Employment Law

Posted on May 4, 2007
Filed Under Journal, Society, Consciousness |

There is a weird situation in working for corporations; something baroque – yet extremely understated seems to happen to people. It all appears to be about a confusion of purpose, where the personality of the individual is out of sorts with the personality of the corporation and the group. Every place of work has its ideals…some even go as far as to pin these ideals as a set of rules upon a notice board. Commandments so to speak, sent down from on high:

1, Thou shalt never place yourself above the needs of the Corporation.

2, Thou shalt not mock the Corporations bountiful gifts.

3, Thou shalt not refuse the Corporations generous offers of additional work.

4, Thou shalt not consider thoughts of self-sufficiency.

5, Thou shalt not question the validity of Bureaucracy.

6, Thou shalt not display traits of a unique or questioning personality.

7, Thou shalt never discuss these commandments nor anything relating to them with fellow employees.

There are only seven commandments, for they are self perpetuating. You can no doubt detect the sarcasm in my tone (that in itself is a crime); but the listing of these commandments is a taboo in itself – as they are meant to remain unspoken, and if possible, unthought; thus remaining simply obeyed. It’s an odd thing because even writing this generates a degree of uncomfertability – “What will they think?!” The mind slips away from seeing these Laws; they are the invisible rules of our time – which shackle us together.

I discovered that the validity of these Commandments is pretty easy to test; simply break one in the presence of a largish group of fellow employees. The other thing I discovered is that there are always a select few who will discuss these Commandments – but only when they are sure no one else is listening. If someone else approaches, the conversation quickly changes – people often physically contract, and etherically shrink back inside themselves.

Caught!

So it is only natural – in the end – that any individual, who continuously breaks one or more of these Commandments, is eventually seen as an outsider. Considered unusual, strange or even a trouble maker. Most of those labels will at some point or another probably land said individual in the managers office, so that a Confession maybe extracted in exchange for Absolution.

Sometimes the Absolution works and the individual becomes successfully integrated back into the Congregation. However, depending upon the excessiveness of the Sin, occasionally the individual will be Marked by the Congregation for all time. The only true option of escape at that point is usually self-exile. The other alternative is to bear the stigma of being Different, and never again be truly accepted back into the group.

So what’s the alternative? Well there are a few. Some of which you will discover over time through trial and error. Some however can be presented here:

1, Always remember you are a sovereign individual.

1, The gifts of your labour are a wonderful thing. You may choose willingly whether or not to give them.

1, Your personal time carries a value that cannot be represented by monetary recompense

1, Your awareness of reality supersedes the rules of bureaucracy.

1, Be yourself

1, Discuss what you please – though for maximum effect, package your views in a format that fits another’s unique perspective.

There are only one rules for being yourself (and yes, it causes a grammatical problem!), for when accepted they become self-perpetuating.