I understand that not everyone is fortunate to have money saved to be able to have the leeway to leave jobs whenever they feel like it and so forth. But I just feel like people have lost their sense of self-respect when it comes down to employment.
I am a firm believer that if you are working at a toxic place and are being harassed or bullied, to stand up to that behavior and tell them that you’re not going to take their shit, and if they continue you fucking quit and never look back.
I have known people who have not had a savings who have done this in the past and they end up finding a decent job that doesn’t treat them like shit. Do you feel like job Seekers don’t defend themselves anymore?
There can be a strategic long term play when it is valuable for you to “take shit” from an employer.
A perfect example is if you are trying to move up in a career, and your industry requires experience and a specific level of title before you’d be considered by employers you’d prefer to work for. If you don’t have that experience and title, you simple won’t even be considered by the employers you like. However, if there is a shitty employer that will give you the job and title (because they can’t keep staff because they’re shitty and have high turnover), then it may be worth it to “take shit” from the shitty employer for a year or so to gain the experience and ability to put that position on your resume to make yourself eligible for the good employers you like. Another good reason to work for one of these “taking shit” employers when you’re moving up is you can make your mistakes here. Make your mistakes in your new position at a place you hate, so when you go to the place that treats you well, you perform much better because of your knowledge and experience.
Also, I’ve worked for some shitty employers because they pay significantly more than good employers (again because they have to because otherwise they can’t keep staff). This should only be used as a short term play because that toxicity can damage you long term. You don’t want to be a lifer at one of these places, but if you have a goal that requires more money, then working for one of these and “taking shit” from them may be worth it to achieve your personal long term goals.
If you’re career driven, “taking shit” strategically can be valuable. Your co-workers who refuse to “take any shit” will likely continue to have their jobs, but they’ll see themselves passed over for promotions and raises. They’ll watch as you continue to rise in the organization, and see when you’ve learned what you needed and jumped ship to another employer that treats them well where they don’t have to “take shit”. They’ll chalk up their lack of advancement to being unfairly passed over, while you are two to three promotions above them, making more money, having better/more interesting work, and “taking less shit” than them.
I get what you are saying. But I don’t kiss ass
There’s a difference between “taking shit” and “kissing ass”. You’re welcome to believe them the same, but understand that the consequences impact your employ-ability. There’s a whole set of skills about managing workplace boundaries. Its not a binary of “taking shit” all-or-nothing. Its picking your battles and choosing to refuse to do things that would harm you physically or mentally, or those things that are simply annoying or hits to your pride. If you have to maintain your “not taking shit” image because of ego, I can tell you that will likely be very costly to you.
I can tell you from far up the chain (just because I’m older and have been doing this longer) there are zero jobs where you can avoid “taking shit”. It comes in different forms. Right now you’re talking about your direct manager or supervisor it sounds like. The higher up you go it comes from even higher bosses, government agencies, vendors you’re forced to deal with, regulatory auditors, insurance companies, then, paradoxically, employees you manage.
There is no “taking shit”-free job. That only comes when you exit the workforce…which is one of my goals I’m working is to speedrun to earn enough money to do that before age 65 or 67 assuming you’ve saved appropriate to allow you to do that.