• The Clubhouse

  • The "I want the paycheck, but don't want to work for it" generation

I work in a production environment with two 20 year old "kids". They were hired to run some machines, lift boxes, move crap, etc. It's manual labor, and it can be boring and monotonous, depending on the day. But maybe I'm from a different day and age, but when I was their age I was hustling when I worked. If someone asked me to do something I did it real fast, and I always worked as hard as I could. I think I still have the same work mentality, but that's a matter of perspective I suppose.

These two "kids" show up late all the time, are on their phones all the time, and complain whenever you ask them to do anything beyond the bare minimum. I think I bring this up today, because we had an afternoon lull where there wasn't anything going on, so management asked them to unload a couple of skids of paper. Now keep in mind that when I say "paper", these are boxes of tabloid paper that weigh about 55 pounds each. It's heavy lifting to say the least. You would have thought the world had come to an end in even asking them to do this.

I am not management, and I don't supervise these "kids" so I have the perspective of "observer". But I just shake my head and shrug my shoulders at a) how little these "kids" want to work, and b) how much management enables the behavior. My management philosophy would be a bit different then what is currently taking place. I have a simple three strikes rule on the tardiness. First time you're late, you get a warning and get to stay and work. 2nd time you are late I tell you so, and tell you to go home and come back tomorrow on time. 3rd time you are late don't even show up, because you are gone. It's not hard to understand, and it weeds out undesirables. But management here let's them get away with it and doesn't really seem to care, so again, I just shrug my shoulders and carry on. Oh, and I wouldn't tolerate the complaining and the laziness on the job. If you complain about being asked to do stuff I'd send you home. You don't want to work, fine, go punch out and go home.

I'd also be hiring a few folks to serve as replacements. These machines aren't rocket science, and I will eventually hire a couple of folks who are A) hungry, and B ) actually want to work. I don't play nice with slackers who think they are entitled to a paycheck without actually putting in the effort.

But I guess this means I'm getting old.

    PIGDivot But management here let's them get away with it and doesn't really seem to care

    This may be the crux of the problem you describe. These young employees might shape up if management did a better job of communicating its requirements and expectations concerning job performance.

      I've learned to take care of myself and my business unless it's my job to take care of others. I feel your pain though. There is no/very little "work ethic" instilled in kids this day and age. It starts at home. Most kids have had shit handed to them their whole life so that's all they know. Blame the parents.

      There is a young generation that seems to feel a sense of entitlement, but it's not everyone.

      We're old school and were taught if you are going to do something do it right and give 100%. Whether it's work or otherwise.
      You're right that the management , or lack thereof , is partially responsible .

      These kids like you describe wont ever get anywhere and will end up be flipping burgers, taking tickets or working as a security guard all their lives.

        Weirfan These kids like you describe wont ever get anywhere and will end up be flipping burgers, taking tickets or working as a security guard all their lives.

        Or become rich, overpaid big wigs in cooperate offices and or companies somewhere. See the former ice cream scooper ie: the president of the United States.

            LBlack14

            With no initiative they won't unless they are the son of the CEO.

            I think BO had some initiative to get where he did

              I'm experiencing the same thing in my work environment, but I can't blame it upon the younger generation, unless you are blaming it upon the younger management generation.

              The crux of the problem is management does not want to hold Anyone, Young or Old, accountable for their actions. It seems that all want to shy away from their responsibilities thinking that the problem will correct itself.

              NO it will not ...

              Get some balls and stand by decision making.

              A job is not a given ... it is a responsibility that needs support of Management, not an attitude from Management that I am a Babysitter and Mommy might call me.

              professor

              Not hardly. The self proclaimed "hard working ice cream scooper". Your BOY. Dude, wake up.

                  PIGDivot

                  This is not unique to your work place.
                  Sometimes I wonder what had happened to our society.

                  Eventually, only the socialist environment would work for the mass of people whom do not want to work for their pay. It's plan and simple, everyone gets the bare minimum and nothing more. If you want better medical care, you'll need to pay for it, if you want a pick up truck, you'll need to work for it.... if you want a chicken on the dinner table, you'll need to work for it.....

                  Not sure if this is the tired generic pool or the way we brought up our kids. I had always point the hard working way to my kids, we pamper them, but we made sure they understand if they want a nice life style, they will have to work hard for it.

