I didn't realise how lucky I was and how drastically things were about to change. I took for granted how well I was treated.
When I worked for the Harrow Observer, a local newspaper in North West London, in the late sixties, it was clearly overstaffed and we spent most of the day chattering and fooling around. We would take a good hour for a liquid lunch. We might spend an hour or two of the day writing the odd story. And for that we got a generous salary and equally generous expenses.
From what I can gather, newspapers nowadays are chronically understaffed and journalists have to work their arses off writing one story after another. And salaries and expenses are as low as the owners can get away with.
When I worked for the Economists Bookshop, part of the London School of Economics, in the seventies my workload was so light I had plenty of time to read the Guardian from cover to cover and do more chattering and messing around. We got a rude awakening when Dillons and then Waterstones took over the bookshop in the eighties.
I hear so much now from disgruntled employees who're under constant pressure, who're micromanaged and set unreachable work targets, who're bullied and abused and expected to work when they're ill, who get home exhausted and demoralised, that I'm glad I no longer have to work for a living. I'd simply be unable to cope.
The sooner employees are treated decently again, the sooner we stop reliving the Victorian age, the better.
That's why there are so many people wanting to work from home now if they can. The work place isn't as good as it used to be.
ReplyDeleteMary: I think that's true. You can stay at home and avoid your tyrannical boss.
DeleteSome things have definitely become worse, mostly due to the fact that everyone, no matter their occupation, is ‘on call’ thanks to smartphones. My husband is always working, unless he’s asleep. It’s what is expected.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is much less acceptance of sexual harassment as well as much more diversity these days, so at least that has improved.
Bijoux: Yes, the permanently "on call" requirement is an unhealthy intrusion into people's private and family lives. But agreed, it's good that there's now so much pushback against sexual harassment and discrimination generally.
DeleteWhen there were proper unions even non unionised workplaces followed reasonable working practices...it was the common culture then.
ReplyDeleteCrumbs, I must have come across you in the Economists Bookshop in the seventies as I was often there when working. I can't say that the service was anything but jolly good so you all must have been doing something right.
Helen: Indeed, unions to be much stronger than they are now. When I worked on the Harrow Observer, it was still a closed shop and joining the union was a condition of employment. Glad to hear the service at the Economists Bookshop was so good!
DeleteMy experience with current work places is limited to what I glean from my children and grandchildren. My daughter in the medical field had insane rules under corporate management, but lenient under a privately held clinic. My other daughter works for an old time privately held manufacturing company. It is sensibly and humanely run.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: Corporate management can be pretty oppressive. I had a bit of it myself but survived to tell the tale!
DeleteHmmm, I conclude that this isn't a subject that interests people very much....
ReplyDeleteMy working conditions in the last few years have been rather lovely and I can't relate at all to the non-stop pressure.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, things are pretty quiet and I expect that someone will eventually realise we are overstaffed and then it won't be fun
Kylie: You're very lucky to escape one of the high-pressure jobs. I hope they never realise you're overstaffed!
DeleteI used to enjoy long lunches that went on until home time - I don’t think they’re allowed anymore.
ReplyDeleteSx
Ms Scarlet: I think long lunches went out in the Thatcher era when people were encouraged to work harder and harder and be more "productive".
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