"Millennials" Vs Older People

[Linflas]

Right. I'm pretty sure those were the days where general Microsoft Word usage passed as amazing office skills as was typing without pecking at the keyboard (30-40wpm+) and knowing how to dial the fax machine. Try again. Gen X were not actually the generation who got hit by that recession, it was the out of date boomers who got culled from the herd back then. IE the ones who were just too old fashioned to learn excel.

I doubt many boomers had trouble learning Excel given that they likely were using Visicalc and Lotus 123 and deploying PC's to replace dumb terminals while Gen X was worrying about what zit medicine worked the best. As another poster stated every generation thinks they faced horrid challenges never faced by any generation in history and it is mostly hyperbole.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Yup. And what struggles did the baby boomers have to deal with anyways? The war was over before they were born.

Vietnam?

 

[Leyawiin]

You know, now that I've thought about it overnight the only friction we ever had in our office is single and/or childless people vs. those with children. I can't count the times we've been in a crunch and someone has to leave hours early because little Cayden or Isabella got a hangnail at school. Or because they have a school conference or a dental appointment. It happens with incredible regularity with a core group of mothers. We're all on salary and the assumption is that those of us without kids shouldn't complain that we work more on projects or deadlines. This leaving early is a weekly thing with some of these parents and it may take three or four hours out of their workday. The one time I mentioned the inequity you'd think I'd come out against motherhood, children, families and America in general. The proverbial shit hit the fan and I got the cold shoulder the rest of the day from several of them. Damn single guy. How dare I!

 

[SheHateMe]

Okay, there's a hole in your story. You claim you were given permission to go to lunch early. You claim that someone "told on" you. How the hell would you have found out? Is your supervisor equally petty (if that's what we're going to call it) that he told on your coworker to you for your coworker telling on you?

I was given permission to leave for lunch early. She probably saw me leaving and going down to the parking garage. Later that day, my Manager asked me to come into his office because he wanted to let me know about it. I wasn't in trouble. He just discussed the "office politics" situation to me and told me not to worry about it... "keep your nose clean", "do what you need to do as long as your work is done", etc.. A bit later in the day, I was in the breakroom and a lady came in and started talking to me about it saying that they are next door to the person who went in and complained (and this makes her a tattle tale, too). Im a new-ish addition to this place...so, maybe she felt like she should give me a heads up. I don't know.

Perhaps you're creating a perception that you aren't pulling your weight, that you're slacking off, and your older coworkers who have been with the company longer realize that you start ignoring people taking an extra 10 minutes off now, than next month, it'll be 20 minutes, then 30..

Or perhaps people outside of the IT team are a little annoyed that someone was allowed to leave early for something when their managers would not let them do such a thing.

I pull my weight. Its not really the business of anybody who works outside the IT team. If you don't know whats going on...mind your own business. I don't care if someone leaves early for lunch. I mean, why should you care? Reporting people outside of your department for things like that makes you look petty...especially if you have no clue what you're talking about. But, people do it anyway. I guess some would rather find out that they should stop being so nosy than to just let something slide.

to the OP:

was the tattletale an older female?

Unfortunately, all older females. In my experience, I have the most conflict with females vs males. All the time. I don't like living with females for the same reason. All throughout college, I lived with mostly guys. I could live with 1 other girl and a guy...but never all girls.

There's always some drama over something.

 

[Linflas]

Yup. And what struggles did the baby boomers have to deal with anyways? The war was over before they were born. They are a huge voting block that has systematically voted themselves large govt programs to take care of their needs at the expense of other generations. Is it any surprise ACA was passed just as the baby boomers are set to retire? And who gets to pay for it again? The generations younger than them.

Vietnam?

Along with:
Inflation followed by stagflation
18%+ mortgage interest rates
gas lines
civil unrest and 3 major assassinations in a 10 year span
the cold war

 

[Genx87]

Along with:
Inflation followed by stagflation
18%+ mortgage interest rates
gas lines
civil unrest and 3 major assassinations in a 10 year span
the cold war

Oh, so every generation has its problems. Good to know millenials arent unique in that situation.

 

[OverVolt]

jkl

 

[Linflas]

Oh, so every generation has its problems. Good to know millenials arent unique in that situation.

Yes they do and frankly I have always felt that most of them pale in the face of growing up in the great depression with a 25% unemployment rate and Omaha Beach in your future.

 

[Genx87]

Yes they do and frankly I have always felt that most of them pale in the face of growing up in the great depression with a 25% unemployment rate and Omaha Beach in your future.

Tis true about the "depression" generation.

 

[SheHateMe]

Of course, every age group has its problems. So, I'm kind of wondering what all the hate was about in the other Millennials thread. Ok, we show up late to interviews, don't dress in the correct attire, dont bring copies of resumes, don't bring scratch paper for pop quizzes, put stuff on our resumes that we cannot explain/do...etc.

But, I am sure for every dumb Millennial there is an equally dumb Gen Xer of Baby Boomer.

 

[desura]

Unfortunately, all older females. In my experience, I have the most conflict with females vs males. All the time. I don't like living with females for the same reason. All throughout college, I lived with mostly guys. I could live with 1 other girl and a guy...but never all girls.

