The Increasing Desire to "Get Fired and Collect Unemployment"

I was in Casper, Wyoming.  And it was not just me, but no less than a full quarter of the staff that confessed they hated their jobs so much they were hoping to get fired so they could collect unemployment.

And those were only the people who confessed.

I thought it was just the galactically craptasticness of the bank I worked for, but in hindsight and retrospect, I'm starting to realize that employment in America has been become so damaging to one's psychology, so hostile to a sane brain, that the "shame" that comes with getting fired has become moot.  So bad has your average job become that people, particularly the youth, don't give a damn any more and the "shame" that was employed by elder generations no longer works.

Nobody cares about having the "perfect resume."

Nobody cares about "having a gap in their employment."

Nobody cares about "getting a good reference."

No, the situation has become so bad most youth (and not so young) are throwing in the towel, admitting there is no "career" to be had and are now BEGGING TO GET FIRED SO THEY CAN COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT.

Of course to the corporate gray-haired automotons with perked lips and chaffed knees who somehow managed to thrive in this vile environment and now head up corporate America, they cannot understand this.  They were accustomed to having desperate youth beg and plead for just the opportunity to prove themselves that unpaid internships came into existence.  They were accustomed to be able to have youth do the most belittling and berating of tasks because they needed the money.  They were perhaps even enjoying creating a work environment where sanity, production, logic, and effort had no bearing on success and got their kicks out of making younger people dance and jump through hoops as they arbitrarily replaced logic with ass-kissing rules.  But now with more and more people begging to get fired, there is a sea change afoot.

Of course, people have always wanted to quit their jobs, but had to stick with it at least to pay the bills.  But there are two things that are making this a reality - forced frugal living and no hope for a future.  After 5 years of debt forgivingness, personal bankruptcies, and minimalizing forced on them by recession, there are by my estimation millions of people from 18-45 who have scaled down and can get by on a lot less.  Also, with no real hope in sight after 5 years, most people have given up hope and no longer desire to obey in the vain hopes they are rewarded with a promotion or high-paying career.  they know it's a scam.  No, most are in it to get paid and that's it.  Corproate loyalty is dead.

Sadly, for HR directors and bosses, this means the leverage or power they once held is completely gone (or at least dimishing rather quickly).  With a generation burnt out and jaded so quickly and so early, they have already given up hope and don't care to try to "excel" in their career, leaving employers and HR reps no power or strings to pull.  You can't get "Bob" to come in on the weekend because he doesn't believe his future is with your company, he doesn't believe there is any chance you'll treat him fairly, and he just as soon get fired because he hates you and the job so much.  Besides, if he does go on the dole it's all those middle, senior and executive type people who pay the 50% tax rate to support his unemployment.  And beyond that, he's been trained the past 5 years to get by on unreliable and minimal income.  He doesn't need a job, just a small unemployment check.  And most employers have not made the marginal income difference between the two worth suffering the psychotic inanities of the corporate world.

No, it will be a very interesting labor market in the next 10 years.  Millions of unemployed youth, all with college degrees, and a spoiled corporate sector that thinks it can get away with abusing applicants by forcing them to talk to legions of 25 year old HR ditzes asking about favorite colors.  Only to find out those youth are even more arrogant and entitled than the HR ditz and (since they never had any hope in the future) decide they only want to get fired so they can collect unemployment.

Congratulations corporate America and older generations, you've completely disincentived the younger generations to the point you can no longer take advantage of them.

We all just ask you senior, upper and executive management types work extra hard to pay the taxes to support us as we loaf around.

And before you get upset about those "darned kids" living off of the dole and not taking life serious, just ask yourself who you were expecting to finance your social security and medicare...or...well...I mean, who did you think was going to pay for it because...um...well..without jobs those youth just won't be able to pay the taxes to pay for it.

Enjoy the decline!