I didn't have anyone else to tell this to and didn't want to forget.
And this seemed like the appropriate forum.
A few years back I worked for a company that was very closely tied to agriculture. So if Ag was doing good, the company was doing good and if Ag is doing poorly, the company is doing poorly. It was also very Ag like and common to utilize their workforce in a cattle type of way and when times got rough they would cull the herd.
First step was to let go all the temp workers, but attempt to keep them on the line by saying when things pick up they will hire them back.
Second step was to start pulling back hours, less than full time for some and no overtime at all.
Third step was to start dropping days, going to a furloughed 4 day work week. Once I heard it went to 3 but I wasn't there at that time.
Fourth was layoffs.
I started to get radicalized around the time that…
While working at this company I had the unfortunate luck to be in a management position. And we reached the furlough/4 day work week situation. I had to tell my workers (all three of them) that they would all be out one day pay, miss one day of work, and now have to try to get 5 days work done in 4.
During the meeting of managers when this was occurring I happened to say. “So what day am I furloughed/off?” meaning, I worked for the company, company is struggling, when do I do my part? They looked very shocked and offended and let me know that WE don't do that up here in the front office. Meaning, that's only for them, not us.
I apparently misunderstood the assignment. Thinking back now I must have assumed manager = Wilford Brimley from the Natural. Or the other managers I had had at the time that were working managers. IE still in the trenches and connected to the troops. They put you in charge of people, you're supposed to take care of your people.
After that I noticed they were primarily trying to use me to bully the employees for them. I finally got fed up and stepped down a few months later. If they want to harass and holler at someone that I don't think is doing anything wrong, they can do it themselves. Kind of gave up on wanting to be in charge anymore after that.