"We're a family here." - Corporations to their employees

[Brickjectivity]

I've worked for quite a few restaurants run by corporate chains. One of the things that is always reiterated in the training and videos that Corporate makes the new hires watch is that the coworkers are supposed to be "a family".

What do you guys think of this? Are your coworkers "your family"?

Personally, I hate this corporate speak and catchphrase. I believe it is icky and manipulative.

When in narcissist's domain play along if you can. Keep your head down, and pretend that you believe the lies. Just don't actually believe the lies. The company will not take care of you. It will always demand more than it actually needs, too. It is interested in ever increasing improvement (lower cost and more work).

Your best bet is to be in the favored class of such a company. There tends to be a small group that gets catered to and a much larger group (such as temps) that is required to pretend that it is. This is a highly developed format that I've seen many places. 'Family' is not necessarily something to be afraid of, but you should make sure you are in the favored class.

First off, not everyone has positive relationships with their families, so equating the work environment to a home environment may not be good for people who have bad home environments.

Secondly, it's a ploy by the bosses to make you work extra/harder. You do favors for your family. You turn a blind eye to your family's misdeeds.

Gosh it makes me cringe every time I hear "We're a family here." I'm not looking for family, I'm looking for work! I've been doing job interviews this past month and managers who interview me often tout that "they are family" with the employees.

What do you think?

Its not always a ploy. It could very well be that the leadership wants to make you feel like family but does not know what a good family feels like. Maybe what they are hoping is that you will treat them like family.

 

[Revoltingest]

I worked with my brother in law for a while, maybe that counts. Generally speaking , North Americans are socialised to be agreeable and get along moreso than Europeans, in general, so I suppose that’s a factor.

We get along with each other?
Europeans don't?

 

[Revoltingest]

Caring about some **** company who doesn't care about you won't make you wealthy and will never make you a success.

I cared about the companies I worked for.
They gave me money.
I worked to advance their interests.
Anything less would be dishonorable...
....even fraud or theft.

If one hates the company one works for,
or just doesn't care, that lack of motivation
will harm performance. It's a recipe for
getting the boot.

How rude and presumptuous.

It matches my experience.
Those who don't get along seldom realize their problem.

BTW, note that being "fired" is different
from merely being laid off, which typically
isn't about the worker's performance.

That doesn't even seem the case and you mention it, why?

It's important for workers to know,
& to do some self examination if they're
among those who tend to get fired, &
have cooperation problems at work.

 

[Kathryn]

I cared about the companies I worked for.
They gave me money.
I worked to advance their interests.
Anything less would be dishonorable...
....even fraud or theft.

If one hates the company one works for,
or just doesn't care, that lack of motivation
will harm performance. It's a recipe for
getting the boot.

I agree!

 

[an anarchist]

Indeed, if the idea that you were to have some kind of a friendly relationship with the people you work with is repulsive to you

I never said that.

I can be friendly and professional with my coworkers without being "family" with them. To be "family" is unprofessional, and I prefer professionalism in my workplace.

 

[Revoltingest]

I agree!

Woohoo!

Have some....

 

[Kathryn]

Woohoo!

I knew we had some common ground somewhere. By the way, I am super hot and sweaty and not done yet in my garage. Ugh. It is only in the mid seventies here.

 

[Revoltingest]

By the way, I am super hot and sweaty and not done yet in my garage.

Oh, please....at my age & testosterone
level, your erotic offerings are wasted.

 

[Kathryn]

Oh, please....at my age & testosterone
level, your erotic offerings are wasted.

Oh please...at my age, I am so serious about the garage.

 

[Revoltingest]

Oh please...at my age, I am so serious about the garage.

I'm more into barns & sheds these days.

 

[Kathryn]

I'm more into barns & sheds these days.

If you could see my garage, you'd know why it's a problem. You know what, I just want to be able to park in it.

 

[Tomef]

We get along with each other?
Europeans don't?

