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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1 No one should have to say why they want/need to use their vacation or sick time.

[Anonymous]

"We care about your wellbeing."

No, you denied me access to the office for over two years, even masked and vaccinated, and forced to me work from home, completely isolated, while everyone else returned to the office. You only cared about me not getting covid. You couldn't care less about my mental health, which is a huge part of my wellbeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

100%. Anyone taking offense to “how was your weekend” needs to find a new job or a new personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"We care about your wellbeing."

No, you denied me access to the office for over two years, even masked and vaccinated, and forced to me work from home, completely isolated, while everyone else returned to the office. You only cared about me not getting covid. You couldn't care less about my mental health, which is a huge part of my wellbeing.

Could you not go outside into the world on your own time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"We care about your wellbeing."

No, you denied me access to the office for over two years, even masked and vaccinated, and forced to me work from home, completely isolated, while everyone else returned to the office. You only cared about me not getting covid. You couldn't care less about my mental health, which is a huge part of my wellbeing.

Could you not go outside into the world on your own time?

Our only approved telecommuting location is our home, and we moved from the DMV prior to covid to a small town with limited social and recreational opportunities. Add cooking dinner and cleaning after work, and no, I really had little free time and nowhere to go during it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heroes Work Here
Not All Heroes Wear a Cape
- - -

I've worked in six different DMV hospitals since Covid hit the scene in 2020.

Here's a PSA to the general public: if you see a sign out front that says "Heroes Work Here," this means the hospital you've chosen is understaffed

This most definitely means they pay their core (not travel) employees as little as they can get away with and still maintain hospital accreditation .

Your negative experience with that healthcare system -- even the prestige ones -- is a direct result of wage shenanigans that creates understaffing. Proceed with your eyes open

I'm an RN-this is so true. I hate the whole "heroes work here" schtick. Are there any healthcare workers out there who feel validated by this? Hospitals and healthcare organizations in general need to staff appropriately and pay more.

[Anonymous]

We want to make you a Team Lead.

No additional pay.
No actual managerial oversight of the people on the team.
Just extra work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"We care about your wellbeing."

No, you denied me access to the office for over two years, even masked and vaccinated, and forced to me work from home, completely isolated, while everyone else returned to the office. You only cared about me not getting covid. You couldn't care less about my mental health, which is a huge part of my wellbeing.

Could you not go outside into the world on your own time?

Our only approved telecommuting location is our home, and we moved from the DMV prior to covid to a small town with limited social and recreational opportunities. Add cooking dinner and cleaning after work, and no, I really had little free time and nowhere to go during it.

You expect too much from a workplace.
They never care, not even pre-covid. It's just HR talk.
Hate to break this to you. Do what's best for you, even if it's another job.
Can't do that? Then you have to suck it up, like the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting. As something who has a business, what are positive motivators besides pay? Seems like camaraderie and positive reenforcement is out, cannot appreciate the team for doing a good job. Cannot connect over personal conversations. How else would one engage and lead a team?

[Anonymous]

“Wellness”

[Anonymous]

“Keep up your skills” for forcing you to work in a more general area when you were hired for specialist expertise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. As something who has a business, what are positive motivators besides pay? Seems like camaraderie and positive reenforcement is out, cannot appreciate the team for doing a good job. Cannot connect over personal conversations. How else would one engage and lead a team?

pay
being treated like an adult
being treated like your life outside of work matters because the only reason you are coming into work is to have that life outside of work
ensuring that resources- including people- are appropriately implemented
reasonable deadlines
limiting emergencies and overtime
having enough employees for the 3 listed above
limiting toxic workplace
meetings with purpose. you cant have an 8-hour day workload and then be expected to attend 4 hours of meetings if those meetings are not inclusive of your workload.

[Anonymous]

You rock

Here. It’s a painted rock

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. As something who has a business, what are positive motivators besides pay? Seems like camaraderie and positive reenforcement is out, cannot appreciate the team for doing a good job. Cannot connect over personal conversations. How else would one engage and lead a team?

I think most of the problems that people have is that all of these "motivators" are often in lieu of pay. So, that's great you think I'm doing a good job and you're giving me a certificate but how can I take that seriously when you give me a 1% raise?

[Anonymous]

Used to work for one of those consulting companies that would win annually the best company for mom’s to work at. They asked me to be interviewed one year for it, and I told them I had deep issues with lying. They never asked me again, but kept winning that award.