There's always some drama over something.

Yup, that's been my experience too in the workplace. The worst people are usually some older 40's or 50's female.

 

[Linflas]

Of course, every age group has its problems. So, I'm kind of wondering what all the hate was about in the other Millennials thread. Ok, we show up late to interviews, don't dress in the correct attire, dont bring copies of resumes, don't bring scratch paper for pop quizzes, put stuff on our resumes that we cannot explain/do...etc.

But, I am sure for every dumb Millennial there is an equally dumb Gen Xer of Baby Boomer.

The real trick is to understand that what you are really looking at is your future. You have the opportunity to decide whether you will be the risk taker, the quiet toiler, the office gadfly, or the office shadow manager/tattle tale or any of the other types talked about in these threads. I can say that perhaps the hate in the other thread is a bit of an over reaction to the "unique special flower" culture SOME (and it is important to note not most or even a majority) millennials are projected as in the media and elsewhere.

 

[OverVolt]

Unfortunately, all older females. In my experience, I have the most conflict with females vs males. All the time. I don't like living with females for the same reason. All throughout college, I lived with mostly guys. I could live with 1 other girl and a guy...but never all girls.

There's always some drama over something.

Yea there is a general lack of people willing to put their foot down and stop all the nonsense drama. Thats what I try to do, I'm a guy. Sometimes its just too much drama and you must steer clear . Like bad enough it gets someone fired.

I don't think its right to do that to someone. From the bosses perspective its not like they can send a memo stating its okay to take lunch whenever you want, because its their job to enforce corporate policy, so its mostly up to the employees to sort out the petty stuff.

 

[cheezy321]

Yes they do and frankly I have always felt that most of them pale in the face of growing up in the great depression with a 25% unemployment rate and Omaha Beach in your future.

Shouldn't people who grew up during the great depression and world war 2 be retired by now? I mean, if you are 65+ and still in the workforce you probably made a lot of mistakes along the way. Not to mention you are holding up advancement opportunities for a younger generation. Their prime working years were during the largest long term economic expansion the world has ever seen.

 

[Linflas]

Shouldn't people who grew up during the great depression and world war 2 be retired by now? I mean, if you are 65+ and still in the workforce you probably made a lot of mistakes along the way. Not to mention you are holding up advancement opportunities for a younger generation. Their prime working years were during the largest long term economic expansion the world has ever seen.

Yes they are and I only use them as an example because when we baby boomers were crying about how tough we had it as we emerged into the workforce that is really the standard we should have been comparing ourselves against. And given the uniqueness of WWII generation's challenges it really should be a benchmark that all future generations look to when considering the burdens their generation is dealing with.

 

[cheezy321]

Yes they are and I only use them as an example because when we baby boomers were crying about how tough we had it as we emerged into the workforce that is really the standard we should have been comparing ourselves against. And given the uniqueness of WWII generation's challenges it really should be a benchmark that all future generations look to when considering the burdens their generation is dealing with.

100% agree.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Yes they are and I only use them as an example because when we baby boomers were crying about how tough we had it as we emerged into the workforce that is really the standard we should have been comparing ourselves against. And given the uniqueness of WWII generation's challenges it really should be a benchmark that all future generations look to when considering the burdens their generation is dealing with.

My father retired at 65, after 30 years working at Raytheon. He was of the generation that worked as the single wage earner of the household and would work from 6am to 4pm. His young employees didn't follow in his footsteps working those kind of hours but he told me that they still had a strong work ethic and there were no issues between the old and the new.

He was brought back as a consultant for his experience and knowledge. He couldn't say no the money and he liked the work. Eventually, travel requirements got him to retire full time.

 

[Linflas]

My father retired at 65, after 30 years working at Raytheon. He was of the generation that worked as the single wage earner of the household and would work from 6am to 4pm. His young employees didn't follow in his footsteps working those kind of hours but he told me that they still had a strong work ethic and there were no issues between the old and the new.

He was brought back as a consultant for his experience and knowledge. He couldn't say no the money and he liked the work. Eventually, travel requirements got him to retire full time.

My father worked at Raytheon Autometrics for 5 years but this being the DC area everyone lived and died by the government contract and he was laid off from there when they greatly downsized the Alexandria facility in the early 70's. It was a great gig for him since the place was about 3 blocks away from our house.

 

[SheHateMe]

My Grandfather worked at Ford for over 30 years. My Grandmother worked for General Motors for the same amount of time. They are both in their 70s and retired now. If you get them going about working there, they will go on and on about how they worked a ridiculous amount of hours and they remember exactly what their jobs were and where they worked on the lines, etc etc.

My grandparents have 9 children. I have no idea how they managed that.

I also can't imagine having 9 kids hanging off of me when I come in from work in the evening.

