Vultures With Tiny Brains Who Know How To Play The Game Usually Prevail

Nothing drives me more to uncontrollable laughter than companies who claim to care for their workers only to treat them unfairly on a consistent basis when they're workers need them most.

My former employer is one of those companies - a financial institution that's always at the top of 'Best place to work for" list in Canada. It's all in how you set the criteria that determines your ranking I suppose.

Yes, to be fair, on some level if it is. A generous health plan, a relatively decent shot at a long career and decent pay are aspects of the company most people would jump at.

If we'd leave it at that all would be swell.

Where it gets all screwed up is when it believes its own propaganda. It's always a battle between what is and what ought to be, right?

I've always been skeptical of the "we care about your career and personal development" crap and I think most people are realistic enough to understand it's a business first.

Nonetheless, too often I've witnessed morons and characters of dubious distinction get promoted. Most have barely enough ability or credibility to lift "morale." The best they can come up with is "raw, raw, raw" stuff no self-respecting professional with a strong intellectual stance should go for. There are other ways to earn loyalty and respect. How to achieve this is not the point of this post.

I've watched petty minds destroy the self-esteem of fellow workers and not get disciplined for their destructive behavior. For no apparent reason, besides being drunk on power, some pick on a worker and just psychologically bludgeon them. Needless to say, the effect on an office is corrosive.

I've witnessed good people be unfairly be accused in a game of inter-office politics. When they sought support from "upstairs" they were ignored and fed to the wolves. I'll never, ever forget how the bank fed one of its own children to the wolves during a serious RCMP investigation. The person accused was innocent (and was proven so) but he was asked to leave anyway. His view of his company shattered. Worse, the excuse provided to the rest of us was lame and despicable

Upper management is busy protecting its own ass. If that means flinging a loyal, productive worker into thin air and shooting it in the eyes so be it. Believe that "ends justify the means" is an outmoded concept is plan naive.

Too often, a worker that's straddled with an asshole manager is stuck. They can't go above to voice concern lest they be seen as a troublemaker. You can have a long, proven track record of honesty, integrity and good sales numbers and they'll still spit on you if it means affecting their own personal sphere.

The "system" of promotion and merit is only as strong as the people who have the power to make such decisions.

I'm not convinced, despite impressive profits, the people governing such a place are all that impressive.

They know how to meet their quarterly objectives (honestly or otherwise) but in the halls of enhancing the overall health of their fellow workers they are failures.

That's why they should spare me the bull shit about caring. They don't.