"SARAH JAFFE: The short version of this, not to put too fine a point on it, is that a lot of people realized during the pandemic that their boss doesn’t really care if they die. And I say that, and it sounds sort of sarcastic, but it’s also very true."
In early September I had a phone interview (with two guys I knew) for the job I started 4 weeks ago. In late September/early October I was called in for a follow-up, in person interview. This time with only one of those guys. Turns out the other guy died in September. 11 days after our phone interview. I'm sure the group "cared" about the guy but in the end life went on almost w/out skipping a beat. I have become cynical and selfish regarding me, my wife and what I care about. I will give this new gig the apropriate level of effort (they are paying me obviously) but will not go the extra mile. This job shouldn't require the extra mile anyway.
I'm not sure what your point is. Dismal Fact of Life: people die. Some of those people will die during their working career.
Except for a small Ma & Pa sized business, why shouldn't things go on "
almost w/out skipping a beat"? The business has customers, those customers didn't know this guy. They expect their product/service on time. Family members may get time off, but friends/co-workers can grieve and still get their work done.
I don't understand why this would influence how you feel about the level of effort you'll put into this job.
The main point of the transcript is summed up in this quote from it:
Quote: SARAH JAFFE (author of the book being discussed): I think one of the things that is really why I wanted to write this book is that I don’t think that work should provide us meaning because at the end of the day, we are working because we live under a system called capitalism, that requires private profits. And in order to make those profits, you need to exploit workers, which means you need to pay them less than the value they create for you, and this is just sort of very fundamental stuff about how the system works.
So in order for that system to continue, it requires us to all essentially get paid less than we’re worth.
I think the quote is very true, but that last line (IMO), is a bit one-sided.
You need to look at "worth" from both sides. A simple, less personal example: I buy a box of pencils for $10. I know that the store paid less than that, so they can make a profit and stay in business. But I can't make a box of pencils (or even one pencil) for $10. It is "worth" maybe $7 to the store, but it is "worth" $10 to me (or I would not buy them!). But to turn her comment, I paid "more than they were worth". No, not really.
I'm not sure from context if the author was
complaining that people aren't paid what they are 'worth', or just
acknowledging it. But many do complain, and it really is just the way it works. And it's a good thing - many of those workers could not have created the business that hires them, and w/o that, they wouldn't have a job period!
-ERD50
