Placing undue stress on something insignificant in a workplace but not letting on to the people you have authority over that the thing in question no actually has bearing on their employment status in terms of promotions or termination, that’s some kind of accepted cruelty right?
People die from stress related illnesses over nothing because of this.
Let’s use my job for example, I’m a compliance manager. I’m in charge of the pieces of decorative cardboard in our store, renamed “POS” to sound more important for the sake of keeping ourselves grounded let’s keep calling it cardboard. Customers obviously don’t base their sales on this cardboard and it’s not built with care as it often falls apart. But head office marks us down on store inspections if this cardboard is missing, they’ll personally insult you for it.
Buuuut… Store inspections don’t actually have any bearing on the stores ability to stay open, only major profit loss does and safety violations. And not having this cardboard up isn’t a fireable offence for someone in my position, not by fair work laws set up in Australia.
I’ve been there too long now and have become disillusioned by all of this but I’ve seen people pushed to the brink over getting in “trouble” over this cardboard during store inspections but their job is still in tact, there’s no actual consequences.
They’re crying at work and developing stomach pains, I’m not above that unfortunately cause try as I might to remind myself what the actual situation is I still feel the anxiety rising over dealing with the boss cause of the cardboard that fell off this particular part of the wall and the cleaner sweeped it up cause it’s dirty cardboard on the floor.
So is this level of manipulating one’s perception of significance torture or straight up brainwashing?