This Online Community Demands Work Reform, And Here Are 40 Of Their Top Posts
Interview
Everyone should be entitled to affordable food, healthcare, and homes. In short—everyone who works deserves to make ends meet without working themselves to death. That’s the main idea behind the r/WorkReform subreddit, a community of over half a million people who fight for a good quality of life for everyone and anyone who sells their labor.
Scroll down to check out some of the most powerful posts featured on r/WorkReform. Bored Panda got in touch with the moderator team at r/WorkReform who went into detail about the subreddit's history and mission. We also wanted to learn how to negotiate a good salary and work conditions, so we reached out to financial expert Sam Dogen, the founder of Financial Samurai and the author of ‘Buy This, Not That: How to Spend Your Way to Wealth and Freedom.’
This post may include affiliate links.
Burgernomics
"WorkReform began as an offshoot of another popular Reddit community examining labor issues. WorkReform is now part of an activist group of subreddits, including r/NewDealAmerica and r/SandersForPresident. NDA and SFP are more political. WorkReform is focused on improving living conditions for all working-class people," the r/WorkReform mods explained to Bored Panda.
They shared that the entire team is "100% all-volunteer" and take up the job because they believe in their cause. "Our primary moderation goal is to keep the working class community cohesive and supportive of each other. 'Divide and conquer' is the primary way workforces have been oppressed throughout history. When divisive efforts are kept in check, the community self-organizes to an amazing degree," they explained.
Tweet
I hate to upvote such dire statistics, but the point this BP makes is the point all others need to really understand. We can’t can’t ever change or improve a problem if we don’t truly “get” what the problem itself is made of.
Unrig The System
According to the mods, workers "do their best bargaining" when they're part of a united block. "This is why the richest people in the world spend so much effort on stopping unions. The billionaires understand that all value is created by human labor. They know organized labor is unstoppable. This is why you see Amazon attacking union organizers by having them falsely arrested," they explained why there's a lot of anti-union sentiment in some of the larger multinational corporations.
"Organize with your fellow workers - together you are powerful!" they said. As for why employers don't want to see their workers earn fair wages and have good work conditions, it all comes down to "a culture of increasing short-term profitability at all costs."
The r/WorkReform movement is all about fairness and giving people of all wages access to the necessities of life. The group’s moderators shared a list of their beliefs, and odds are that you can get behind the majority (if not most) of them.
Corrections
There Is No Labour Shortage. Tax The Rich
Cue the : "Save the rich from paying taxes because they are basically all just as poor as a church mouse" believers.
They will say "but they don't even really own that money personnally, they need it to run entire working industrial systems", etc. That's not the point. Be it an individual or a company, no private entity should be allowed to control such insane amounts of money. Let alone generate it out of the blue and claim they can buy the world with it. All of this should be put under public, democratic control. Money should be shared fairly and pay real things, not be some magical stuff that has a life and justification of its own.
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No, you just aren't working hard enough. If you just work 1,000 hours a week, you too can achieve the American dream. Stop being lazy and entitled.
AvOcAdO 11111 DrInK yEr CoFfEe At HoMe !!! Pull you up by the bootstraps, bla bla palaver cadaver, schnetteretteng, widdewiddewit-Bumm!-Bumm! ... "[...] cause you gotta be asleep to believe it!" (George Carlin).
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Yes, tax the rich, but that's not going to fix everything. When there are no government controls on the economy, capitalism will continue to create wealth for the few at the expense of the many.
I dont know. They look... bleh. Who wants to eat Bezzos? Ugh
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California already has $15 minimum wage. The rest of the states should seriously follow its lead.
Load More Replies... What about ... everyone achieving any income pays the same portion, like a few % ... and everyone receives the same amount. This, of course, grants an income without actaul labour, but it would enable those who have to spend every cent on something overdue able to get more of these from their chest, therefore, additional money gets into circulation, and mental health toll is reduced by reduced stress on employees, which is worth a lot more than the less money spent on it, but that, also, contributes to overall wellbeing, wealth and is generally desirable for those two major reasons.
It looks like BP is slowly but surely turning into the Huffington Post.
So when you (any of you) will be rich you will want to pay more. Problem is not that there are rich people, but rich people with black money from illegal activities and the government just throw away money, split the budget between them and does nothing for those that pay taxes.
Every billion dollars you tax from a business results in about 8,000 less jobs, just saying. And minimum wage and private wealth really have nothing to do with each other
Most of their Wealth is held in the Shares of their Company. The problem is that you cannot tax them until they have sold their Shares. It would be like the government coming to saying "Oh, you house has increased in value since you purchased it? no matter we will Tax you even though you haven't sold it yet".
unfortunately it is not so easy as it sounds. France taxed the rich. Result : for instance G. Depardieu came to Belgian, bought a house in one of the cheapest areas, and is escaping the new French taxes. And this is not even a super rich person....
