Rod Faulkner

Getting personal for a minute:
If a company describes itself as "a family"

RUN! It's a huge red flag.

I'm 54 and am of the generation told to go to college, land a good job, work your way up "the ladder," and remain until you retire.

I quickly discovered that is capitalist propaganda.

During my 20-year corporate career, I experienced overt and subtle racism, and denial of career advancement opportunities.

I witnessed inexperienced and untrained individuals be hired and promoted due to nepotism. I've witnessed folk sleep their way to being promoted. I've dealt with toxic bosses, inane office politics, and shifty business practices.

Several years before the pandemic, I began working for myself, remotely. BEST decision I've ever made. My intent is to never work in a corporate office again.

Companies do not care about you. Period.

#capitalism #anticapitalist #remotework

May 10, 2024 at 3:00amWeb
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024

Wow, I didn't expect this post to gain the traction it has.

So, please allow me to let you all know about my podcast, EYE ON SCI-FI. It's where I help elevate the wok of indie filmmakers + other creators who work in the speculative space.

Here is my linktree. Please check it out: https://bio.site/eyeonscifi

EYE ON SCI-FI Podcast - Bio Site

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Show threadWTLMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast Hehehe. Went to subscribe to discover I already am. Some days, my attention span … 🤣
Show threadThe Great Llama May 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast
I suspect one of the big reasons so many companies are so hostile to the concept of remote work is that it forces them to judge people based on the quality of their work, rather than any of the other factors they use to discriminate.
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024
@TheGreatLlama Absolutely! It's also about power, and many companies have built office complexes or have leased space that's almost sitting empty. Can't have that. Look at Apple's "spaceship" HQ.
Show threadjoatMay 10, 2024
@TheGreatLlama @eosfpodcast not to mention stupidity. Quality of work is hard to measure, hours spent in office is easy to measure... so of course easy to measure things become the metrics, whether or not they are useful.
Show threadTyler McGeeMay 10, 2024

@eosfpodcast Just ran into this myself - company laid the “family” stuff on THICK…

Was told my team / my role was being impacted by layoffs as I was driving to the airport to fly to MD Anderson to be with my brother’s wife while she died of cancer, something management knew I was doing that morning.

Got a card in the mail after my sister in law passed wishing cool vibes on the death of my wife.

If they say: “we’re a family here”
You say: “we want a union”

Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024
@ty_406 HELLO! THIS!
Show threadKerr Avonsen (she/her)May 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast If it describes itself as a "family" then it wants you to sign your entire life over to it, for you to give fillial piety to it, and to have no other "family" to take your loyalty away from it. It will demand everything of you and give nothing back.
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024
@kerravonsen Exactly!
Show threadKerr Avonsen (she/her)May 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast Companies do not care about you, only individual humans are capable of love. Companies are soulless entities whose sole purpose is to create money for their owners. It takes a very strong group of individuals to retain their ethics under the pressure of all that love-of-money.
Show threadReid Ellis ☑️May 10, 2024
@kerravonsen @eosfpodcast
Show threadlizzzzardMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast let's not forget how many families are dysfunctional. It's not even a good thing if you buy the lie.
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024
@lizzard Great point!
Show threadWyatt (🏳️‍⚧️♀?)May 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast any advice on some things I can do to work for myself?
I'd love to, but I just don't know how to get off the ground.
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024
@wyatt8740 There are so many sources online to help you with that. But I first recommend doing something that fulfills you. Also, find others who are doing what you want to do and reach out to them.
Show threadShoyo_ishigamiMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast
But What can we do???
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024

@Ishigami Last summer gave us a great answer: we workers need to either unionize - or unify and speak with one voice.

There's power in unity.

The visual effects industry is one of the most exploited. Now, they are unionizing.

Employers hate that because they know if we all stood together - no matter the industry or profession, we would have the power. CEOs + shareholders can't run businesses by themselves.

Think about it, the tech industry needed a union.

But with the high pay and prestige of working for Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc. tech workers thought they were exempt from layoffs. Now they know different. NO ONE is exempt.

Workers everywhere that aren't under a union or collective bargaining agreement need to get one. Period.

Show threadAir AdamMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast Couldn't agree more. Your family would never fire you!
Show threadKatLSMay 10, 2024

@eosfpodcast 💯bring the wisdom.🙏

Reagan had us (mostly our parents) brainwashed- then at 19 we learned better.

Show threadDutch InvestorMay 10, 2024

@eosfpodcast

"Don't give your heart and soul to a place that don't give a *** about you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loPPLyG__jY

Your Boss Is Not Your Friend- Self-help Singh

YouTube
Show threadRenkeSiemsMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast The "family":
Show threadsedMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast
Show threadFink May 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast @hypebot Sleeping at work to get promoted? Where can I sign?
Show threadCallalilyMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast
I'm 64 & recently left the company I worked for. I was there 16 years. They always said we were family to us. It's scary looking for work at my age. I found a job, lower pay but hopefully a better fit. I find out today. I'm glad you found something better.
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024
@Callalily Wishing you all the best.
Show threadAlison MeeksMay 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast 63 and can confirm. Work yourself into burnout for them then they throw you away. 20 years ago I said no more and have been working for myself since. My only regret is having spent the years with my biggest energy grinding for companies that gave no Fs about me.
Show threadRod FaulknerMay 10, 2024
@alison Don't regret it. You are living your life more on your own terms, and that's all that matters.
Show threadXantulon  May 10, 2024

@eosfpodcast

Family
Etymology Noun and Adjective

Middle English familie, from Latin familia household (including servants as well as kin of the householder),

**from famulus servant**

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family

Definition of FAMILY

Definition of 'family' by Merriam-Webster

Show threadBoozook 🦀 May 10, 2024
@eosfpodcast Absolutely totally agree with you, I’m jut 40 and more then 10 years I’m working remotely and last 2 is for myself.
Show threadШуроMay 11, 2024

@eosfpodcast Working remotely for yourself isn't available for many many people so they end up working for companies.

However I agree that when employer starts pushing corporate culture of any kind too much it is a red flag. Working for someone is pure business - you provide resource and get compensation. It doesn't have to be completely soulless mechanical exchange and it is nice to be nice but at its core it is business. No one owes anyone anything except their part of the deal.

And when companies start to push these kinds of things it means they just try to slice off some of the price they pay for the human resource. Again not always bad but it should be seen as such. There are no families out here.