Anyone else fed up of the whole work culture in the UK?

[Dietstartsnextweek34]

Just a number in a large chain, I fully know I'm replaceable. Paid a low ish wage, we all got a £50 bonus recently which was something but generally it's a patronising 'thank you for everything you do!' Email from senior management on triple our salary and a pat on the back.

Compulsory monthly 'wellbeing' check ins with line managers who pretend they care just so they can tick boxes. Same line manager sends out emails telling us all off like children for trivial things like swapping office days, because we cannot be trusted.

3 days a week compulsory in the office where we don't actually speak to anyone in the office, on Teams all day to people who are mostly at home.

I know I'm very fortunate to even have a job let alone to have sick pay and a good pension. But I'm also fed up having to sit in the office in a coat every time because it's freezing, every single minute of our day having to be recorded because of a very small few who take the piss, and so on. Another 30+ years of this.. I know I sound ungrateful, but being able to pay my bills and have a roof over my head should be a minimum?

I'm aware self employed comes with its own limitations, and I am willing to work hard, I'm just fed up with the whole performative office culture. Anyone else just a bit done with it all?

-I don't see any customers face to face
-I make 2 or 3 calls to customers per day
-Compulsory daily teams meetings with team to discuss any changes etc. But we all do different office days and several staff are part time or fully remote for various reasons
-HEOs only have to do 2 office days
-I'm 35 and have worked during and since uni in 2013
-I have no issue with authority, I have issues with performative and pointless exercises and big brother style monitoring

Yep. No one gives a shit about you but you are expected to perform like a good little monkey at all times and say and do whatever today’s correct behaviour is otherwise you will be criticised or penalised. It’s abusive. Once you’ve been through a few restructures and regime changes it becomes clear that no one in charge has a clue what they are doing and couldn’t run a bath never mind a complex organisation that provides services or makes goods. I wouldn’t mind but they will never admit it and will double down and turn it back on anyone that points this out, however professionally.

Sadly it’s an employer’s market at the moment in the uk so opportunities to go and do something different or better are minimal. And uncertainty about the future combined with the high cost of living make it difficult to enjoy the fruits of your labour in the here and now. Maybe we need to go back to the view that work is what puts food on the table and isn’t what gives you a sense of purpose or satisfaction, but it sucks.

Oh, menopause policies..what a load of bullshit. I was sat in a HR meeting being put on a PIP, whilst seeing doctors for problems due to menopause, which were causing the problems at work, with the posters on the wall saying how much they supported women going through menopause. I even asked them if they had read the policies themselves!
I left a month later.

This isn't my work culture. I'd be looking for another role

I could have written this post OP! I’d love to retrain in something more fulfilling but would have to take a pay cut which just isn’t doable with a mortgage and dependents.
So I’ll just keep plodding on and try and fill non-working hours with things that bring me joy and meaning.

Oh gawd. This is all so familiar. Does anyone have ideas for fulfilling work? I’ve already done one failed career change attempt from lecturing/teaching to tech.

I hear you. My late friend from my previous workplace died unexpectedly in recent months. The employer advertised the job before the funeral, which I thought was distasteful.

I’ll never go above and beyond for a job ever again. We are just numbers.

My husband's workplace wanted to show everyone how much they appreciated the hard work they had done during COVID (approx 25% of the employees got stress during COVID), so they gave everyone ..... (Drumroll! Tadaaaa!) : A coupon for a small cup of coffee ☕ in the cafeteria!!!

Sounds like hell and I would leave. There are way nicer places to work with lovely culture.

My company’s menopause policy was unveiled to much fanfare - the only concrete measure in it was to permit a desk fan for Women of a Certain Age. I remember thinking I’d never even considered the possibility that having a desk fan, by anyone for any reason whatsoever, might be a special concession! Underwhelming.

What a smug self-centred approach

Yep. They gave one area a big pay rise and obviously people complained and the directors decided it was jealousy. They say anyone can walk into the jobs on assembly so the general ops dont deserve it like the machinest do (yes, im a machinest but not one who got the money). Anyone can do a job they're trained to do, you can't just turn up at the assembly line not knowing colours, styles, sizes etc but they dont see that. Think everyone has product knowledge... they dont 😂

Curious as to why all these posts saying they love their job and work culture, and that the corporate schlog OP describes is NOT typical for the UK - refuse to say what industry and position they’re in?

From what I’ve been told if you’re not the one feeling like an oppressed underling, chances are you’re the one oppressing the underlings and blissfully benefitting from their silent struggles.

God OP I thought you were working in my old firm because that was exactly how you described it in your post. Performative’initiatives’, proud of fostering a caring and inclusive culture, yadda yadda yadda. Then when it came to pay rises and bonuses you hadn’t done enough outside your role to warrant receiving anything. After my boss complaining to my line manager that the menopause was affecting my work (it wasn’t, I just decided I wasn’t putting up with their rudeness and shit) I retired. Probably wasn’t the right time or the right decision financially thinking back, but I really couldn’t take it any longer.

💯

Not sure what you're trying to say? That because I don't hate my job I'm now in a oppressor role? Or have I misunderstood?

What I was saying is I don't know why OP made it seem like it's only the UK that has these problems - I've worked in awful jobs in different countries, and also good ones in both. So I was questioning why the location was so specific to OP.

I don't work in a rubbish job now. I promise you I don't oppress anyone.

OP I could not agree with you more. It is all complete and utter bullshit.