In return Belgium taxes their middle class an insane ammount while their rich barely get taxed in comparison. Is that better?
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That is by no means the point. One key point is to maintain a constant distribution of wealth, as this aims directly at improving the quality of life, ... and so on and so on, and also is a key factor to maintain a stable, robust economy that isn't as fragile as it currently is. Widespread wealth is just as important as wealth in the first place, they, kind of, are nothing without each other. Think ... a vehicle. Has a strong engine, but only two of its wheels are driven thereby. Another one, has a lot less power output, but all wheels are driven, and it gets itself out of the mud ... so, as you neither can expect, nor see any signs of an Autobahn in this regard, consider improved power output as useless at the moment, while a distribution of said power solves your problem ... wealth works, kind of, the same way, but if I need to explain, explaining it won't work either...
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You probably pay more taxes than Bezos does, bud.
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Elon Musk pays zero income tax because he doesn't take a wage. Instead, he takes loans against his Tesla stock. Could your average Joe do that? That's just one off the top of my head. There are many more.
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The Food Cost Paradox
“People should not be worked to death. People should be paid a living wage for their labor. Income inequality and power inequality are the primary causes of social strife and lower living standards,” they write.
What’s more, the r/WorkReform mods believe that “workers must join together” to fight for what is “rightfully theirs.” They also urge workers not to be divided and conquered. “Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues,” they say.
Among the subreddit’s goals are: fighting for better compensation, getting better worker representation in the workforce (that includes unions and more), getting better and fewer working hours. What’s more, they aim to support political campaigns that “put workers first.”
A Positive Spin For Once!
The System Needs To Change
We Have Our Own Oligarchs
You mean a two party election where each party is a structured hierarchy, like a corporation, is not the best democracy?
Bored Panda got in touch with financial expert and author Sam, the founder of the Financial Samurai blog, to understand the nature of work negotiations better. He was happy to share with Bored Panda the main things to keep in mind when going to negotiate for a better salary, as well as better work conditions. In short, preparing for the negotiations is more than half the battle. And knowledge is power.
Pretty Simple
Worker's Rights Are Human Rights (And Vice-Versa)
Truth
According to financial expert Sam, there are a number of things that you should keep in mind when going to talk about the future of your career with your manager or boss. The first thing to keep in mind is the current competitive market environment.
“Is your industry growing or shrinking?” Sam said that employees should ask themselves this so they’re prepared for the negotiations better. Doing your research, knowing what the general trends in the job market are like, are very powerful tools in your arsenal.
“Just Get Another Job”
I met a veteran on public transit. Found out that he gets the same amount of income I do from the Veterans Administration. He lives in a tent behind the Salvation Army building. Says he prefers it so that he can have a little bit of spending money and can eat better food, that it would take his entire income to pay rent.
We Do Not All Have The Same 24 Hours, That’s For Sure
More People Should Do This
According to the expert, the next thing that you should consider is how well your company is actually doing at the moment. He noted some things to consider: “Is your company's stock price doing well? If it's a private company, is it raising funding at higher valuations? Is company morale good? Are there more benefits?”
Pilots Don't Get Paid During Boarding
This is why people charge $120 for simple tasks like fixing a leaky faucet. You're not just buying that 30 minutes of work. The worker has to get to your place, have the right tools and expertise.
Whoops, My Bad. I Should Of Been Worse!
Threaten Bankruptcy. Get Bailout. Executive Bonuses. Repeat
This is soooooo true. Bailouts are somehow always available when corporations need it but no when everyone else needs it.
Then, you should move on to evaluating your own performance. You also have to take a look at how your colleagues are performing. Do your best to try and objectively pinpoint where you are results-wise relative to other workers. If you’re consistently overperforming, you should draw attention to that.
All Power To The Workers
Well if you really compared, how the normal plebs are to the aristocrats as opposed to, the current day average employee to the "billionaires", then yeah. The wealth gap is really obscene these days, considering one person has the wealth equivalent to millions of people. I don't think lords owned millions of serfs back in the day.
Aoc: When We Say “Tax The Rich,” We Mean Nesting-Doll Yacht Rich. For-Profit Prison Rich. Betsy Devos, Student-Loan-Shark Rich. Trick-The-Country-Into-War Rich. Subsidizing-Workforce-W-Food-Stamps Rich. Because That Kind Of Rich Is Simply Not Good For Society, & It’s Like 10 People
Even people from outside the USA know that this is the problem that will never get solved because the rich simply won't allow it.
Student Debt
Education here in Sweden is (usually) free and you can take a loan from the state without any interest (except for inflation) so you don't have to work while you're studying. Also, if you can't find a job after you finish your education you can postpone paying back your loan for a maximum of five years. Yes, we pay more in taxes, but this helps the whole society in the end.
