It makes me sad. Everyone talks about the freedom and greatness of Capitalism, but with great power comes great responsibility (Yes, Spider-Man)... and out of the ashes of a bad economy, workers are being treated very poorly. There is no longer care for the employees by these corporations but only care for the bottom line, care to show a gain in the latest quarter, and forcing employees to promote a good image of a company, that is anything but a good. You know when you have worked there. You know when you have walked down an isle and heard someone being yelled at instead of spoken to professionally. Is this what we call acceptable?
I met a lady this past week while working, she said her job was bringing her so much stress, but like most people in this horrible economy, she has no choice but to go back to this company and boss who do not appreciate her, give her unreasonable deadlines, and promote a negative and hostile work atmosphere. I felt her pain. I too worked in such a job. I felt I was being used. I know I was being used. I was being yelled at, not always outwardly, but inwardly. I could feel the tension and anxiety, there were even times I cried over what my life had become... but I had no way out, not until I found another job, which took me 2.5 years.
I still cannot believe the unreasonable expectations that exist. For example: Say you have a job to perform and the company wants to ask for more information from a customer at check-out or ask you to do a promotion, these are not added onto your regular routine for which you are timed, you are expected and required to do extra in the same amount of time you had previously. But it does not stop there... because if there is another idea or job to perform this is added to your job as well. And as these things keep piling up, your time allotted only decreases (you are continually supposed to go faster and be more productive always), payroll decreases, and the amount of people carrying the load decreases; thus leaving even more people to do more work. But do these people get paid more? No, they get paid the same. It is horrible and this kind of treatment is thriving now because corporations know they can get away with this, they can treat employees like crap because people need jobs; they need to pay rent, fix their cars, and feed their kids - while many CEO's and those at corporate buy boats, give/get huge bonuses, and have lavish corporate meetings/outings.
It makes me sad, it makes me sick, and even though I am not there anymore and hope I never will be again, I wish there was something people could do (I suppose I can write, of course). I wish people would understand that when you go into a store and there are not enough Cashiers, it is because corporate said so... When you complain about an employee, it might be because that person is timed and expected to please 100% (to store and customer, no excuses), even if it means loosing their own dignity in the process, so that the company can be seen in a positive light and prosper. OR say you had a bad customer service experience and corporate did nothing, it is because they DO NOT care, they know you will probably come back (they run their statistics I am sure), because you are desperate and so are the employees. They think they have everyone wrapped around there little fingers.
But what can our reaction be, if any. Should we keep up with this negative and hostile atmosphere? Should we speak up about it and risk loosing our jobs? Personally, I kept my mouth shut most often but sometimes did speak about something I thought was unethical (Ex: telling employees what to do off the clock as a customer). I also once spoke up about unfair expectations and the lack of ANY positive feedback by corporate (except when they came to visit and shake my hand of course and tell me what a great job I am doing, which always annoyed me, because it is all very two-faced).
What is the answer for us as Americans?
Should we have unrestrained Capitalism?
How much restraint?
How as Christians can we speak to this injustice?
How can we comfort those who mourn the better times?
How can we offer hope to those living in jobs and places of despair?
What we are witnessing is the power of money and greed and what happens when their is a lack of love for the other, filled only with selfish concerns. We are witnessing the chaos that comes out of disorder, when ethical boundaries are crossed, when loopholes create boulders for others live under. If I lack LOVE I am nothing, and to corporations that lack genuine love and care for their employees, I become nothing, a mere resounding gong as cash flows away from my pocket and into their own (1st Corinthians 13).
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
– Matthew 6:24
“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
– 1st Timothy 6:9-10
~ Boldness & Compassion
