To be fed up with the lazy graduates I work with....

[H0bnob]

And I say this as an early 20s recent graduate myself! So many young people both in my immediate team and within my department seem to have such a shocking attitude to work I'm finding it really grating. Most of these people have just finished there degree/masters and have never had to work before now and the attitude it just shocking!

To add to this, everyone seems to have anxiety and depression to some degree. I am absolutely NOT dismissing mental health issues and having lived with several i know how debilitating they can be....but to use it as an excuse to get out of everything is just taking the piss....being too lazy to do your job is not the same thing as being depressed, grow up for Christ's sake and take some responsibility.

One of my colleagues (same age as me) has had almost 20 sick days in the last 6 months for mental health...and yet goes out drinking and taking drugs every weekend without failure. When said colleague is in they also do nothing but sit on their phone and complain about being bored and tired. My managers seem reluctant to do anything too with the worry of accidental discrimination and so the rest of us are forced to continuously pick up the slack. Its really doing my head in now, am I being hugely intolerant?? Fully prepared to be told I I as obviously you never know what's going on behind the scenes but christ this is relentless! Apologies this has turned into a proper rant im just so frustrated by society at the minute.

Having moved from office work (sales/project management) to the construction sector, I have to say I’ve seen a lot more of it in the former. It’s easier to get carried by a team, especially when people aren’t always aware of exactly who did what. I’ve worked with people who thought they ‘worked smart rather than worked hard’ who were actually always just passing the buck and were good at blagging it and saying the right things in meetings. Some managed go get away with it whilst others ended up with a bad reputation.

It’s much easier with hands on site work. If somebody is meant to be jumping in a grab truck and moving a huge pile of earth it’s pretty easy to tell if they’re getting on with it or fucking around. I daresay that our European staff tend to have a better work ethic than a lot of the English lads, but that’s just my experience.

One of my kids is a recent graduate and works in a financial company where some other young graduates are lazy. There biggest issue is with her managers who constantly reward the hard working grads by continually giving them all the work to do because they are too lazy or too busy to manage the lazy grads. You would think any responsible manager would be able to work out that it’s not right if some grads are clocking off at 5 every day while others are working until 9 or 10 at night.

My daughter doesn’t want to complain or whinge about her work but I think it’s a bit shit of the management to take advantage of her willingness to take up the slack.

Ooh look, another “young people are shit” thread. Seems to be the season for them.

By far, the largest group of people who are lazy and workshy in our organisation are older men.

All the people I’ve ever known having time off for mental health issues, they have also been older men. And I’m glad they felt able to do so.

@DontBeCatty

One of my kids is a recent graduate and works in a financial company where some other young graduates are lazy. There biggest issue is with her managers who constantly reward the hard working grads by continually giving them all the work to do because they are too lazy or too busy to manage the lazy grads. You would think any responsible manager would be able to work out that it’s not right if some grads are clocking off at 5 every day while others are working until 9 or 10 at night. My daughter doesn’t want to complain or whinge about her work but I think it’s a bit shit of the management to take advantage of her willingness to take up the slack.

I’ve had the same problem whereby I was getting more work because I was finishing it by staying late. The planners work on a shift so they knew they’d always be home by 17:30 but I was doing 12-13 hour days. Put my foot down in the end and later realised that I’d actually been less well regarded before because people thought I was a mug.

@DontBeCatty

One of my kids is a recent graduate and works in a financial company where some other young graduates are lazy. There biggest issue is with her managers who constantly reward the hard working grads by continually giving them all the work to do because they are too lazy or too busy to manage the lazy grads. You would think any responsible manager would be able to work out that it’s not right if some grads are clocking off at 5 every day while others are working until 9 or 10 at night. My daughter doesn’t want to complain or whinge about her work but I think it’s a bit shit of the management to take advantage of her willingness to take up the slack.

This is exactly why I don't work hard (also I hate my job). In many companies I've worked at, the keen people who work late get "rewarded" by being piled with more and more work, and no promotion. The company knows they'll just shut up and do it and therefore take advantage of them.

@Babybooboodedoo

What a load of rubbish about people in the public sector working less than private sector.

Yes indeed. A graduate-bashing AND public-sector bashing thread. Excellent. Because graduates are all lazy, entitled commitment-phones, and public sector workers fall asleep at their desks, do fuck all and wear the same clothes every day because they’re both incompetent and lazy. They are also overpaid bureaucrats the lot of them.

I work for the public sector, in Social Care. And I’m a graduate. I have seen so much breakage in this profession it’s unreal. I’ve seen team managers burst into tears, known a colleague who committed suicide (children's directorate) & all of us in my team go way above the call of duty to help & protect the most vulnerable people in our society.

Please be more considerate.

I think it's a shame that some people on here seem to be so dismissive about depression and anxiety. Just because you feel that it's not serious and people are exaggerating it, that doesn't make it so. I've lost count of the number of times I've supported people in my volunteering where they have said that they have not been listened to and understood. Easier to minimise then really try to help someone. I've been on the receiving end of support myself from mental health teams in the past and it's been completely useless. Told to have a bath and then all problems will go away. Some people just go into mental health professions on a power trip. Giving glib advice is easy, giving people time and space and properly listening is much more difficult.

All the people I’ve ever known having time off for mental health issues, they have also been older men. And I’m glad they felt able to do so.

Probably because with previous generations the man was usually the main earner and had the pressure of supporting the family. It’s good imo that women have stepped up in recent years.

I work in a large bank and all the graduates I've crossed paths with have been outstanding, proper strivers who want to get on. The last 3 finance places I've worked have been similar(contractor so move a lot).

But several middle management permanent staff are teeth sucking, woe is me, workshy, make everything difficult for everyone annoyances.

