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It is my belief that we are seeing the beginning of a new era that will eventually be comparable to the transformations that took place at the beginning of the 1980s. At that time, society fundamen-tally changed the way it worked and the way it thought about work, the way companies treated their employees and the way that people went about getting a job.
Frighteningly, over 250,000 people lost their jobs in the first quarter of 2009. That’s a quarter of a million poor souls taking their places in ever lengthening dole queues, dusting off their interview suits, polishing their CV’s and hoping upon hope that they are going to be able to pay the rent or mortgage next month.
So...what does this mean for "real people"?
New entrants to the job market are finding that there simply isn’t that much around – opportunities are scarce, competition is fierce, and much of the time they find doors repeatedly slammed in their faces – something that would have been almost unheard of even a year ago. The job market is becoming a place of frustration, anxiety, discouragement and even fear for increasing numbers of people.
Those lucky enough to be in work are facing a world of sweeping redundancies, reduction in hours, frozen pay rises and vastly reduced professional development opportunities. Never mind going for that promotion - just hanging on to a job has now become the number one priority. For the unlucky ones, this means being forced to take work that they might not have previously considered. As part of a growing trend of former professionals taking low paid work previously considered the domain of former Eastern block economic migrant workers, former advertising executives are now to be found working on farms in Norfolk.
Employers are floundering in their efforts to regain some control over a fast moving and fluctuating business landscape. They are having to restructure, reorganize and rethink how and who their companies employ, how they should be paid and the relationship between the stick and carrot in maintaining maximum motivation and productivity.
I hope that by now I’ve painted a picture that is bleak and gloomy enough to make you sit up and take notice.
So, if you are worrying about how to find a new job, thinking about how you can get promoted, or even trying to avoid being sacked (sorry ‘made redundant’) then you need to read this. If you’re an employer wondering what the hell is going on, then you need to read this too. Anyone who is involved in the world of work needs to read and understand the ‘new rules.’
This guide cuts through the nonsense and flannel. You won’t find much about “personal fulfillment”, “creative satisfaction” or “lifestyle choices”. Not at all. These new rules are designed to challenge the cozy consensus of ‘certainties’ that have taken hold in the job market during the boom times. The good times are over, it’s time to move on and face up to the new realities. The new rules are a dramatic wake up call for everyone and anyone involved in work-ing in the private sector.
Sorry, nearly forgot to say – if in the Public Sector – Con-gratulations – your job for life is probably secure and these rules just do not apply. How about all Local Authorities voluntarily dropping their Salaries by 10% for one year and passing that on as a discount on the Community Charge to help everyone in these difficult times ?
Welcome to my guide to the ‘New Rules of Work 2009’
There are 3 sections to my guide - Jobseekers, Employees and Employers. |
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