Wednesday, December 20, 2006

The wonders of inexhaustible cheap labor

Office SpaceMy daughter's boyfriend has a seasonal job at a Toys 'R Us. I am constantly amazed to see how this employer, along with others, looks at seasonal help in much the same way as the Pharaohs looked at the slave labor building the pyramids.

This young guy, normally a mild-mannered, considerate and hard-working kid, is made to work until 10:58 PM each day because labor laws prevent Toys 'R Us from keeping him until 11. He's been sick a couple times, mostly from being overworked, and the store manager doesn't like him taking off to be sick. Finally his father called in and told the manager the kid was sick, so deal.

What the seasonal employers don't seem to understand is that the big crowds that come in for the holidays -- the reason for the extra young people the stores hire -- require the stores to put on a good face, just as much as they do the rest of the year. If the kids are worn out from overwork, or treated like chattel as they so often are, then the kids will respond with surliness, even to customers, and will sometimes look for ways to get out of having to work at all, never mind their going the extra mile for customers who need the extra help.

I know this to be true, because I see, even in a good high school, that young people will only go the extra mile when they are inspired. And why should they be any different from the rest of us? Remember what Ron Livingston said in Office Space:
So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.
The young people see they are nothing more than replaceable parts; so this affects their attitudes not only about their jobs, but about everywhere else where there is someone in authority over them. It's not true for everyone, but it is for enough of them that even someone as thick as me can see it.

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posted by Ron @ 11:07 PM 0 comments