On January 9, 2024 you will drive up to your favourite parking lot but there will not be anywhere to park. Cameras overhead will be leering at you, recording you as you drive in circles. You will drive and drive and drive. Somewhere on the top floor of a remote parking deck, you'll find your spot.
You'll walk, with the cold blistering wind smacking you in the face. It will be a brisk 15 degrees. You'll have your lunch carefully prepared in your backpack, as well as the work tools from desk, all 40 pounds of it strapped to your back as you make the trek in. You finally make it to the turnstile and scan your card. There are people everywhere. Some look distraught. Some faces you have seen in years. You make it to your designated work area - the neighbourhood. It's much smaller than you remember and the other groups you work with are also there. You search for a seat but there are none. Strange. So you wander around looking for an empty huddle area or meeting room but those too are filled with seats. All faces buried in laptops. Headsets on. In other areas, coats wrap around empty chairs. Groups of people huddle around waving their arms in distress. The office is loud, packed, claustrophobic. So you make your way to the cafeteria. Most of the seats are taken. You find a seat but quickly realize that there's nowhere to plug your laptop in. So you decide to sit down and work until your battery dies.
Welcome to the struggle session.
It was deliberately designed to humiliate you.
Your mindful coworkers will IM you and ask where you are. Some will complain to the manager. He will take mental notes on who is present and who is complaining. He will not say a word to the senior manager in his weekly meeting. No, that would be heresy. Everything is working well and productivity is up.
You decide that it might be best to get to work by 5am.
So on Wednesday, you get to work early but find that you can get a seat but many are already there. Afraid. No eye contact. The fear has set in. Others quietly take note of who is present. Who isn't complying?
This is your life now.
Remember, you attendance is now a "behaviour" that is being tracked.
Is this the profession you always dreamed of? Do you feel like a part of "One Team"?
In the meantime, the layoff threat is always lurking.
"You are lucky you have a job."
What will they do to you next?
26 replies (most recent on top)
"If you come in on an off day, no flying cars."
I come in all week. While I haven't been a part of a flying car discussion, my spirit was flying knowing I was Being Bold while collaborating with One Team.
Insider secret: It's like a country club on Monday's and Fridays. We all wear vintage cardigans and smoke pipes while sampling cheese and wine in the open area near Starbucks. Then we catch a round of golf after lunch and go home early. You're missing out!
I thought they picked the days because they're hoping for magical collaboration at the water cooler that will result in two random people inventing flying cars they can make for 20 bucks and sell for 80k.
If you come in on an off day, no flying cars.
A special perk for GM employees: Come in on Monday and Friday and there are plenty of open seats and parking spaces. He-l, you could come in na--d if you want. You'll be the only one in the building. With that in mind, put a towel down on your seat please.
Things are a little better in Austin.
Any improvement in Michigan and Georgia?
M-TH, every week, day after day all of this has been 100% true except for the 15 degrees. It’s usually about 24 degrees, but yeah. Misery. Will it get any better? Doubtful.
I just keep thinking about how awful and cynical our leaders are to orchestrate a situation where we are occupying a half-capacity seating situation only to demand 100% attendance. It may create unforeseen issues that backfire.
https://www.theautopian.com/alleged-whistleblower-levels-safety-claims-at-gm-owned-autonomous-vehicle-company-cruise/
I'm looking forward to entering a scheduled meeting room with my team and finding that it's full of angry squatters that take 10 minutes to leave. :)
"There's enough seating in the complex, don't worry."
Then again, if you assume goodness, everything will work out just fine. LOL
Imagine making record profits and then immediately start messing with your own employees. SMH Who's in charge?
@blbg+1qcu4mX0
You’ll find out.
Nostradumass
I can confirm that the OP is just a regular guy in a Sasquatch suit and he loves long posts.
In Austin the place will be empty before 10 am.
Then it'll suddenly be mobbed.
One more week before we see what happens.
OP is a Prophet or troll.
Damn, this OP is Nostradamus-tier accurate.
Hey Siri, what is "constructive dismissal"?
SLT Plan for a 2025 reset (ideological subversion):
Step 1: Demoralization
Step 2: Destabilization
Step 3: Crisis
Step 4: Normalization
- Step 1: From March 15, 2020 to April 2023, you were being demoralized. I won't get into how because you already know.
- Step 2, your life was destabilized after April. You were sold a bill of goods, a "new reality" and this idea was repeatedly reinforced. Breaking that "new reality" destabilized your mental framework and you had to reconstruct your life.
- For Step 3, a crisis was manufactured, just for you! You are given new restrictions, new hurdles. The destabilization from step 2 is built upon but now you are given new things to worry about: There's no where to sit. Projects are being cancelled. Colleagues are getting paranoid. Mass layoffs are on the horizon. There are very few job openings. You are being watched. Everything is crowded and you are given more assignments than you can handle. You are in a constant state of fear.
- In Step 4, the process of normalization occurs. Once the projects are cancelled, the mass layoff(s) occurs, you get used to your new work schedule and get used to the new rules and restrictions, you will do as you are told without asking questions. This is the endgame for the SLT. You will work more hours. You won't see bonuses. You may even take a pay-cut. And you will be grateful to have a job.
Take a screenshot of this post. It won't be up for long.
@5kak+1qcu4mX0
"If you don’t like it go work some place else."
You obviously don't know what the job market looks like now.
Most people are trapped - especially those in engineering/design. For the tech workers, it's worse. Over 500,000 fired in the last 2 years. That's 500,000 human beings that took up any vacancies "some place else".
It's a cycle that repeats and many know what is coming.
But since you are quick to call names and dismiss what other people are going through, I'm sure you are going to do just fine...
FAFO
Yes, Badge in, find a desk, hang your shingle out & pretend to work. That is the daily “Struggle” you signed up for to support your family. B*lls up🫡🫡
OMG cry me a river. If you don’t like it go work some place else. Simp
@2dii+1qcu4mX0
For the third time, I’m going to say that I agree. The last two times I mentioned this the comments were deleted. Strange.
FYI, Stellantis requires a full in office day per week and will increase the requirement in increments.
Individuals possess the freedom to explore alternative employment opportunities and transition to another company should they find themselves dissatisfied with the current workplace policies.
Badge in, look for a spot, if none, badge out, call leader you will be working remote and will try again tomorrow... Rinse, repeat...If they want you in, they need to make it work, its on them, not on you...If your leader can't figure it the f**k out, send the note to facilities guy per mtb suggestion...if he can't figure it out...send a note to mtb....if she can't figure it out just take some pics and videos of the working conditions and go to the local news...
Zero, zero, zero.
Zero trust, Zero morale, Zero respect.
Stellantis is the employer of choice now with their flexible work from home and empowerment to employees to make the choice how often you want to come in. That scrappy underdog continues to power ahead.
Employer of choice.
But what's sad is that's the standard scenario at the other companies that do open plan office, too.
They usually only have enough seats for 80% or less of the employees.
So you better get in early.
The folks in Austin who come in at 10 am, take a 2 hour lunch, and leave around 3:30 pm will have a big adjustment. But I bet the place is still empty around 4 pm.
Employees are our most valuable asset, and we are the most trustable company .