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Modern workplaces can be different from what we imagine classic offices to be.
Nowadays, companies have a go at make the employee experience morefun and engaging.
Its no longer about clocking in and out and slaving away in a claustrophobic 6 x 6 cubicle.
Unfortunately, sometimes, the attempts to stand out as a company might come across as pretty cringy.
Most of us love animals, right?
A woman from Berlinsharedhow this exact thing happened to her at her previous workplace.
Check out our conversation with her below!
This is my favorite story ever.
So I used to work at a startup in Berlin for about a year.
My contract was coming to an end and, unfortunately, I was severely underpaid and extremely overworked.
So obviously, I went in to discuss a new contract with a little bit of an upgraded salary.
They were then telling me, No, were so sorry, Jules.
Theres no way we can pay you any more money.'
But, you know, you get free coffee and free fruit.
You have a great team.
This wont pay my bills, you know, so Im gonna need a little something something.
So then they go, Oh, but Jules, you love animals.
It even has my name, look.
Does she pay my bills?
Did I leave that company?
Know your worth, people.
There is no way…
But am I the only one out there that has had this experience?
kindly tell me it cannot be.
But yeah, I really should go visit her.
Her video was a way to shine a light on whats happening to young people in the workforce.
People are often scared to speak up because they might lose their jobs.
But people often forget that not just companies have power.
We as employees also have power, Julia offers some encouraging words.
Without us, there is no one working for them.
In her videos, Julia talks about her experience of working for startups.
She says that there are serious problems she has observed about startup culture as a whole while working there.
You are expected to work insane hours, she starts listing some things.
Meetings are put really late in the day on purpose to keep you in the office for longer.
You are constantly contacted when you are sick or on holiday and expected to work.
You are quickly written off as lazy, she says.
From being fired, physical or mental health issues, changing jobs or trying to figure it out.
Shes a firm believer that being between jobs shouldnt be shameful.
It is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of: no matter if it was unintentional or intentional.
But it also isnt as glamorous as people might think it is, the creator adds.
However, surveys show thats not actually true.
When the perks and benefits make sense, employees would much rather have them.
Staples employees, for example, say that theyd rather have a lower salary but better workplace perks.
62,3% of the surveyed employees claimed perks motivate them more than a salary increase.
Only 37.7% preferred to get higher pay.
That same survey also found that 80% of employees would choose additional benefits over a salary increase.
What are these benefits and perks that people would rather have?
The most popular among all the respondents were better healthcare and dental plans.
Surely, free coffee and snacks wont help you with paying your bills.
Check out the results:
