“Anti-Work:” This Facebook Group Is Throwing Punches At Late Stage Capitalism, And Here Are 30 Of Its Best Posts
The subreddit r/Antiwork has gathered a lot of support over the last year, especially since the beginning of the Great Resignation. And even though not all of the attention was positive, the buzz has certainly helped to spread its message, and even take the movement to other platforms.
There's a Facebook group called Anti-Work. It's not connected to the subreddit, but shares a lot of the same values. The group's 'About' section says it welcomes "all things related to anti-work and late stage capitalism", and you can definitely see a wide variety of topics in its posts.
From specific things like burnout and student debt to broader discussions on salaries and personal finance, continue scrolling to check out the most popular ones.
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To learn more about the group, we contacted its administrators and moderators and they were kind enough to have a little chat with us.
"Fundamentally, the idea of Anti-Work is that people should choose to be productive on their own terms, not as a result of coercion or having their stability threatened," the team told Bored Panda.
"The underlying message of the Anti-Work philosophy is that the connection between survival and employment status or productivity levels must be eliminated."
"Our Facebook group is not affiliated with r/AntiWork," the people behind the group said.
While the subreddit is quite old (it was created in 2013), its Facebook spin-off is still fresh — it came about in October 2021 "as a result of needing to create a digital community tailored specifically for Facebook users."
"In our group, we have people from all backgrounds," the admins and mods said. "Writers, frontline nurses, school teachers, line cooks, truck drivers, forklift operators. To name just a few."
Similarly I hate when they ask what your salary expectations are. Why don’t you tell me what you’re willing to pay and I’ll tell you if I’m willing to work for that?
Because they want you to say something low so you'll get the job and they can underpay.
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Interviewer: "What are your salary requirements?" You: "What is the salary range for this position?" And if the interviewer asks how much you want a second time... You: "I'll be happy to discuss salary at the time of an offer." Usually shuts them up.
If you get an offer, you've probably been through several interviews already. Wages should be in the job posting, or discussed during the first interview. If they have crap pay, its best to know ASAP and not waste time with additional interviews.
Load More Replies... I once had a job interview where the manager was 45 minutes late. When he walked into the room we went back over everything and then after another 20 minutes I finally asked what the salary/benefits/sick days were. He offered me the job to start in two weeks. Then two days before I was supposed to start he called me and told me I didn't get the job after all, despite getting a letter of intent, because "the first thing" I asked was money/sick days. Keep in mind I was 31 at the time, but he talked to me like I was a 16 year old applying for my first job and that you shouldn't ask what you're gonna be paid till after you get hired.
Yeah I hate this, I don't apply if they dont post pay because it means it’s low. I find it rude to not post the pay and try to trick people into wasting their time with a series of interviews only to reveal that they can only pay garbage. But if they don’t post it it’s for a reason, guess we just gotta read between the lines.
If I go for an interview, I will probably have to use up some of my holiday to cover my absence. If an employer won't tell me the pay range, then I'm not going to use up my holidays. And if they need my current salary to determine the pay range then they are underpaying some of their employees - and it might end up being me.
The company I work for is advertising that it is hiring, with boasts of a 'competitive salary' despite other companies paying a much higher rate for the same job.
I had an interview. I asked about the pay and this woman tells me 'We do't talk about payment in the first meeting'. Yeah, well good bye and I''ll be in touch blablabla i.e. F*ck off.
I've googled job openings in Canada and it surprised me how few actually mention a salary indication. Lots of jobs openings in NL also don't mention any, and if you can't give me a salary bandwith you're not worth my time.
It’s common practice to put the salary range on a job ad here in Australia- casual or full time career.
Remember you want to be paid more than you are worth and the company does not want to pay you what your worth. Amazing logic.
This seems reasonable...at least for employers to post a range, as candidates will vary.
I always ask the range of salaries. In my field rates vary wildly. I'm not going to interview for positions that won't pay what I need. Waste of everyone's time. And yes. I'm in it for the money. I have other stuff to do.
How pandemic has changed this a bit, now salary is plastered on McDo and Burger King "Now hiring" ads around here. And still a bit pathetic, barely 50¢ above minimum.
Some companies don't advertise their pay because they don't want unqualified persons just seeing the pay wasting both of their time applying. It also affects the companies relationship with customers because then customers see a price of the employee and want to pay less for services rendered. For a trade worker driving around in a company vehicle, it costs about $400/day is expenses for the company. No one ever thinks about the behind the scenes expenses.
THIIIIS. I understand some jobs require negotiation based on skills but there should be a base salary listed. It's hard enough being out of work and being nervous for interviews only to find out the job is way less than you could afford to take and now you've wasted time and stress on it. I drove an hour to a job interview and not only was it not the job listed, but the starting pay was minimum wage. I literally brought up the ad because I was so upset and they said that the job listed was for 'future job' if the hired person proved themselves for the first year. I'm a skilled person with a degree and experience so it wasn't like I was applying to work for my first job where minimum wage is expected. I got back to my car and cried. We shouldn't have to waste our time OR yours by waiting to find out if the pay is enough. It's not about the job 'fitting'...it's CAN I PAY MY RENT? Is this job enough to pay the bills I have?
And am a teenager and this is the first time I’ve heard of this… it’s so appalling that they would do this… it make PERFECT sense to post salaries. That’s honestly how I thought it always was.
At a job interview I asked the pay and was told if I really wanted a job payment should be the last of my problems, walked out.
long time ago needing a job bad I applied for a installer job for Comcast. when I asked about the pay they said......you sure are hung up on the money part......well, I said I like to eat n was raised to pay my debts you consider that hung up, never finished the interview, didn't need a job that bad
However, they pointed out that the Anti-Work group is explicitly anti-capitalist and supports the creation and expansion of unions and worker cooperatives, as well as believes in the need for workplace democracy.
“As a society, we have the ability to provide for humanity's needs, to give people a base layer of support and stability to encourage productivity without coercion," Maxwell Neely, the Anti-Work group admin and mod team's designated Press Liaison said.
This is the answer to employers that claim they "care about the employees mental health." They don't realize that crappy working conditions are part of the problem...or more likely they do and just don't give a flock.
The group is trying its best to remain civil. It condemns all discriminatory language and actions towards other people, including but not limited to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, and ableism. Basically, if you want to shout at someone and insult them for disagreeing with you, this is not a place to do so.
However, as can be expected, sometimes trolls join to derail discussions, insult members, and generally be unpleasant. This forces the admin team to take action, but they say that most of the group members are "awesome people with valuable insights, and stories worth telling."
According to the admin and mod team, they aim to create a platform of inclusion and empowerment, and then pass the mic, so group members can tell their own stories in a supportive environment.
With nearly 25,000 members, they have a lot to manage. The group rules are designed to promote an environment of psychological safety, and are pretty similar to those of other mindful Facebook communities. "When in doubt, just remember, don't be a jerk," the folks concluded.
"Exit interview" my @rse. If I'm fired, I'm outta here. Please feel free to proceed without me.
Communities like this one seem like a natural response to the latest developments in the job market. Two years into the pandemic, people across the globe are tired. Poor mental health and burnout are common, particularly among low-wage and essential workers.
This prolonged period of uncertainty has made many re-analyze the role their employers play in making matters worse; record numbers of workers are leaving jobs in search of better options.
If that's how companies view their employees in the US, I think you guys need to remind these "bosses" about the reason behind your civil war and why your country fought the English for independence.
Too many people still feel that self-sacrifice is admirable or honourable. It's not, it's traumatizing and destructive.
'Unskilled jobs' (i.e. jobs that require no prior education) are still jobs that need to be done. Just because it doesn't require an education of four years to work at a waste company doesn't mean it's not REALLY important work.
“With Covid, there was an interruption of work as we knew it," Tom Juravitch, a professor of labor studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, US, told BBC.
"In moments like this, people have time to reflect. Working has been degraded for so many people. The authority structures that we’re in have gotten more draconian and more controlling than ever. People really felt that in a new way.”
