As college is simply an extension of high school now, it has become the new high school diploma required for application for even the most mundane of jobs. Want to be a gardener and legally in the United States? You will need to show a horticulture degree. An office clerk should have a communications degree, a ditch digger should have at least an associates degree.
Business has discarded the mechanisms of teaching employees basic skills and instead focuses on narrow education targeted specifically at their job, as too many hours are being spent on sexual discrimination training, racial discrimination training, team building, homosexual acceptance, workplace anger issues, etc, etc, etc.
To the tune of 120 hours a year spent on training not related to a job performance skill, and failure to pass these brain washing courses will result in termination at the next performance review.
Business also has little reason to discard the current system; when they do hire on college graduates, they don’t have to worry much about the employee failing those critical re-education courses, as most often, those graduates could teach them by rote. One friend’s daughter was hired as part of a team of new college hires to replace half the staff at a midwest location.
She looked on in horror as the recently indoctrinated were instructed to immediately report any leftover employees for any speech or actions which could possibly be construed as being against company policies (no, not theft or job performance, they were looking for comments disparaging a guy in a dress.)
One of the more ‘difficult’ tasks assigned to her that utilized her vast college education was to put up posters all around the office declaring the space to be a ‘safe space’ with rainbows, and to politely request the removal of any photos which showed nuclear families (unless they were interracial.)
The afternoon task was to patrol the parking lot looking for any ‘graphics or designs’ on employee cars which might disparage any group, to take photos of those offending bumper stickers and decals. On the list were ‘traditional religious designs excluding minority religions’, ‘non-inclusive political messages’ and of course, the dreaded battle flag.
Offenders were handed a printed reprimand with a photo of the vehicle as well as a photo of the employee, dismissed without pay for the rest of the day, and told to either correct the issue with the vehicle or it would no longer be permitted on property and the employee dismissed for violating company policies.
After 8 weeks, the fresh faced students who learned little of what the company actually does were sent off to fix the next office. She declined the transfer and was dismissed and has since found out that she’s banned from employment with any associated company. Permanently.
That so sad.
But I am not surprised.
I hope these companies go out of business who do things like that. Unfortunately they probably won’t and we’ll all have to get used to lower standards, like employees who can’t speak or write English properly etc. I’ve noticed the decline for years. It’s no longer even remarkable when people send out emails or documents with incorrect grammar, spelling etc.
Seriously? This is not the America I grew up in. Beam me up Scotty.
Her experiences sound like some that I know about with family owned telco.
Catbert’s head would have spun off his body.
I reserve the right to any expression of free speech on the back window of my car. The company can take a flying leap.
I recently got a company car. While there are no enumerated rules, it’s their car so I’ll be circumspect with any stickers. My boss has a campaign sticker for a republican congressional candidate on his car, so that’s my indicator.
The candidate literally saved my boss’ life, so the sticker is a cetainty.
That is absolutely horrifying. This kind of thing is why this country is too far gone to redeem.