Antiwork

How do companies think people really get by on some of the wages they offer? Every day I open job search page, and thanks to the algorithm, I see the same bullshit pay, and worse. Stuff like “Paid vacation after first year.” Looking at that right now. Heaven forbid I might need or WANT a day off within the first year, as human beings do. Heaven forbid I allow my humanity out. So many places with ZERO benefits, or only offering contract positions. A place recently tried to make contract employment sound positive because it would be “more in my paycheck!” They neglected to mention how much I would need to set aside from that paycheck to make up for the tax liability they've passed on to me. No social safety nets. No way to afford the marketplace healthcare premium, and not qualifying for any subsidies. Yes, yes, I have…

So, I've been looking for my next work for quite a while. I've noticed two trends,which can be summarized by the last two interviews I had (a and b). In both cases, both companies were really excited to have me (in their words), that I'd be a perfect fit etc etc. In the end, I went for offer c. I emailed the associates who had interviewed me to let them know I was extrenely grateful, but I went for offer c in the end because it was most in line with my interests. I'm in research, so I said I'd love to keep in contact nonetheless regarding future collaborations. Company a's manager phoned me up, congratulated me and was genuinely happy for me. They even said it was the right choice and that they would like to collaborate in the future. Company b, went from being extremely nice even before…

Yep. So Ive tried being a chef / manager twice now, and it never works out. Im competent, good at what I do, and I care about my people but… The immediate burn out is incredible. The first time it took a year, I tried to unionize my folks but it didnt work out and I left. Next job was a much smaller kitchen, and our chef left due to being overworked, and under paid. The owners said they wanted to change things and put less pressure on those in charge, so I accepted it… Fuckin 46k a year! My god! Thats… So much money to me, and yet it really, really isnt a lot of money. But, within the week I immediately fell back into the ol' anxiety whirlpool. I thought maybe it would pass… But it got worse and worse, until I was dissociating, having horrible intrusive thoughts…

Ask me what I’d do with my time if I weren’t working: I’d sing, dance, and choreograph Write poems, short stories, and raps Travel across seas Educate myself perpetually Take up kick boxing or maybe karate I’d stream and run games with speed That’s speedrunning, challenging the will to exceed Past the point of your highest achievement Get so many motherfuckin PB’s That’s personal best, then I’d rest After I put my skills to the test and I’d Volunteer, create, obliterate this notion that this nation is capable of nothing but slaving Productivity ain’t shit if you don’t have the fuckin motivation The rich get richer as I grab my pitch fork Say goodbye to the old times when corruption is at an all-time high And our basic fuckin needs are denied Think-tanks of psychologist using all of us Consumerism instead of setting us up to become our best If…

Over the past few weeks I have been putting in overtime voluntarily, partly because I wanted work done but partly because I wanted to see if my new manager would be greedy about it. Yesterday he asked me if I could come in early. I simply said “no.” His response was “Well I am going to need a better answer than no, why cant you do it?” “I am going to need a better answer than no.” He said that sentence to me without any hint of irony, jokingness, or insincerity. He said that as a full sentence expected to be taken seriously. I doubled down and just kept saying no. Kept telling him I have plans. When he asked what my plans were I told him that its none of his concern. I told him that there are only 8 hours in a day and that I could do…

So why aren’t wages fluid as well? We’re now working for less!