Like the communication thing, and saying things like ‘we’re a family’. More American. Americans are socialised to talk to each other, go along with the group etc.

I can get that maybe with a small, close knit group, but a corporation saying something like that is like some attempt to cheapen or subvert the meaning of family.

 

[Kathryn]

Like the communication thing, and saying things like ‘we’re a family’. More American. Americans are socialised to talk to each other, go along with the group etc.

I can get that maybe with a small, close knit group, but a corporation saying something like that is like some attempt to cheapen or subvert the meaning of family.

As an American, I agree.

 

[Pawpatrol]

Caring about some **** company who doesn't care about you won't make you wealthy and will never make you a success.

How rude and presumptuous. That doesn't even seem the case and you mention it, why?

Caring about your company is the first step to success, but you don know that. Obviously the company isn't going to give you anything more than your monthly paycheck and even that only until they can get rid of you, if that's your attitude.

No one owes you or anyone a job, btw. They don't owe you anything. Do you think the company you work for with a lousy attitude of "I only do the bare minimum and why should I care", should hand you something — wealth perhaps? Reputation? No. That's something you get when you work for it.

How is it rude to point out a fact? Take it as a hint — want a job? Be nice to be around. Something like that.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

We get along with each other?
Europeans don't?

Yes, we Americans are more brought up to get along, play nice, and don't say anything bad/no complaining.
Europeans, it's not to say they aren't raised to be pro-social, but at the same time they don't do fake friend and momentary fake friend like an average American can. We do it so well because for many of us it's part of our job duty and description, and because we are collectively intoxicated on positivity.

If one hates the company one works for,
or just doesn't care, that lack of motivation
will harm performance. It's a recipe for
getting the boot.

That is not at all my experience. I hate where I'm at now, but you can ask the donors and they will tell you I am awesome. I hated one company so much I even cussed my boss out, but there I got way ahead and found years later the company even started handling the computer tasks how I did them so people aren't there all night anymore (and a couple of group effort things the company ran with).
Ya know what did get me fired the one time it happened? Medical paperwork getting lost and a leave not being approved (I got a fat and phat unemployment check though). That was rather an interesting shock learning I lost my job when I got Cobra paperwork in the mail.

t matches my experience.
Those who don't get along seldom realize their problem.

BTW, note that being "fired" is different
from merely being laid off, which typically
isn't about the worker's performance.

Except the op--even in other threads--has mentioned some legit wrongful termination stuff. So, yeah, it was a very rude comment to come along and say it's all him for not getting along when the termination was over medical leave.

It's important for workers to know,
& to do some self examination if they're
among those who tend to get fired, &
have cooperation problems at work.

Theres also a problem with **** companies who want to pretend to be your friend and family but treat you like an exploitable resource. It deminishes and cheapens what family is, especially when most companies force their own definition of family upon you for leave reasons (and the definition is unacceptable).
I have made friends at work, I even started talking to my now best friend at work (rather than high school where noticed each other but didn't really talk to each other), and her and her family I consider family. But a company who wants to tell me we're all friends amd family and try to insert themselves into such a close and trusted circle? That company can go choke to death on a rotting rat corpse while falling off a cliff and into a pit of spikes. It isn't a friend, it isn't family, it will probably never be anything more to me than an unfortunate associate with whom I am forced be interact and mingle with.

 

[Revoltingest]

If you could see my garage, you'd know why it's a problem. You know what, I just want to be able to park in it.

Park a car in a garage.
What a novel idea.

 

[Pawpatrol]

And they are wrong too.

"What is the #1 reason people get fired?
1- Poor Work Performance

Poor work performance or an inability to do the job at standard is the most common reason for an employee's termination."

What I mentioned was one study. There are many focused on differed areas, I'm sure, but your suggestion "poor work performance" does not exclude the inability to get along with others as a possible factor. Most jobs require the ability to get along with others as part of good work performance.

