BS Jobs - most work is a waste of time

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Anthropologist David Gaeber, in 2013, suggested that around half the jobs done in developed countries are BS jobs, a pointless waste of time, and the economy would be much more efficient if we do away with these jobs, and give these workers universal credit to do nothing instead.

What do you think? AS a teacher, a lot of my job comes under category 4, while being assessed and monitored by a deputy head from category 5 - every school has one!

Here are the pointless waste of time job categories:

1) flunkies, who serve to make their superiors feel important, e.g., receptionists, administrative assistants, door attendants, store greeters, makers of websites whose sites neglect ease of use and speed for looks;

2. goons, who act to intimidate harm or deceive others goons on behalf of their employer, or to prevent other goons from doing so, e.g., lobbyists, corporate lawyers, telemarketers, public relations specialists, community managers;

3. duct tapers, who temporarily fix problems that could be fixed permanently, e.g., programmers repairing code, airline desk staff who calm passengers whose bags do not arrive;

4. box tickers, who create the appearance that something useful is being done when it is not, e.g., survey administrators, in-house magazine journalists, corporate compliance officers, quality service managers;

5. taskmasters, who create extra work for those who do not need it, e.g., middle management, leadership professionals

Some films have aged badly FX wise.
Years ago, there were people who spent hours painting huge matt backdrops for scenes. Now it is all done on computer. With modern technology, we can even "bring back" dead actors.

That list is odd. The thing I find is staff who often moan about "box ticking" or thinking why they need to do xyz in their role because they think its not relevant, often don't realise its there because it's a compliance within law.

Don't get me wrong, some things are just nonsense, but sometimes it's just law compliance.

Yes, that's true. Why bother working if you don't "have" to, and if (even more of) the fruits of your labour will be confiscated from the government to fund the lives of the non-workers? While I do believe that having some sort of job/work to do is better for us than having absolutely nothing, many won't realise that until it's too late, if ever.

I remember my late father, died in the 90’s, telling me that he’d seen an interview with a high-up in a bank. I can’t remember the details now because this was back in the early 80’s. The interviewer asked how much of the business was fat? As in how many employees were completely unnecessary, and the answer was 50%.

The problem is the blanket statements.
one door attendant could do nothing but scroll on a phone all day. The other acts as de facto security, accepts packages, manages maintenance requests, allows elderly or infirm residents to stay in place longer by assisting with carrying in groceries, etc.

one administrative assistant gets tea and answers the phone. Another manages the schedule and complex travel arrangements for a full team of people, makes sure document editing is managed in a timely fashion, and is an expert in grant applications.

I’ve had jobs where I wasn’t really needed except for rare moments, but I was young and cheap to employ so the company paid me to sit around or occasionally do some manufactured work. Most people get some experience and get expensive very quickly and a profitable company can’t afford that inefficiency. They need employees who can contribute and earn their salary.

I do think many jobs could be automated or made much more efficient and be done by fewer people if companies were willing to invest up front. I don’t believe that is what is being discussed here though.

My work has invested heavily in software systems which require a crazy amount of intervention and amendments.An example is our new Flexi system which can't recognise that most of the staff are out on visits during the day.Every absence is a minus and has to be manually calculated and entered on the system.Our team leader has to authorise every absence on a daily basis.

Later on, you'll wonder why job ads specify "Entry Level with 15 years experience" if these 'bullshit' jobs disappear.

The reality is that most people want to live in a society which requires all of this tertiary activity, however much they claim they’d rather the “good old days” before corporations and commercialism and where there was no “box ticking” or “red tape” or “management.” These industries and roles came into existence because there was a requirement for them, through people demanding a particular type of service and lifestyle. The job I do is “manufactured work” in the sense that if we were all subsistence farmers who lived out our days in our own family units there would be no requirement for insurance or pensions or investments or the people who work to make sure they function successfully. But because, oddly, it seems like the majority of people in the world choose not to be subsistence farmers living out their days in their own family units, these are industries which have developed through demand.

This is very interesting. In particular that elements of BS in your job exists to create other BS jobs.... management, ofsted etc.

I had a job that was excruciatingly BS, think reorganising things that didn't need reorganising, to give the illusion of choice to the user. I remember the panic when a computer system failed, and a very senior manager shouted Quick, we need to find a work around before the provider realises they don't need us!!! That's when I realised Ffs this is BS.

I agree. My job is necessary because of capitalism but is actually a bs job.

Fair enough but nobody's making a blockbuster on their 486 PC at home.

Well no, but PP's point was that their own use for a home PC has not changed, therefore people who develop better hardware are redundant.

I'd say that's true. Most people's uses haven't changed that much. Word processing, browsing, watching video. Been the same for years

But that's my point - where is this world where code never needs fixing and bags never get lost? It feels for a lot of these jobs he's revealing his own ignorance. Things always look really easy to fix when you don't understand them.

Any job , at any level in the multi millon pound gambling industry is the biggest BS job ever. The whole industry is BS , producing nothing and bringing misery to so many people .

I think it's a good job David Gaeber isn't an economist!

I think it's simply a sign of the times. It's something we discussed with friends (we're all older). When I started work no computers, well there was one a mainframe which took up a whole building and had 256k of memory and produced lots of paper. We just got on with our jobs and the place ticked over. Then they introduced early pcs with spreadsheets and everyone started analysing data and producing lots of data. We started employing more accountants and office staff to deal with all the data. Most of the data I'm sure was interesting to people but we still had the same production and research teams just lots of new roles analysing what we were doing. Perhaps we're luddites but a lot of the data generated seemed pointless.

Time passes and I doubt we'll reduce the extra work.

I only understand jobs where someone wants something, you make it, and the customer comes to take it away when it's ready. I've always done those jobs and cannot understand anything middle-y manage-y.

I think he's talking BS. I don't think he really understands most of the types of roles he describes.
Which is not to say there are no BS jobs. But it's easy to criticise a job you don't understand.

But if you play the latest games, (or like my ex did... mine for Bitcoin), you need the latest hardware.

Erm, aren't compliance staff usually there to make sure health & safety, anti-corruption and security rules are being followed and making sure you have appropriate evidence for certain accreditations you need to provide certain services/service certain clients? Not sure how they made the list....

I'm a "flunkie" GP receptionist. But my job is absolutely not pointless.

We do so much more than telling the clinicians the patients have arrived.

We open and close the premises, we collect samples from the patients when they bring them in, we get samples sent off to the labs, we call patients to arrange appointments and tests the doctors have asked us to make, we call and reschedule clinics at the drop of a hat if a clinician is ill. We have people calling to tell us loved ones have passed away, take results from hospitals to pass onto clinicians. We also, despite all the hate on social media, answer phones and book appointments for patients.

This job really couldn't be done by computers etc, it does involve a lot of people skills and compassion.

That's true. What a miserable, life-destroying industry it is.

A BS and also unethical job would be performing 'gender-affirming' surgery. World would be a better place if it had never been invented.

Social media influencers, entertainers, media people (especially reality tv people)