 

[DrPizza]

I was given permission to leave for lunch early. She probably saw me leaving and going down to the parking garage. Later that day, my Manager asked me to come into his office because he wanted to let me know about it. I wasn't in trouble. He just discussed the "office politics" situation to me and told me not to worry about it... "keep your nose clean", "do what you need to do as long as your work is done", etc.. A bit later in the day, I was in the breakroom and a lady came in and started talking to me about it saying that they are next door to the person who went in and complained (and this makes her a tattle tale, too). Im a new-ish addition to this place...so, maybe she felt like she should give me a heads up. I don't know.



Or perhaps people outside of the IT team are a little annoyed that someone was allowed to leave early for something when their managers would not let them do such a thing.

I pull my weight. Its not really the business of anybody who works outside the IT team. If you don't know whats going on...mind your own business. I don't care if someone leaves early for lunch. I mean, why should you care? Reporting people outside of your department for things like that makes you look petty...especially if you have no clue what you're talking about. But, people do it anyway. I guess some would rather find out that they should stop being so nosy than to just let something slide.




Unfortunately, all older females. In my experience, I have the most conflict with females vs males. All the time. I don't like living with females for the same reason. All throughout college, I lived with mostly guys. I could live with 1 other girl and a guy...but never all girls.

There's always some drama over something.

Came back to repost a response, after rethinking it.

If it's a one time thing, someone's being extremely petty about it by going to the boss. As a boss, I'd be annoyed by an employee coming to me for something in that manner. However, if it was something that was happening on a daily basis, that I as a manager wasn't noticing, I don't think I'd mind if someone made a more generic statement in front of me (without naming specific names). That would leave the ball in my court whether I wanted to pursue it or not.

 

[DrPizza]

Although the millennials are struggling, I'd rather struggle now and get it out of the way. Millennials are going to be the deal-savvy, DIY group like the people who lived through the great depression. We'll have to be.

Wait... aren't the millennials the generation that sit in their cars and wait for AAA to come change their tire for them?

I knew a lot of people who had lived through the great depression. There's no comparison to today's millennials in terms of mindset.

 

[SheHateMe]

I aint changing no stinking tires.


Don't want to mess my nails up.

 

[Imp]

Wait... aren't the millennials the generation that sit in their cars and wait for AAA to come change their tire for them?

I knew a lot of people who had lived through the great depression. There's no comparison to today's millennials in terms of mindset.

No, millennials are the ones that don't even have a car .

 

[ImpulsE69]

No, millennials are the ones that don't even have a car .

LOL...and living with the parents at 28. I honestly feel bad in that aspect..I just couldn't imagine never moving out...or having to move back in. Hope to hell I never have to do that.

 

[88keys]

The more secure the job, the worse the petty politics. Sometimes I think we aught to move into office trailers and keep people hopping from trailer to trailer just to disrupt habit formation.

I'd have to agree with this even though it doesn't make sense. One place I worked for was very strict with employees in regards to attendance, quality of work, and productivity. It wasn't hard to get fired from there at all so there was alot of cutthroat crap going on. I worked there for 7 years and I thought I had seen the worse..... Until I got my next job. And it was almost impossible to get fired from this place (union), and the drama there was beyond horrendous. The stories I have are beyond ridiculous. Ridiculous in the sense that you can't make this shit up. When If found my current, job I was gone. No notice, no nothing. I'd rather work 100 hours a week as a janitor for Taco Bell than have to ever set foot in that place ever again. And I'm dead fucking serious. To put it in perspective. The job I have now pays a little less, and I do more work, and I'm much happier.

And the more work part hasn't really bothered me. At my last job, I worked in the QC lab doing sedentary work in AC all day which is nice. But I put on alot of weight because of that. Now I work for a small business and although I work in the QC dept, I am required to work on the shop floor when needed. Which I admittedly wasn't thrilled about when I took the job, but in hindsight I think it works out pretty good as I get a balance of sitting on my ass and doing real work which should help me keep my weight down. I've actually been volunteering myself to work on the floor since I started dieting about 6 months ago.

And it's a pretty good atmosphere. There really isn't that us and them crap you see going on at so many other places. Even the owner who is most certainly a millionaire will put on a pair of gloves and work when they are busy enough. Which I think helps boost morale. Either way, the people here seem to be pretty happy. And hence there is not alot of drama.

I think it comes down to personality types in addition to age.

Older people dislike us younger folks because we exude positive energy and are actually in a good mood most of the time. We generally have a more optimistic outlook on life and try to make the best of our situation. We also tend to be more social with one another and are much more willing to spend time with co-workers outside of work. We don't necessarily agree that life has to be some endless struggle.

Older folks have already had these positive feelings drilled out of them by decades of dull, repetitive, and uninspiring work. They've built up a lot mental baggage over the years which governs what they consider to be 'normal' behavior. This puts them into a negative mindset where not only are they not enjoying themselves, but they don't want to see anyone else enjoying themselves either. They will behave in petty, trite, or outright rude ways as an outlet for their displeasure -> office politics.

(obviously these are generalizations and don't apply to everyone)

I think this is the case for some people.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts on the current generational gap based on my experiences and others my age. I urge my peers to resist becoming the same miserable, curmudgeon-like people that we despise today.

I most certainly hope that it's avoidable.

But one thing I'll give the baby boomers. They made much better music than we did.