They don't want you to discuss your wage... because they don't want you to find out you actually deserve more.
Fundamentally changing the way employers think sounds unlikely, but we are experiencing an unprecedented shake-up in terms of how workers do their jobs and the kinds of conditions they are expecting in return.
It's obvious that many people are at their breaking points, and there are already signs that companies who fear widescale quits are starting to respond with improvements. But if groups like Anti-Work continue to gain numbers, who's to say they can't take us even further?
Note: this post originally had 71 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
The Simpsons analogy about Homer being able to buy a home on one salary, shows the low information, false deductions people make to push their agenda. Homer got the money from his father Abe to buy the house, by having his father sell his home. Then Abe was going to move in with them, but after a while was put into a nursing/assisted living home. THAT IS HOW HOMER AFFORDED HIS HOUSE
Yeah and no one in 1992 thought a one-income household was normal. Everyone knew that ended with the recession in the late '70's, followed by the Republicans' relentless campaign against the poor and middle class, which continues to this day.
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It’s good to see that people are questioning the pro-capitalist propaganda that everyone is brainwashed into worshipping.
My husband earns what should be decent money, but cost of living near his job is crushing is.
it should be pointed out that the subreddit r/antiwork is NOT generally supportive of the anti-work philosophy or related ideas such as basic income. whatever the mods believe, they are free to believe, but the membership is focused on people who have to work and want to work, and on exposing the injustices and hardships they put up with in today's workplace.
ive got a juicy screenshot of an antiwork facebook admin telling a co-op person offering resources to eff off
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I grew up poor, worked full time at Walmart while going to college full time surviving on ramen and sandwiches. Joined the Navy, got out and eventually worked my way up into a six figure career in the oil industry. There's always a way to be successful. Talk to a career counselor. Half the battle is just living where there's opportunities.
Irony is when this capitalistic system is what allows a company like Bored Panda to exist in a global market and why these people can criticize the very thing that enables them to speak freely
ive got a screenshot of an antiwork facebook admin telling a co-op developer offering free resources down in a not nice way at all😂
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You're an idiot Ryan. The kind of fool that dictators love. The useful idiot.
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I can't imagine thinking it is either American capitalism or North Korea with nothing in between and expecting to be taken seriously.
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The Simpsons analogy about Homer being able to buy a home on one salary, shows the low information, false deductions people make to push their agenda. Homer got the money from his father Abe to buy the house, by having his father sell his home. Then Abe was going to move in with them, but after a while was put into a nursing/assisted living home. THAT IS HOW HOMER AFFORDED HIS HOUSE
Yeah and no one in 1992 thought a one-income household was normal. Everyone knew that ended with the recession in the late '70's, followed by the Republicans' relentless campaign against the poor and middle class, which continues to this day.
Load More Replies... It’s good to see that people are questioning the pro-capitalist propaganda that everyone is brainwashed into worshipping.
My husband earns what should be decent money, but cost of living near his job is crushing is.
it should be pointed out that the subreddit r/antiwork is NOT generally supportive of the anti-work philosophy or related ideas such as basic income. whatever the mods believe, they are free to believe, but the membership is focused on people who have to work and want to work, and on exposing the injustices and hardships they put up with in today's workplace.
ive got a juicy screenshot of an antiwork facebook admin telling a co-op person offering resources to eff off
Load More Replies... I grew up poor, worked full time at Walmart while going to college full time surviving on ramen and sandwiches. Joined the Navy, got out and eventually worked my way up into a six figure career in the oil industry. There's always a way to be successful. Talk to a career counselor. Half the battle is just living where there's opportunities.
Irony is when this capitalistic system is what allows a company like Bored Panda to exist in a global market and why these people can criticize the very thing that enables them to speak freely
ive got a screenshot of an antiwork facebook admin telling a co-op developer offering free resources down in a not nice way at all😂
Load More Replies... You're an idiot Ryan. The kind of fool that dictators love. The useful idiot.
Load More Replies... I can't imagine thinking it is either American capitalism or North Korea with nothing in between and expecting to be taken seriously.
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