Why are there so many shit managers?

[quote CaveWoman1]@Babybooboodedoo

What a load of rubbish about people in the public sector working less than private sector.

Yes indeed. A graduate-bashing AND public-sector bashing thread. Excellent. Because graduates are all lazy, entitled commitment-phones, and public sector workers fall asleep at their desks, do fuck all and wear the same clothes every day because they’re both incompetent and lazy. They are also overpaid bureaucrats the lot of them.

I work for the public sector, in Social Care. And I’m a graduate. I have seen so much breakage in this profession it’s unreal. I’ve seen team managers burst into tears, known a colleague who committed suicide (children's directorate) & all of us in my team go way above the call of duty to help & protect the most vulnerable people in our society.

Please be more considerate.[/quote]
This isn't a public sector bashing thread. Apologies if it seems it has gone that. Myself and my whole family are all public sector workers...this was not my intention

[quote H0bnob]@BlushingBrightly

I dont have an issue with people disagreeing. I have an issue with people attacking me for something that has absolutely nothing to do with this thread in order to make me look bad[/quote]
By calling someone a patronising old cow you don’t need anyone else to make you look bad. You claim grammar isn’t important because you have a science degree and job. The comment was about spelling which I would think is very important in science.
Your inability to take a mild comment suggests you’re not a very nice person to work with.

@skodadoda thank you for your opinion

Young people sometimes tend to think they know it all IMO, but when I was starting out most still seemed to be fairly humble when in work environments etc or working with older more experienced colleagues. I definitely notice that a lot more seem entitled nowadays and wonder if social media is part of this.

For example, I was reading a thread on student room about expected salaries and it was jaw dropping. Loads were saying they expected to be on £45k within a year or two of graduating and wouldn’t be happy on anything less than £80k by 30yo etc. There were a few clued up posters but I couldn’t help thinking that a lot of them were in for a big surprise.

@skodadoda Just to clarify too...I do think spelling and grammar are important, just not on an anonymous chat thread. I of course take more care at work.

I don’t doubt it’s true and is definitely a management issue. On the other hand I feel I need to balance this thread out a bit by saying I work with a lot of recent grads, we currently have one on our team with whom I work closely. They have all been lovely and so hard working so I wouldn’t want to generalise.

OP posting on Mumsnet during work hours is complaining about others also not working during work hours.

And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

@EightWheelGirl ha ha ha. If only. 80k by 30 . Only for the few!

YANBU but this isn't just graduates. You're probably just having your eyes opened to the working world. E.g. in my sector the lazy ones with lots of ishooos are all over 35.

[quote CaveWoman1]@Babybooboodedoo

What a load of rubbish about people in the public sector working less than private sector.

Yes indeed. A graduate-bashing AND public-sector bashing thread. Excellent. Because graduates are all lazy, entitled commitment-phones, and public sector workers fall asleep at their desks, do fuck all and wear the same clothes every day because they’re both incompetent and lazy. They are also overpaid bureaucrats the lot of them.

I work for the public sector, in Social Care. And I’m a graduate. I have seen so much breakage in this profession it’s unreal. I’ve seen team managers burst into tears, known a colleague who committed suicide (children's directorate) & all of us in my team go way above the call of duty to help & protect the most vulnerable people in our society.

Please be more considerate.[/quote]
The OP was scrupulous in saying her remarks were about graduates in her work, not generalising, so not bashing, and has been back to say her intention was not to hang public service out to dry.

@KerryWeaver

OP posting on Mumsnet during work hours is complaining about others also not working during work hours.

And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

Not at all. I am on annual leave for a few days over my birthday, I think it's totally fine tbh, how about you?

I'm not sure what you expect when schools are supposed to ram mental health & wellbeing down students' throats. It's what Ofsted want to see. What I personally want to see is young people being told that lots of anxiety is entirely normal, especially for someone their age, with the life changes they are experiencing. Too many students are feeling normal everyday anxiety about exam stress or workload and then putting themselves in the bracket of having "mental health issues". In my view schools aren't making clear the distinction very clear. It needs looking at.

In many schools there is also a lack of push to encourage resilience.
The focus should be on equipping young people with a can do attitude, despite their fears about their exams, COVID etc. I do fear that we are mollycoddling young people and protecting them from the harsh realities of life. Yes, this generation does have it tougher than their parents' generation when it comes to affordable housing, job availability, and now COVID, but it doesn't mean they won't or can't cope with it.

By putting mental health issues in the public spotlight SO MUCH, to the extent that it's everywhere you look, it kind of becomes a real focus of a young person's viewpoint on life. They can't see anything beyond how they are feeling at any one moment.

Of course, you're not supposed to say anything along these lines - what a terrible person I would be if I did yadda yadda. It's veering on woke. But I bet LOADS of people think it in work situations. While we carry on carrying the can and the workload of others who are just not trying hard enough.

change your job op, you dont like your graduate colleagues evidently.

H0bnob Tue 30-Nov-21 20:19:54

Not at all. I am on annual leave for a few days over my birthday, I think it's totally fine tbh, how about you?

Well, if you say so.

Of course YADNBU. The best piece of advice you can give them is to point out that it pretty much only ever matters what you have achieved in the last 2-3 years. That degree will be looking like ancient history very soon and they will be judged on their performance and compared to their peers from now on. If you want to succeed, you actually have to be better than your peers. More reliant, imaginative, dedicated, accurate, focused, better soft skills, the whole shebang. There are no shortcuts to that - just deliver and stop whinging. Or be mediocre if you want, but then it will be reflected your career growth. Up to them, their future is in their hands.

the lazy older lady in my office is not given extra work, the younger hard working lady is given the work, because the lazy older lady just cannot be bothered