I’m a product of immigration—specifically Italian immigrants. Both my mother and father found their way to the US, then found each other, and then I entered the world (and the workforce). When I think about the achievements our “first-gen” family has had, it is pretty impressive—I have a cousin who is a doctor and served in the military, a brother who is a successful entrepreneur, another cousin who is a senior executive… on and on, my family members embody the opportunities that exist in this country we call The United States of America. But as I look back objectively, I can also see a system that takes away career opportunities nearly as rapidly as it provides them.
The company giveth, and the company taketh away
In college and my early career years, I witnessed all three of my uncles get chewed up and spit out of our corporate system, all for the infraction of staying with the company for decades until they hit their mid-fifties. Two of them had made it to the VP level—an accomplishment that, when taken into context that they had grown up in poverty, remains nothing short of miraculous. Both of them, within a short time of each other, however, were thanked for their years of service, dedication, and loyalty and promptly shown the door.
My third uncle’s fate was different, but I’m unsure how much better. He clung to his job and often told stories about how his company tried and tried to get him to quit. He never did—but it was cancer that got him before a layoff could, and he never made it to retirement age. These memories have stuck with me through the years, even though I was too young to appreciate them fully. And it was at the age of 49 that I got to experience some of these dynamics firsthand.
I’ve only been laid off once in my entire career, and at 49, within the context of a global pandemic—some might call that an accomplishment. I call it my wake-up moment. Like many corporate citizens, I also wanted to think of my places of work and colleagues as “family”—after all, we often spend more time with our colleagues than our actual families.
This is the American way… and now, companies want to end the remote work revolution—and they are in a position to do it—but as soon as the job market puts more leverage in the hands of employees, the power may shift back. But then again… AI. So, who knows?
The Transactional Workplace
The pandemic wasn’t only a wake-up call for me—it has affected everyone differently. For many working segments, like working moms, for example, it has influenced their relationships with work and life and the fragile balance between the two. Commuters who became free from a five-day-a-week commute never want to return to that lifestyle, but the employers do. They have real estate investments to justify, and the old way of work suited many of them better.
Some employers seem to want it all. They want employees in the office as much as possible, especially in the US, and unless you are a senior executive, you’re working pretty much in an employment-at-will situation. If the company needs to “right-size,”—they can do it reasonably quickly. Your workplace isn’t your family—if it were, it would cost them so much more to separate from you, just as it does in a divorce.
No, a business is a transactional venture even if it has every veneer of feeling like it is more. All of that is by design—it keeps people motivated, feeds off their sense of purpose, and generates maximum productivity for the company. The myth of family is powerful and effective. One of the things I always remind junior employees especially, who always seem willing to bring an issue to HR:
HR isn’t here to protect you. It’s here to protect the company
I say the workplace of the future is going to become more transactional because, increasingly, the employee/employer value exchange is becoming imbalanced, often in the favor of the employer. Here are a few ways that the rank-and-file employee is losing value:
Always On Technology (And Expectations):
Ever since the workers agreed to put a smartphone in their pockets, the employer has benefitted from workers who have a tendency to work around the clock.
New Productivity Tools:
Keeping up with the latest tech and tools does give a worker more job security but doesn’t protect them from layoffs—it does, however, make the employee more productive, which is beneficial for the company.
In-Office Perks:
In-office gyms and kitchens seem like amazing perks but actually function to keep employees in the office for longer hours.
Modern Office Design:
Many office spaces have been reduced to picnic table-style rows of workstations that are entirely incompatible with video conferences, which, ironically, workers who now come into the office—find themselves doing. Also, conference rooms are nearly. Impossible to book.
An Opportunity For “Different” Employers
In short, many companies want employees all-in; they want your dedication—they’ll take as much of you as you are willing to give, and they want you in their office space, at minimum, for three days a week but preferably five. In return, employees get healthcare and, if lucky—generous salaries. The most fortunate employees get equity and can build legitimate wealth, but these are often senior executives who support and enforce employer policy.
In retrospect, my uncles, who were laid off in their mid-fifties, seemingly got a raw deal, but it wasn’t so bad when you take in the big picture. Factor in that they all bought homes and sent their kids to college when it was a ridiculous fraction of today’s costs, and even more of my sympathies go out toward today’s GenXers, millennials, and even GenZers—who by the time they hit their fifties will likely have even fewer options. Indeed, employees treating employment as transactional may become a great equalizer if employers prioritize profit over everything else.
All that said, I think there is a massive opportunity for employers who approach things differently…
Many employees do look for deeper meaning in their work, and if they find that rare employer who is willing to trust their employees, treat them like the most valuable asset they have, and protect that asset at all costs—then the future of work does not have to be transactional and in the long run, this benefits both employee, employer and most importantly—society.