39% of workers say they are working 30 hours at their 40-hr jobs.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220329-the-coasting-workers-whove-checked-out-of-their-jobs
In my heart of hearts, I'm a Theory X kinda guy (and not well-suited for today's --or even yesteryear's-- employee management).
Years ago, I told the manager of Lowes that he needed to watch the back alley & loading dock. Every time I drove through, there was one or two hiding in a cranny so they could scroll through their phones. I'd fire the sumbitches on the spot.
A friend who founded and ran a successful business (before he sold it) was on a panel discussion about sustainable business in ski towns. Someone asked how to find good employees, because in his experience, every time there was a powder day, people called in sick.
My friend's response was, "It has been my experience you get the employees you deserve."
So when I see people coasting, my question is why? Are they lazy and would be coasters anywhere? Is it because your working conditions are terrible? Is it because your pay is low and you simply cannot attract non-coasters? If you pay low and treat people like crap, you cannot solve the coasting problem by firing people.
>If you pay low and treat people like crap, you cannot solve the coasting problem by firing people.
Bezos & Musk disagree.
That's true. Constant churn is another strategy.
The point of the Bezos workplace is to create a place where almost no training is required so the consequence of churn is low. As you move into more skilled work, the cost of churn is massive.
The guy building across the street has a stable crew that seems to like him. The guys seem to be always in motion, often yelling jokes, often smiling, moving quickly but never in a hurry. He rented the house next door so his guys don't have to commute. They had to work last weekend to beat the storm, and they brought their kids who probably violated a million OSHA rules while playing around the construction site while the dads worked, but the dads also seemed to be taking (and being allowed) plenty of breaks to spend time with the kids. The speed of construction is breathtaking.
The house up the street that has been under construction for three years and is not close to halfway done. The contractor has a constantly rotating roster marginal workers who he fires constantly and then, because labor is tight, rehires when he needs someone. He is always understaffed. When I walk by, the workers seem to be moving in slow motion, never smiling, never joking around. He just went bankrupt.