Friday, July 1, 2011

The Price for Your Soul in a Bad Economy

If you had a friend who came to you and told you that her husband was mentally and emotionally abusing her, please tell me your response would not be, "Well, at least you have a husband."   It sound pretty ludicrous, right? We've moved past the 1950s mentality of needing to be married so much that we're willing to put up with abuse.  Right?

What about work?  "Well at least you have a job," I was told after telling someone the kind of mental and emotional abuse I was having to deal with at one job.  It was so bad at one point, I would sit in my car sobbing before I went in to work.  At it's worst, I actually considered suicide because I saw no other way out.

Not to downplay the reality of the job situation out there, but do we really deserve to be abused?  People are losing jobs they spent years at only to find jobs making a fraction of what they used to make, putting up with abusive bosses and human resources departments because there is a stack of resumes sitting on someone's desk proving that others might be more willing.

Some unscrupulous bosses and companies are pushing the limit of what people can and are willing to take.  Workers compensation cases and sexual harassment cases are down.  It could be fewer people are employed, or it could be those employed are too afraid to rock the boat.   They are being bullied by the higher ups.   As people fight to keep their jobs and a roof over their heads, they will accept more and more abuse. We qualify it.  "Well, at least I have a job."  Pretty soon we believe what we're told and we lose a little more of our dignity every day.

It took me a whole lot of years to find my self esteem and know that I'm worth more than what others tell me I am.  I will not give that away to anyone.  Least of all an employer who only sees me as a line item on a budget.

I've always been a "power to the people" kind of guy and this is no exception.  When the financial crisis is over and people aren't forced to accept the scraps offered, I hope the American worker rises up and turns the tables.

Corporate America with your over-paid blow-hard CEOs, you're about to get the finger!  Or five.  Bend over.

1 comment:

  1. I have to tell you, this is so well said. Here's my 2 cents :)
    First of all: When I was married to my ex (who was verbally/mentally abusive and oppressive), when I tried to reach out to "friends", I was often treated like I was covered in boils. Granted I never heard "at least you have a husband", but it was basically that, in other words...I even had someone tell me, at least he's not beating you. Yes, at least...I learned people like to judge from the outside on a high pedestal, never taking into consideration what they would do in the same situation!
    2) Assuming you're talking about the mutual job we share: I'm sorry you felt that way. I too was in the same boat. I didn't consider suicide, but I thought long and hard EVERY time I was driving into work about driving into a light pole on my in-law's street (where I dropped Chloe everyday on the way in). I figured "at least I wouldn't have to go in today!" After about a month of that and the crying in the car and the tears on the phone, etc...I went into therapy...for my job! I didn't go to therapy when I went through my divorce, but my job drove me there...And when I complained to "friends" again about the way I felt, I did get the "at least you have a job" bit.
    I'm glad you're out of there, too! It's amazed me how many of our co-workers have been off in the last year because of the stress. That should tell them something.

    In the case you're talking about your another job, just apply this to that. :D

    ReplyDelete