this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2024
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Antiwork

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  1. We're trying to improving working conditions and pay.

  2. We're trying to reduce the numbers of hours a person has to work.

  3. We talk about the end of paid work being mandatory for survival.

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[–] [email protected] 112 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The unannounced inspection visits by top managers were obviously not well received. “You could just tell by the aggression,” Demmler continues. “By having the door slammed shut. By being threatened with the police. By being asked if you don’t have to make an appointment first.”

Jesus christ imagine being this oblivious.

"We harassed workers outside of their work hours and they were mean!"

There will be a lawsuit and it will be hilarious to anyone with the vaguest concept of workers rights

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'm mildly shocked nobody was shot over it. Sick people aren't generally in the clearest state of mind, pissing them off would make things worse

[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 week ago (4 children)

It's Germany. On paper, only 1 in 60 people there own a firearm.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Ohhh shit. Those managers are in for a good time.

Workes court will pull them in little pieces. This shit is so fucking illegal in germany.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The article says it's not illegal? Would hope to fuck there are some basic boundaries by law.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think they framed it as "get well" visits. I think "control visits" without plausible suspicion of fraud would be illegal. There are procedures to do this in Germany.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

If what the article quotes for the CEO and CHRO are accurate those dispel any of that defense I'd think.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago

In most parts of the world people don't sit in their houses with guns fantasizing about murdering people.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

That would definitely explain it lol

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

I'd consider getting one if that was something my employer did.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 1 week ago (1 children)

A hundred workers should go to visit the CEO home...

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 week ago

At midnight. With baseball bats, sledgehammers, and bricks.

Maybe a can of gasoline, too.

[–] [email protected] 62 points 1 week ago (5 children)

As a German, this is so fucking hilarious. No German manager would ever come up with an idea like this. This must be some clueless yanks who think they can import their idiotic "hustle culture" here.

If you have a legitimate suspicion, that your employee is not actually sick, you can hire a private investigator. Otherwise you just shut the fuck up. And if your sick leave ratio is high, you should ask yourself what it is in your company, that makes people sick.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago

Isn’t the very nature of average sick days used by employees something that if the average is 5 then some people may be 8 and others 2?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

If "top managers" have time to do this in the first place, then they're useless.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Most employers wouldn't use a investigator. The normal thing would be to get an assesment from the Medizinische Dienst. But only if they can justify their suspicions, not as a general thing for all sick employees.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

This must be some clueless yanks who think they can import their idiotic "hustle culture" here.

It's Elon. Screw Elon.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I don't know about Germany, but in Denmark (their neighbor to the north), you ask the employee for a statement from the doctor. The employer pays the doctors fee, and there are strict rules about when they can even ask for it.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 week ago

Demmler obviously emphasised that the intention was not to criticise or make demands of the employees – rather, they wanted to find out how people were doing and how they could help.

How about doing that, when they feel better, and are back at work... Did they bring soup and tissues?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That shit is extremely rare over here in Germany, and it will not improve employee satisfaction or their commitment. And you are not bound to open the door anyways or to stay home when you are sick (you can get better at your partners place, no problem) so simply don't open the door when you are sick.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If they tried this in Australia Fairwork would go so far up their arses they'd never come back out. I'm presuming Germany has even more robust worker rights

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We have such robust worker rights, that this is counting as spying on the employee. They were checking if they were actually sick or not.

This is illegal in germany. Anyone suing will have a good time in labor court :3

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

Marvellous. Fuck US work culture. May it die a swift death.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Actually the guideline for what you can do when you are on sick leave is really great here in Germany: do whatever makes you get well.

Meaning if I have a cold I might go to a nice spa, if I am depressed a concert or a festival would definitely be in order.

The idea of mental illness is another thing employers need to get in their brains first.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 week ago (2 children)

If someone came unannounced to my home identifying themselves as the Head of Human Resources, checking in on my sick leave... I'd probably sneeze or have a giant coughing fit right in their face.

"If there's anything you need" -- bud, I need to be left alone to recover.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 week ago

“If there’s anything you need”

"The doctor told me I needed sleep, and you just woke me up, so... I guess I NEED tomorrow off as well."

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

I did this once to my store manager. Dude wanted me IN, no matter how much I told him I'd been throwing up all morning. I managed to drive the 15 minutes into work...and promptly threw up all over his shoes when he started trying to yell at me on the sales floor.

Never had anyone doubt that I was sick again at that job.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 week ago

Reject this American imperialist capitalist bullshit.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Demmler obviously emphasised that the intention was not to criticise or make demands of the employees – rather, they wanted to find out how people were doing and how they could help.

doubt

Toxic work culture, simple as. One needs look no further than the fact that the managers felt it was ok to do this in the first place.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Toxic work culture makes me sick. I might have to take a sick leave

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago

That time should be billed extra

[–] lurch 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Now the company paid the sick leave PLUS the HR person going on a field trip 🤣

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

And I'm sure productivity will be improved afterwards, right...?

/s