Company motto's and threats of termination,

[cptaylor38]

It's a psychological thing, the theory being that if you learn the statements you'll be invested in them on a personal level and thus allow them to shape your behaviors at work to encompass those statements - which is the way the workplace has been headed for a good number of years now. The whole culture of "buzzwords" and "constant appraisal" is a real pain in the ass, but ultimately it's not something you're going to "win", ultimately management will generally go along with whatever the higher ups say because of the idiotic notion that the higher ups always know what's best.

Where I work we have "behaviors" - I still don't know after a year what those behaviors are, although it's also fair to say I haven't been pulled up on them yet so there's a fair chance that I do everything I'm supposed to naturally, which I guess is what happens when you're in a field you have extensive experience in! I do have certain aspects of continuous learning which I have to undertake but we are rewarded for such and some of it can actually be done on the job so to speak, but it's one of lifes little sacrifices - and is always better than the unemployment situation! Chances are like most things, unless you're in a high pressure job you're supposed to know these things but ultimately so long as you're doing your job people aren't ever going to ask you "random ass clause 84 from the handbook" - which is probably just as well as my memory is terrible, I'd forget my own name if it wasn't on a ton of cards in my wallet!

But your attitude is kinda poor and is really what if I were you I'd be working on, I get it that you feel you're low paid & don't believe you should be forced to do it, but if you came up to me as a manager with anywhere near that sort of attitude you'd either be changing it quickly or changing your job quickly! The culture of "minimum wage = minimum effort" is honestly some of the worst type of bullshit going & really just makes me wonder how people would have got on in the "bad old days" before minimum wage laws kicked in. It's not about the wage level, it's about the type of person you show yourself to be - if you're willing to put in extra effort, willing to work hard & exhibit drive that does actually flag up, guys who exhibit the mentality of "oh well, that's not my job I aint doing it" aren't first on the list for promotions etc.

My attitude is far from poor, but thanks for assuming.

My view of the slogans is that they are pointless because ALL of the employees, including myself, already incorporate the belief system into our work ethic. It's the unnecessary reciting and memorization of slogans that I find too trivial to be worth company spending or the threat of punishment from management.

I would argue that we all offer exceptional customer service, whether it be ordering something for a customer to trying 6 different discount cards to save them the most money possible on a prescription because they don't have any insurance. We go above and beyond and don't need management threatening our jobs for not taking the time OFF THE CLOCK to remember said slogans.

I think my biggest issue when I started this thread was the fact that we're expected to take time off out of our day when we're not at work to remember these slogans, and because it doesn't involve physical labor people like to pretend that it isn't working off the clock. As far as an employer is concerned, an hourly employee should not be concerned with what that employee does when not in the building. End of discussion. If I walk out of that building, the only thing I need to be concerned about is staying out of any legal trouble and not doing anything that might embarrass the company. Aside from that, it's over until the next time I clock in.

I realize everyone wants to play the, "suck it up, buttercup" card, but the biggest issue is the fact that this is an expectation for the workplace outside of the workplace.

I think it varies on the manager too. You have one manager who specifically allows time for their employees to study and learn the slogans, and another manager that gives you a list of 500 things to do and expects you to get them all done while reserving the slogans until you clock out.

It's also pretty upsetting to think that a corporation would rather enforce a military mindset, forcing its employees to memorize elementary slogans that will be repeatedly changed or revised for no apparent reason, and potentially fire individuals with a spotless work history causing them to have to pay for drug testing for a replacement employee, than simply gauge the employee's understanding of "company policy" by how they perform their job or their interaction with customers.

*Sorry, that sentence might be a bit hard to follow!

Anyway, the reason this is even allowed is because people don't stand up for themselves and let it happen. The unemployment rate is so high and the struggle finding work is so difficult right now that these corporations are allowed to treat their employees however they wish to treat them, lowering wages to the bare minimum, cutting hours, cutting benefits, and raising benefit costs because they know their employee has no other option but to bend over and take it for whatever penny they can get.

Instead of focusing on how uniform we can make our workforce at whatever cost is necessary, why don't we focus less on punishing the workforce and more on improving their work environment and the benefits that come with the job so that they perform to their fullest extent out of pride for their work.

If they then refuse to take pride in their work and have a poor work ethic, then proceed to make whatever changes are necessary.

[wowaccounttom]

sadly rl sucks and over-achievers will always try to make normal people to look bad by taking work home.

This has been done over and over again by so many of those people, that now companies expect a certain amount of effort other than the original job requirements if you want to advance or even keep your job.

Basically... you have to suck up to move up... or in some cases.. just to stay in the same place.

[cptaylor38]

My firm has a mission statement as well that everyone is supposed to know by heart. Ive worked here for 11 years and i couldn't repeat the paragraph if my life depended on it.

Id be willing to put money on the fact that most companies are like mine in this regard: they want you to learn the mission statement, but are unlikely to give two shits about actually testing your memory on the subject. Unless of course you have some ass kisser of a supervisor who is itching to flex his tiny bit of authority. Those types of people are vermin, but unfortunately rather common.

I've heard the threat of getting a write up multiple times being circulated, but this is being labeled the "Year of Accountability" in which the major higher-ups are threatening the managers, which are threatening us.

We do occasionally get tested on it, but I haven't personally been tested on it since this new enforcing.

I just wonder how much the man/woman got paid to think up these little slogans and what his/her job title actually is.

[Captain N]

This isn't surprising - Attend a railroad hiring session and watch what they do to scare the weak out of its ranks. I'm betting this is the same type of thing - The Company likely has no desire to shit can it's decent employees but they also need to set an example for its weaker links. If anyone is feeling exceptionally bored look up the Railroad GCOR Rulebook and keep in mind we're told to remember that thing and all updates that are applied to it and maintain 100% compliance of all operating rules. It's impossble to do but it also covers the companies ass if something goes wrong.

[Eurydemus]

Well, it depends on your industry, I suppose. If you're in service and have to deal with customers face-to-face on a daily basis, I can see why having to memorise some ridiculous slogan might (*might*) be necessary.

But I'd also imagine if you're great at what you do, the higher-ups won't give a rat's ass about whether you can remember five idiotic lines. If they do attempt to fire you for such a stupid reason - and assuming you're not a slacker at work - just bring up the fact that you've been an asset to the company in more tangible ways than regurgitating useless sayings.

And if they still insist on letting you go, then just burn down your office building.