 

[Revoltingest]

Like the communication thing, and saying things like ‘we’re a family’. More American. Americans are socialised to talk to each other, go along with the group etc.

I can get that maybe with a small, close knit group, but a corporation saying something like that is like some attempt to cheapen or subvert the meaning of family.

Or broaden the idea of family.
That can be nice.

 

[Revoltingest]

Yes, we Americans are more brought up to get along, play nice, and don't say anything bad/no complaining.

For an Ameristanian, you sure do complain a lot.
And I suspect some difficulty getting along with management.

Europeans, it's not to say they aren't raised to be pro-social, but at the same time they don't do fake friend and momentary fake friend like an average American can. We do it so well because for many of us it's part of our job duty and description, and because we are collectively intoxicated on positivity.

I've heard the stereotype of Ameristanians....Eurostanians
think we're fake friendly. Perhaps those standoffish,
haughty, formal, distanced, ferriners just don't understand
that we can be friendly, & be sincere. It's like believers
who can't understand lacking a connection with their god.
Could it be the their wars against each other was so much
more recent than our singular one?

That is not at all my experience. I hate where I'm at now, but you can ask the donors and they will tell you I am awesome. I hated one company so much I even cussed my boss out, but there I got way ahead and found years later the company even started handling the computer tasks how I did them so people aren't there all night anymore (and a couple of group effort things the company ran with).
Ya know what did get me fired the one time it happened? Medical paperwork getting lost and a leave not being approved (I got a fat and phat unemployment check though). That was rather an interesting shock learning I lost my job when I got Cobra paperwork in the mail.

Hate is what one brings to the job.

Except the op--even in other threads--has mentioned some legit wrongful termination stuff. So, yeah, it was a very rude comment to come along and say it's all him for not getting along when the termination was over medical leave.

Theres also a problem with **** companies who want to pretend to be your friend and family but treat you like an exploitable resource. It deminishes and cheapens what family is, especially when most companies force their own definition of family upon you for leave reasons (and the definition is unacceptable).
I have made friends at work, I even started talking to my now best friend at work (rather than high school where noticed each other but didn't really talk to each other), and her and her family I consider family. But a company who wants to tell me we're all friends amd family and try to insert themselves into such a close and trusted circle? That company can go choke to death on a rotting rat corpse while falling off a cliff and into a pit of spikes. It isn't a friend, it isn't family, it will probably never be anything more to me than an unfortunate associate with whom I am forced be interact and mingle with.

There's one thing in common with all
the companies & managers you hate.
What would that be?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Caring about your company is the first step to success, but you don know that. Obviously the company isn't going to give you anything more than your monthly paycheck and even that only until they can get rid of you, if that's your attitude.

Except I have gotten pretty far, even almost near to the top. One job I even walked out one night and the manager on duty that night got in trouble.

No one owes you or anyone a job, btw. They don't owe you anything. Do you think the company you work for with a lousy attitude of "I only do the bare minimum and why should I care", should hand you something — wealth perhaps? Reputation? No. That's something you get when you work for it.

Yeah, that's another bad assumption on your part. Evem when I have an off day I'm working circles around coworkers. Where I'm at now the donors won't even let me say the company doesn't work me hard because they see me storming back and forth and tons more than anyone else there.
It's called being a damn good worker. So good of a worker you can in fact survive telling your immediate supervisor (who's also the only one you answer to on the field) to **** off, eat a dick and shut the **** up.
Where I'm at now? I've argued with one manager to the point donors started looking (I backed down at that point), but we have some really good wait times when they put me on a certain position.

How is it rude to point out a fact? Take it as a hint — want a job? Be nice to be around. Something like that.

You don't know the situation or what's up and you want to start preaching this "love your company" fantasy as if it's going to be the key to his problems.
Some people can get jobs. Some can't. Think my serial job hopping niece struggles finding work? Never.