this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2024
180 points (100.0% liked)

Antiwork

8271 readers
1 users here now

  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.

Partnerships:

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
top 33 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 112 points 1 month 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 month ago* (last edited 1 month 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 month ago (4 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month 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 month 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 month 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 month ago

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

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month 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 month ago

That would definitely explain it lol

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maybe a can of gasoline, too.

[–] [email protected] 62 points 1 month 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 month 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 month ago

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

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

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

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

Reject this American imperialist capitalist bullshit.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month 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 month ago

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

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

That time should be billed extra

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

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

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

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

/s