“Everything is relative in terms of performance. You should be paid based on how well you do and if you are outperforming your peers,” financial expert Sam pointed out to Bored Panda that you have to look at performance in broader terms than just how you are doing as though you were in a vacuum. Performance, after all, is relative.
Bernie Sanders Calls Out Chipotle Which Keeps Increasing Prices Citing Cost Increases In Labor ($0.50 Pay Increase?!), Freight, And Food Costs When It’s Profits And CEO Pay That Have Gone Way Up
So Bad
This Recruiter Gets It. A Simple Couple Thousand Dollar A Year Raise Would Have Saved That Employer Major Headache
Isn't it strange how businesses think that the law of supply and demand should not apply to them when it comes to hiring people so the government should step in hunt all those lazy shïts down who refuse to work for $7.25 per hour?
Finally, you should keep in mind how long you’ve worked at the company. Ironically, employees who have worked longer don’t necessarily get better conditions or wages.
“The longer you are at the company, ironically, the less you get paid compared to the market. Therefore, you need to consistently speak up for yourself each year as new employees join with higher and higher pay packages,” Sam said. You can read some of his tips on how to get paid and promoted faster right over here.
The Great Resignation Is Here And The Once Glorious Concept Of “Company Loyalty” Is A Thing Of The Past
And Some Have Super Yachts While Their Employees Are Drowning
Cut Back On Toast People
So, dear Pandas, which of these r/WorkReform posts got you thinking the most? What do you personally think is stopping employers from giving all of their employees a fair wage for their labor and giving them access to decent working conditions? What do you think it would take to eradicate poverty and exploitation? Share any thoughts that you might have in the comments.
" As Long As The Cash Rolls In, Who Cares!?"
There’s Now Way This System Won’t Lead To A Massively Unstable Society If Nothing Is Done To Fix It
I Feel This
Grocery Bill Skyrocketing
For a year I've spent 200$ a week on groceries and since January I've been getting roughly 2lbs less of everything for the same amount of money. Thank god it's only three of us and we grow a lot of our own food in the summer. Vegetables fruit and fish have really gone up. Even the crappy junk food. My daughter and I make our own oat milk now bc it sells out so quick too
Eat The Rich…
This Is Happening Right Now. Watch As The Narrative Changes In Real Time
Exactly what happened here in Australia in NSW. The justification for hammering down the well overdue pay rise from the politicians "if we give it to them the rest will want one and we can't have that happening". Why not? Every time the civil serpents in Canberra get a pay rise the politicians give themselves one too and vice versa. Major rises above inflation with NO productivity or condition reduction offsets. Usually annually if not more often. Yeah "selfish crazy unions" indeed
Not Freaked Out By UFO Sightings
Im hoping they put us in play-pens like puppies so other aliens can come and adopt us.
I Hope Humanity Becomes More Humane
There's no scarcity. There's just rich people telling poor people that other poor people are out to take their jobs. So poor people are fighting each other over the crumbs that rich people drop. Divide and conquer.
Employment And Healthcare Have Nothing To Do With Each Other. Tying Them Together Was Just A Scam To Force People To Work For Lower Wages And Make A Handful Of People Extremely Rich
The USA spends more money per capita on just Medicaid and Medicare than the other G8 countries each spend for their entire Universal Health Care programs. Also, except for Russia, USA has the lowest life expectancy of that group.
What Radicalized You?
How Much Longer Can This Last?
And Rachel Never Got The Fashion Job Because No Places Hire Without Experience
Lobby Of An Office Building. Nothing Like Reminding Your Employees Why They Hate Being There So Much As Soon As Walk In
That's like asking : Are you ready for your vacation? on the first day after your vacation. ( For Americans: Vacation= 4 weeks of paid annual leave without having to fear that your job is gone when you return to work.)
Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
Depressing, but americans need to suffer more before they will revolt. Until they really get out of the daydream of being "temporarily inconvenienced millionaires" , they will never revolt. Part of the way the american public is kept enslaved is by the brainwashing from their tv shows which show glamourous lifestyles, houses, etc., as normal. Thus, they aspire to this and think it is feasible, plausible, possible, etc. For example, just recently, I watched 2012 - the disaster movie. The hero is a chauffeur for an oligarch. He is a novellist in his spare time having sold 400 books, so say he made $400 on that. He has a nice house in LA. There is no way he could have a house, much less pay alimony as per the story and even less likely afford to take his kids on holiday. So, nah, it's a lie. Look at the demographic statistics, median income, crime stats, burgernomics quality of life measures, etc. You guys are WELL on your way to becoming like us (Africa).
Really it doesn't take a genius to see something is FUBAR when that 1% can control 99+ % of the wealth in the world while there are people homeless and starving.
