Big Generation Gaps in Work Attitudes Revealed

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by fasternyou929

Holy shit, 100C?! What in the world do you wear to protect your body and lungs in that kind of atmosphere?

damn I overlooked the C, damn canadians and the centigrade system thats some fookin hot stuff there.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Originally Posted by CrazyKell

I think in North America we're so backwards about this stuff. Employees are more productive (isn't that what most companies want?) when they have a better work life balance.

Yep.
Seems like Europe & Australia have the right idea there, and yet they seem to get business done just fine without our near-suicidal work ethic.

I'm a GenX'er, was raised with a more old school work ethic, but at the same time I value my time off.
I imagine if I had a more fulfilling job... something I actually enjoyed... I wouldn't mind working the extra time.
However, as it is, I work my scheduled hours and am thankful that more isn't asked of me.

[101lifts2]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

....100% truth.
Probably due to growing up on gangsta rap and thinking they're gonna "live large wit deep pockets yo".
Either that or watching too much Entourage.

So you're saying in not so many words, black people were not lazy in the 80s? Did you notice the quality of GM, Ford and Chysler in the 80s? Screws through dashes, missing parts etc. etc.

I think the big problem is the internet. Period.

[101lifts2]

Originally Posted by Apoc

In the part of the refinery I work in, I wear a forced induction, positive pressure racal, which is basicly a contained helmet that blows clean, cool air through your face all the time.

We have strict rules on how long we can be on the floor per hour, depending on the current temp.

In a twelve hour day, I may work three.

They tell you it's clean air....just sayin.

[Apoc]

Originally Posted by 101lifts2

They tell you it's clean air....just sayin.

Ummm, i have a motorized filtration pack strapped to my waist, with 3 filters that I change out for new ones, every day. Pretty sure its clean.

[derf]

Originally Posted by Adeptus_Minor

Yep.
Seems like Europe & Australia have the right idea there, and yet they seem to get business done just fine without our near-suicidal work ethic.

I'm a GenX'er, was raised with a more old school work ethic, but at the same time I value my time off.
I imagine if I had a more fulfilling job... something I actually enjoyed... I wouldn't mind working the extra time.
However, as it is, I work my scheduled hours and am thankful that more isn't asked of me.

I'm totally with you on that. BUT I also like what I do and the folks I work with. The last job I had that I hated I was out of there in a heartbeat as soon as my day was over, there wasn't even a though in my head about staying a few extra minutes to get something done.

But the real key is balance. If you work 100% of the time you are awake, then what is the point of working if you cant enjoy the fruits of your labor (excluding people that really get a boner from what they do)? And if you work just to clock out at the end of the jay and just do teh minium to keep your job then dont expect to be able to grow or advance in your field and make more money to spend while you enjoy your time off. Again balance is really the key, work hard enough to grow and advance in your field, but enjoy the time you aren't at work

My father who is a baby boomer would say the same thing, my grandafther who grew up during the depression and spent his life managing sweat shops in brookly from WW2 until the early 80's would have bitched me out for anything I wrote above. His theory is that you work hard, harder than anyone else to get ahead, you will rest during retirement. Which he did, while he went back to work after he retired.

[wildchild]

i'm in the genX and while I love to work hard, I don't enjoy working OT anymore. I tell everyone around here I worked 12 hrs a day 7 days a week when I was in my 20's on a pipeline. I went to school and got a better job with more money so I didn't need the OT.
I enjoy my time off as well.

I think the newbies might be on to something. See they have what many of us before didn't. they have the ability to stay at home longer with folks. this helps them in taking a stand against jobs they don't want to do. they can wait for a job with better bennies to come along before they jump into it.
many of us were programmed to just take a job to start then work your way out to something better.

business will need employees and will start having to give in to the younger crowd. maybe that means the guys on top who do very little "work" will lose a few percentage points of their income and the grunts on the bottom will pick up a little more.
some kids i think are very unrealistic in their wants but wanting to have a better life because you do a good job is very understandable.
how many older folks have given up vacations because the project has to be finished? missed out on timmy's ball game or sally's dance recital. after all that the project still doesn't finish on time and the guy on top who has to sign it off well he is at his nephew's fotball game so he can't do it.
maybe younger folks have seen all the things their parents have given up for a job that will throw them on the street in a heartbeat and they don't want to go that route.

[EpyonXero]

Originally Posted by tommymac

never had an office job so I cant say but even at ups we had 2 weeks vacation time to start and a total of 11 sick/personal days so it wasnt all that bad.

Plus right out of the gate whos going to give a new hire 4 plus weeks esp if they have no expierence.

Most of these construction guys I work with dont even get sick days, they dont work they dont get paid (granted they have some crazy hourly rates they get paid)

One of the good things about government work. Ive been here about 6 months and I already have over 2 weeks saved up. There are also other ways to get paid time off which I used combined with federal holidays over Thanksgiving and Christmas to get about 2.5 weeks off then.

The "boomers" who have been working here forever are constantly taking time off and leaving early and they hate working overtime. The "GenMe" guys, like myself, love working overtime mostly because we get time and a half.

[SteveP]

I've yet to have a paid vacation day off since separating from the military in 2002. My wife is active duty so I get to move every 3-4 years. Employers don't give a fuck about me, and in turn, I don't give a fuck about them either. It's depressing, but graduate school is looking a lot more enticing now.

[sherri_chickie]

My late husband was an electrician in the states.. he got no holiday ( supposed to be 5 days, but if you got sick, it was a holiday day)..

I always thought it was ridiculous!