.  She has a severe medical condition and she needs the health insurance.  So she stays.

[NastyWoman]

I have been hoping for a while now that they are willing to throw a bunch of money at me to go away. The problems are manifold though: no automation of my job has happened, I am the only one in a company of ~5000 who does this specific work and they not looked at a succession plan, and  last but most certainly not least - even though I have not told them yet they are running out of time. Unless the Delta variant spoils things for me, my very latest date of leaving will be November 17th. The Delta Variant is also the reason I have not told management of my plans. If we are back in lockdown when November rolls around I will not retire. Though that would give them more time to come to their senses and throw that pile of money my way 

All that to sqy that I am ready not to work anymore yet I also don't want to quit quite  yet.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

While I’ve seen many “signing bonus” signs the last few months, today was a new one.
“Now hiring 14 & 15 year olds”
Was on a 20-ft banner at McDonald’s.

[ohmomto2boys]

While I’ve seen many “signing bonus” signs the last few months, today was a new one.

“Now hiring 14 & 15 year olds”

Was on a 20-ft banner at McDonald’s.

DS1 got a job (at a pizza place) in April - he was 14.  He turned 15 in June.  He has a lot of friends getting jobs.  The pizza place is great about working around time he needs off because he is in the HS band and has a lot of practice and events coming up.  

[Lizard Queen]

I think it's great that it's easier for teens to get jobs again. My (23? YO) niece had an awful time trying to get her first job.

[TheOtherMe]

Here it's legal for 14 and 15 year olds to work.  There are restrictions on the number of hours and what they can do.  

[Lizard Queen]

Jul 30, 2021 7:33:30 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Here it's legal for 14 and 15 year olds to work.  There are restrictions on the number of hours and what they can do.  

Same here, but when businesses had plenty of applicants over 18, they didn't bother with the younger ones with their restrictions. 

[giramomma]

Jul 30, 2021 8:11:52 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Jul 30, 2021 7:33:30 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Here it's legal for 14 and 15 year olds to work.  There are restrictions on the number of hours and what they can do.  

Same here, but when businesses had plenty of applicants over 18, they didn't bother with the younger ones with their restrictions. 

Here once you hit 16, there really aren't restrictions.

[Lizard Queen]

Jul 30, 2021 8:15:27 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Jul 30, 2021 8:11:52 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Same here, but when businesses had plenty of applicants over 18, they didn't bother with the younger ones with their restrictions. 

Here once you hit 16, there really aren't restrictions.

There's less here at that age, but there still are some.

[TheOtherMe]

Restrictions are gone here at 16.

DQ hires the 14 and 15 year olds for the lunch rush on weekends when the day ladies from during the week don't want to work.  The day ladies are more like 70 to 80 years old and they don't want to work 7 days a week, so it works out well during the school year and the college kids have gone back to school.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jul 30, 2021 8:21:53 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Jul 30, 2021 8:15:27 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Here once you hit 16, there really aren't restrictions.

There's less here at that age, but there still are some.

Same here.  When my son was working at McDonalds at 17 he couldn't work on the fryers or be a closer because they aren't allowed to work after 11pm on school nights in MN.  They also can't work in the factories before 18 unless they're a 17 year old high school graduate.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Nebraska is the same. Can't close, can't operate the ovens or the roller at 16.

But you CAN operate heavy farm machinery as young as 12 if it's a family farm.

But it's labor exploitation to let Gwen operate the register.

[Deleted]

I found this interesting although it's got a very Republican slant.


www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/heres-proof-gop-governors-were-right-to-cancel-ultra-generous-unemployment-benefits/ar-AAMMUrZ?li=BBnb7Kz

There IS evidence of increases in the number of people looking for work in the states that have not extended unemployment.

[billisonboard]

Jul 31, 2021 9:35:37 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I found this interesting although it's got a very Republican slant.


www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/heres-proof-gop-governors-were-right-to-cancel-ultra-generous-unemployment-benefits/ar-AAMMUrZ?li=BBnb7Kz

There IS evidence of increases in the number of people looking for work in the states that have not extended unemployment.