*homeless still working and still starving. It's brilliant uh? 🤬 I hate the US government. The old hags need to get out and we need more Bernie and AOC in. We the people......are about to lose our s**t.
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It gives me some comfort to see others outraged but it's mostly depressing and frustrating. Being a low-ish income working class american (50h weeks, $30k year, can't afford anywhere that isn't extremely dangerous, and my city is considered very cheap for its size) who knows and understands these things and how broken and abusive and corrupt our system is, it makes me angry and resentful at all those who are much much much closer to my position than they'll ever be to even being rich, let alone a millionaire, certainly not a billionaire, who are so brainwashed and think it's fine like this because they think someday they're somehow gonna be rich and want to protect their fictional financial status
The same people who blow a gasket when working class people want $15/hour are the people who don't bat an eye at CEOs making $5,000/hour. Tax. The. Rich.
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Greetings people. 1st post. Moderate Liberal. When Don Trump was elected I started frequenting Fox News message boards- to see what was up with the other side. OMG! You think we're pissed? Those people are simmering to a boil. And they have ALOT of weapons. My wife and I are doing OK at age 60, but we were both poor for much of our lives. Is National health care to much to ask? Living Minimum wage? Cmon. The divisions in this country are soooo deep- makes me sad.
Your healthcare system is a sham. But that's how you like it. Herein Europe we prefer our social healthcare very much. Why would you pay more than your neighbors. Also healthcare comes automatically with the job you have. Also something that is very wrong with your country. People working there uninsured. Just crazy and unresponsible.
I hate our healthcare system here in the US. I have many ailments and easily spend $4000 out of pocket each year for copays and tests. Our insurance has a maximum outlay of $4000 per person each year. It’s a lot of money!
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As an outsider looking in, I feel like the people in charge in the US actually hate their citizens. How else can one explain the way they treat the average citizen? It horrifies me and makes me so sad.
Who watches fox news? It's some right wing american propaganda channel.
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Depressing, but americans need to suffer more before they will revolt. Until they really get out of the daydream of being "temporarily inconvenienced millionaires" , they will never revolt. Part of the way the american public is kept enslaved is by the brainwashing from their tv shows which show glamourous lifestyles, houses, etc., as normal. Thus, they aspire to this and think it is feasible, plausible, possible, etc. For example, just recently, I watched 2012 - the disaster movie. The hero is a chauffeur for an oligarch. He is a novellist in his spare time having sold 400 books, so say he made $400 on that. He has a nice house in LA. There is no way he could have a house, much less pay alimony as per the story and even less likely afford to take his kids on holiday. So, nah, it's a lie. Look at the demographic statistics, median income, crime stats, burgernomics quality of life measures, etc. You guys are WELL on your way to becoming like us (Africa).
Really it doesn't take a genius to see something is FUBAR when that 1% can control 99+ % of the wealth in the world while there are people homeless and starving.
*homeless still working and still starving. It's brilliant uh? 🤬 I hate the US government. The old hags need to get out and we need more Bernie and AOC in. We the people......are about to lose our s**t.
Load More Replies... It gives me some comfort to see others outraged but it's mostly depressing and frustrating. Being a low-ish income working class american (50h weeks, $30k year, can't afford anywhere that isn't extremely dangerous, and my city is considered very cheap for its size) who knows and understands these things and how broken and abusive and corrupt our system is, it makes me angry and resentful at all those who are much much much closer to my position than they'll ever be to even being rich, let alone a millionaire, certainly not a billionaire, who are so brainwashed and think it's fine like this because they think someday they're somehow gonna be rich and want to protect their fictional financial status
The same people who blow a gasket when working class people want $15/hour are the people who don't bat an eye at CEOs making $5,000/hour. Tax. The. Rich.
Load More Replies... Greetings people. 1st post. Moderate Liberal. When Don Trump was elected I started frequenting Fox News message boards- to see what was up with the other side. OMG! You think we're pissed? Those people are simmering to a boil. And they have ALOT of weapons. My wife and I are doing OK at age 60, but we were both poor for much of our lives. Is National health care to much to ask? Living Minimum wage? Cmon. The divisions in this country are soooo deep- makes me sad.
Your healthcare system is a sham. But that's how you like it. Herein Europe we prefer our social healthcare very much. Why would you pay more than your neighbors. Also healthcare comes automatically with the job you have. Also something that is very wrong with your country. People working there uninsured. Just crazy and unresponsible.
I hate our healthcare system here in the US. I have many ailments and easily spend $4000 out of pocket each year for copays and tests. Our insurance has a maximum outlay of $4000 per person each year. It’s a lot of money!
Load More Replies... As an outsider looking in, I feel like the people in charge in the US actually hate their citizens. How else can one explain the way they treat the average citizen? It horrifies me and makes me so sad.
Who watches fox news? It's some right wing american propaganda channel.
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