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Times are always changing, and when it comes to the past 30-40 years, they have been changing really, really fast.
Sometimes, though, culture and society don’t do a very good job keeping up with the changes that are coming, fast and furious, even though the reasons behind these norms are no longer valid.
Here are 16 examples of cultural norms that are still around, even though they really shouldn’t be.
16. Don’t do this.
Going to work when you’re sick to “prove you’re a hard worker”. All you’ve proven is that you don’t care about your coworkers.
15. No one wants to be face-to-face unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Meetings that clearly could have been an email.
I’ve had meeting invites where the description of what the meeting was about was enough to not need to have the meeting. Like wtf did you not read what you typed?
It usually winds up being a way to blindside people with something.
14. Let’s all stop doing this.
Corporate culture as a whole but specifically:
Corporate/independent pandering to rude customers/guests etc. It encourages them to act entitled and like sh%theads cause they keep getting rewarded for it. Normalize being a d%ck.
13. It’s just the human body. We all have one.
The idea that any nudity is implicitly sexual or immoral in some way.
12. Sometimes there actually isn’t anything to do.
The idea in service jobs that you have to stand and look busy your entire shift because sitting down makes you look lazy.
Had a job in packaging where the time was 10 hour work days with 3 total breaks including lunch. You couldn’t sit. I had a spot on the line where a lot of us were at the end just folding tiny boxes, and I didn’t have a place to stand so I took a stack of the boxes and sat down on a few wood palettes.
I was there for less than a minute before I got yelled at and the rest of the time I had to reach over a few people to reach a box to fold. Literally made boxes half as fast because of it. It was probably good because it was a little unfair to everyone else but like really? Just had to vent from that thank you lol
11. It’s your time. Take it.
Having to explain why you’re taking a day off. Never made sense to me.
Whenever I told my scheduler I needed a day off, they always asked me “why” and I always answered “it doesn’t matter why, I’m using my time off for this”.
When I became the scheduler, I always stopped people when they started going into detail why they need their time off. I don’t care if you’re gonna go sit on the couch for a day or steal the Declaration of Independence, if you ask for time off, I’m gonna try to make it happen.
10. Weird energy, indeed.
Everything penis at bachelorette parties.
And the whole theme of stags in general. That entire “last night of freedom” energy is weird if you stop and think about it.
9. They used to last literally forever.
Big ticket items like cars and appliances arent expected to last longer than 3-7 years.
All the electronics in them now are terrible. My landlord at my last place had just bought a fancy new hybrid water heater when I moved in. Less than a year later and it started chirping with an airflow alarm for no reason. Guy came to fix it, no difference after.
Then it started throwing error codes and shutting off every few weeks. They ended up sending us a whole new circuit board after another year of fighting the company. When I moved out it still had that same godd*mn airflow alarm go off every day. I can still hear it.
8. I think we all know now we CAN work from home.
Commuting. Hope it dies or becomes optional for desk jobs.
Stay at home orders have crippled the argument that it’s “impossible” for many jobs. I expect a lot of companies to allow hybrid schedules (work at home some days in the office the others) if not full work at home for many positions.
7. You don’t win a prize.
Bragging about working over 40 hours on salary.
Conversely as a manager, other managers conflating working over 40 hour on salary with dedication or professionalism.
Yes, as a professional I will put in extra hours to get the job done.
If every week takes 5 extra hours to get the work done than my salary is based on, something is wrong.
6. So intimidating, too.
Having to jump through hoops and interview with 10 plus people to get a job. When did it become so difficult? Why do companies need an army of people to make a decision? Why do they need to waste people’s time and have them interview 3-5 times?
Why does someone need to write a thousand cover letters for jobs that they apply for only to not even be considered? Why do you have to write a thank you note for everyone you interview with? Why can’t they be upfront about the pay scale?
Why is it rude to ask what the pay is? It’s pure madness!
5. We’ve definitely taken this too far.
That the customer is always right.
It’s supposed to mean “if someone asks for their steak well-done, you give them a well-done steak and get paid for it instead of arguing about how steak is supposed to be cooked” not “if someone demands to use you as a human toilet you have to let them”.
4. It really is insane.
Maybe more controversial, but weddings, or more specifically the bridal industry.
I don’t understand how it’s still such a profitable industry with how much it costs against how little people make.I understand the huge party and inviting all your family, but the price gouging for venues and cakes is astounding, it’s sad that people arre willing to pay the inflated prices.
3. Preach, brother.
Chicks not having pockets. I’m over here right now with a full water bottle, a phone, a map, earbuds, and a swiss army knife, and every woman that I meet has barely enough room to put their hands in their pockets.
They are missing out big time
2. They’ve had an ordeal.
People visiting right after you’ve had a baby (or babies). Let mothers be alone with their infant(s) unless you plan to come over to cook and clean for them. Otherwise, sent a text wishing them well, maybe drop off a meal, and leave them alone until they ask if you’d like to come meet baby(ies).
1. It shouldn’t be a secret.
At least in the US, not taking about how much you make. Your bosses can’t fire you for it but everyone thinks they can.
It’s kind of a double edged sword, for example, I do graphic design and data processing at my company and my starting pay was close to what some of the people who worked the warehouse as box pushers 20+ years were making.
Since I had to get training and have a specific skillset to do my job it’s natural I get paid more, but man, having 80% of the work force be miffed at you because you make as much as they do in a fraction of the time makes the workplace feel toxic.
My current philosophy is to only share my pay with people working in the same type of setting as me (so the other Graphic Designers and data folk) since a lot of people can’t grasp that different areas have different pay grades.
I have to agree with all of these – let’s kick them to the curb!
What else would you put on this list? If you’ve got a great idea, share it with us in the comments.