Thanks for sharing. I found it interesting to download the "new report" from paragraph 1 and then look at the survey that is referenced there. The last is a much more balanced report. It talks about the impact of people running out of any benefits as well as the ending of the federal enhanced benefit.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

My coworker raised a good point yesterday.  Companies are offering higher salaries, hiring bonuses and all sorts of goodies to get you in the door.   Where is the compensation/recognition for those already here who have busted their butts since last February?

Our reward for "doing such a good job!" in 2020 was a room temperature Costco hamburger.   We finally got a whopping 2.9% raise but that was after heavy heavy resistance from higher up because after a year of record profits (I know this because they constantly bring it up in our monthly company meetings) they just couldn't afford to give anyone raises this year.

If I was interviewing right now you bet that would be a question I would be asking.   How do you treat people after you get your hooks into them?  It's easy to polish yourself up and give a good first impression but what happens after I sit down at my desk?  If you can afford to give out hiring bonuses why can't you afford to give your current employees a bonus for 2020?   If you can afford to now pay people $5 more per hour to START why are you only giving your current people 2% raises?

Getting hired is all well and good but now I'm stuck working for the company.   After 2020 and the way this company has treated those of us who have had to work on site the entire time and through 2021 so far you bet I am going to be asking a lot more probing questions about company culture before signing the dotted line.

[swamp]

Nope. Still don’t wanna work.

[jerseygirl]

We have a pile of wood chips from a tree removal. I want to have the chips moved from driveway to backyard and spread on a path. I’ve contacted 2 young men, high school and college, who advertised on Nextdoor wanting yard work. Both seemed enthusiastic when I called. They said they would come over at specific day and time . The night before both reiterated they’d be over next day

Neither one showed up

[bean29]

Aug 3, 2021 21:21:56 GMT -5 swamp said:

Nope. Still don’t wanna work.

I am counting down the years until I can retire.


And I completely agree with Drama.  Our last pay increases were in 2017.  Most of them were around 4%.  We were supposed to get increases when the Pandemic hit, but they were cancelled.  Now the Boss man is saying he is going to give raises again, but IDK if he just likes to talk about it or what.  He has now hired 2 new employees for essentially the same role as more senior employees and the newbies are making more than the existing employees by quite a lot.  For the employee that has been here the longest and is essentially the supervisor of the department, he is making about $4.00/hr less that the two new employees working for him.  The other guy is making about $6.50/hour less.  I pointed this out to the Boss and was told it was none of by business/not my job.  

I told my husband last night that I fully expect to see a bunch of employees quit at the same time.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I don't know if it is people don't want to work or are finally waking up to how uneven the scales are.  While I do not want to work at Target long term the fact they are paying $15-$17/hr right now and desperately need bodies lowers my fears about losing/quitting this job quite a bit.   I don't plan to but knowing there is a viable out right now where I could still pay my bills helps with my pissy attitude.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Aug 4, 2021 10:15:11 GMT -5 bean29 said:

I am counting down the years until I can retire.

I'm counting the DAYS!

2543.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Aug 4, 2021 10:27:55 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I don't know if it is people don't want to work or are finally waking up to how uneven the scales are.  While I do not want to work at Target long term the fact they are paying $15-$17/hr right now and desperately need bodies lowers my fears about losing/quitting this job quite a bit.   I don't plan to but knowing there is a viable out right now where I could still pay my bills helps with my pissy attitude.

I was just thinking last night that I could work anywhere I wanted in town and be fine.  Even if I was only making $12/hour (pretty much the lowest you'll get paid anywhere here) it wouldn't be a huge downstep from where I am. Which, while depressing in some ways, is kind of cool too. 

[mcsangel2]

Aug 4, 2021 10:49:55 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Aug 4, 2021 10:15:11 GMT -5 bean29 said:

I am counting down the years until I can retire.

I'm counting the DAYS!

2543.

Ladies after my own heart. I've been counting down since I was 40. 4660 days to go.

[giramomma]

So, at my workplace, they are offering to pay kitchen staff (dishwashers, etc) $15/hour plus a 1-2K bonus.

$15/hour to wash dishes is more than I got paid for my first office job. Pretty incredible times we live in.

[saveinla]

Aug 4, 2021 10:49:55 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Aug 4, 2021 10:15:11 GMT -5 bean29 said:

I am counting down the years until I can retire.

I'm counting the DAYS!

2543.

What is this deadline MPL - I may try and join you.