                  Life is like a Marathon. if you don't keep up ahead, you'll be left behind.

                  My wife had a story about a heart transplant patient, all was good until his wife got tired of his laziness and abusive behavior towards her and the children ( not a smart man as you could see ), so he got kicked out and divorced from the caregiver ( the wife ). Now he is homeless and lived in a shelter. He kept asking the Doctors and the Social workers to get him back to where he was before. When he was told there is not much they could do beyond the basic care and shelter, he got angry. He made comments like " you guys are not doing enough ".

                  So what ? He's got a fresh heart with second lease on life and out of his own stupidity he is homeless and he wants everyone else to pay for the life style he wants ? People like that don't deserve a second chance, that heart should have gone to another patient.

                    I don't think it's just a generational thing. I run a warehouse and I have a guy who's 56 who does the same thing. He doesn't really complain about having to do work, he just gives minimum effort to get by.

                      Exactly. It isn't a generational thing. Your parents friends said the same things about your friends.

                      Some folks don't move as fast as others as we age. Slow and steady win the race in some instances and haste winds up causing more damage than its' worth. Do it right the 1st time so I don't have to come back and clean up somebody else's mess. Which has happened alot in my day. Sometimes it's about quality and not quantity.

                      I worked with a young guy a couple years ago who would, literally, run doing some jobs and FLY when doing some cut jobs. He was careless and dangerous to be around. Also his haste made for cut jobs that looked like shit, damaged equipment and turf. There's a whole nuther story behind the last statement that caused a big shit storm with me and a Superintendent that I found out later he/ the Super fabricated. The "asst" wants me to come back, but I haven't because the Super is so out of touch with real, on the job, operations and his crew.

                        LBlack14 Some folks don't move as fast as others as we age. Slow and steady win the race in some instances and haste winds up causing more damage than its' worth. Do it right the 1st time so I don't have to come back and clean up somebody else's mess. Which has happened alot in my day. Sometimes it's about quality and not quantity.

                        LOL, if I had a dollar for everytime I heard this line.

                        I've been in this business for 22 years now. I work hard and fast, and my quality is as good or better than anyone else. Sometimes experience is your best teacher too. I guess I've been doing it longer than anyone else, so I know all the shortcuts, and all the tricks to get the job done right the first time, and in the least amount of time. I also know how to multi task too. One day we were extremely busy and I single handedly was running four different printers. Most people can't even handle one. You just have to know what you are doing, and the most efficient way to run it.

                        Sure there are times when I have to slow down to make sure it gets done right, but frankly what I described in my first post to start this thread is being kind. Oh, and I'm the guy who is constantly cleaning up behind everyone else. They throw their crap everywhere, leave food on machines, dump paper on the ground, etc, and I'm the one who cleans it up to make things a little easier to work in. And yeah, I think when you work like a slob it shows in the rest of your life as well. I bet if I went to any of these people's houses they would live just as messy at home as they do at work. Work is just a reflection of your character and how you live your life. I think my work ethic speaks for itself.

                        And on a side note, I'm the guy who will finish a round of golf in two hours or less if given an open course. I don't believe in wasting time in anything I do. There's too much to experience, and too much to want to do to be so slow in life.

                            garyt1957

                            The ME generation started after WWII from the baby boomers and progressively got worse .
                            I admire those whom made it in life themselves but left nothing to their children and grand children except for an opportunity to get higher education.

                            Laziness and procrastination seemed to creep in place after the basic needs are met, that's human nature.
                            However, the younger generation seemed to have this entitlement issue. They believed that they "deserve" the better things in life and should be handed off to them.

                              PIGDivot

                              We're not in the same business obviously and I understand that. Also you don't walk in other's shoes. Not a shot, but a fact. I'm not making excuses for young, healthy, just plain lazy folks, believe me as I've worked with plenty who are exactly what you speak of. I totally agree with your assessment of the reflection in those real lives as well.

                                I think you can go back to ancient Greece and see complaints about the "younger" generation. Around my workplace (university), it seems to be that workers are not held accountable. From my vantage point it's the older workers that barely manage to show up 4 days out of 5 and knock off 30min to an hour early every day.