“We're a family here".. What are the most common manipulative phrases used in your workplace?

[Anonymous]

The CEO of our small association likes to say we're family. The lowest paid staff have salaries equal to just 6% of his salary and his bonus is four years of pay for them. Some families treat their members like *hit.

[Anonymous]

I work for a large multinational accounting firm. Kind of known for horrible WLB, but the benefits are great. Let’s call it “Company.” Our Intranet site has a lot of posts directed to “Company People, don’t forget to do XYZ! Enter to win!” or “Support Company People affected by XYZ.” The word “employees” is rarely used in such content.

Also, when you’re waiting to get into some webinars & Zoom meetings, company-made videos play that I can only describe as propaganda. It’s videos of parents playing in a park with their kids on a sunny day, kids running through a meadow and a lot of kayaking & mountain climbing clips for some reason. The videos aren’t actually about anything except some cheesy slogan like “free yourself” or “reach higher.” The company uses amazing imagery in all of its marketing materials. Lots of casually placed pics of children having a picnic on a campus recruiting PowerPoint.

[Anonymous]

"growth mindset."

Ummm, I'm a teacher. I don't get paid any more for doing more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"We believe in work life balance" while my boss calls me at 7PM and insists I explain what exactly I need PTO for every time I have to block my calendar for an appointment during core business hours. I don't actually want to tell my boss whether my cat is sick or my kids or my teeth. I just want to be able to use my earned PTO to deal with it.

Waaaaait. Your boss is making you explain what you want your pto for? Oh hell to the no! I would have to immediately get off the phone.

Yes, he wants a justification for every little thing. I developed recurrent and occasionally fictitious migraines when I was doing fertility treatments. I’m currently looking for a new job. (In justice to my current company they’re actually really great in many ways but this bit reaaaaaally gets me.)

[Anonymous]

“ Feel free to come in on the weekend to work on this.”

[Anonymous]

Manager: “Don't bring up problems, bring me solutions With the problem.”
what is the manger paid to do then ??

[Anonymous]

Anything tied to, including or eluding to the word team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Real Time Off" I'm so glad that you couldn't hack it in your managerial role so now you are our "chief wellness officer". Real time off doesn't exist. My boss wouldn't approve our holiday leave, even as my flight was scheduled to leave (I just left anyway), calls me every weekend when I am doing things with my famiies, insists on "back up" when I ask for a week off then never contacts that person.

Wellness related stuff--unless it is related to free gym memberships and discounted insurance for riding my bike to work and being under my BMI, I don't want to hear about it. My boss is the most toxic person ever, a total mean girl/guy and he is fixated on wellness culture and pretending our government agency is a start up.

Collaborative space--this is just space where people who don't have enough work chat all day about their kids/partners/pets and drink coffee and then pull out their laptops. Same people complain about my work calls in my cube farm

This is all awesome. Chief wellness officer is a crock of shfeces

Collaborative spaces means we don’t have enough workspaces for all the suckers called in to hotel… so share this cool common area with outlets and whiteboards and funky colored walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anything tied to, including or eluding to the word team.

Alluding to.

[Anonymous]

“Get you out of your comfort zone”. No thank you, dick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"We believe in work life balance" while my boss calls me at 7PM and insists I explain what exactly I need PTO for every time I have to block my calendar for an appointment during core business hours. I don't actually want to tell my boss whether my cat is sick or my kids or my teeth. I just want to be able to use my earned PTO to deal with it.

Waaaaait. Your boss is making you explain what you want your pto for? Oh hell to the no! I would have to immediately get off the phone.

Yes, he wants a justification for every little thing. I developed recurrent and occasionally fictitious migraines when I was doing fertility treatments. I’m currently looking for a new job. (In justice to my current company they’re actually really great in many ways but this bit reaaaaaally gets me.)

Huge HR violation. "I have a doctor's appointment" is all you need to say. I actually coach my new colleagues on this point--just tell me you'll need to be out b/c you have a doctor's appointment. I don't need to know what for, I might not want to know, and nobody should ever ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"I/we appreciate you" wtf? Are u gonna give me a milk bone treat and a pat on the head


"Circling back on this" I didn't beat you to death with this very (minor)error that I found. Let's go back at it one more time, but this time with more witnesses copied on the email.

You don’t want to know you’re appreciated? Wondering about your age. Boomer? Older Gen X?

You’d probably like my old boss who said a paycheck is thanks enough and you shouldn’t expect anything else.

Some toxic workplaces will give you accolades, awards, even Starbucks gift cards, but you're way underpaid. I would rather have the paycheck. Millennials need a lot of feedback.

Gift cards are taxable as income.

The ideal situation IMO is a fair, transparent paycheck + sincere expressions of appreciation. Not one or the other.

[Anonymous]

I feel so sorry for you. My office is great. We had a coworker whose husband died very unexpectedly, and let me tell you: we showed up for her. In ways big and small. It really taught me to be grateful for a good team, or even a decent one. I couldn’t work or live like some of you people apparently do. Getting offended when someone asks how your weekend was or where you went on vacation? Yikes. And I mean yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The CEO of our small association likes to say we're family. The lowest paid staff have salaries equal to just 6% of his salary and his bonus is four years of pay for them. Some families treat their members like *hit.

We're a family and families don't talk about money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel so sorry for you. My office is great. We had a coworker whose husband died very unexpectedly, and let me tell you: we showed up for her. In ways big and small. It really taught me to be grateful for a good team, or even a decent one. I couldn’t work or live like some of you people apparently do. Getting offended when someone asks how your weekend was or where you went on vacation? Yikes. And I mean yikes.

Agreed. I’ve had jobs like that, and the difference is no one needs to say “we’re family.” Actions speak louder than words.