Category: Antiwork

Title. (tw mentions of suicidality) My experience: I've been dealing with chronic suicidal thoughts ever since I was a child, and I'm currently relapsing pretty fucking hard. Two weeks ago though, I got a diagnosis of COVID and I was in literally a world of pain. I couldn't breath, I had a fever, my head was pounding, I vomited blood I think. It was fucking wild and honestly like I came this close to get hospitalized. But I remember thinking: that's nice I don't have to go to work. And for once in my life, I was free of suicidal thoughts. I didn't have any. I have some feelings of death ideation like oh yeah I could die from this, this is nice, but…. I wasn't suicidal. I came back to work today, and I was struck, and I mean hit by a truck, with suicidal thoughts. For three hours…

I (29m) was called in HR, they said they wanted to ask me some questions. They told me they're having trouble both hiring people under 30, and if they do hire them, they leave before 1 year. This was one of my favorite meetings I've ever had. Constantly just reiterating that the younger generations have higher costs and lower wages than when the “leadership team” was our age. I don't understand what there isn't to understand on their part. People don't work at your company because they find a better opportunity. At the end of this meeting I basically laid it out that they need to either reduce hours while keeping the same annual earnings, or just pay more. I floated the 4 day work week and a 5 day 6 hour work week. Ultimately, I think they'll just ignore everything anyone says, and continue to say they don't understand…

Work as a choice makes perfect sense… a system or society where basic needs are covered by guaranteed min. income. We all know, and it can be proven, that most people LOVE working. We're not anti-work, we're anti meaningless, dehumanizing, non-livable wage work. How is the idea of work as a choice so despised and demonized? It would make society healthier.