The Abuses of Corporate Management Against Employees

The Abuses of Corporate Management Toward Employees: A Critical Examination

Corporate management is generally believed to play a vital, positive role in (1) shaping their individual workplace cultures, (2) insuring that employees feel a prevailing sense of satisfaction, and (3) the overall business success of their organizations. However, there's an almost diabolical darker side to corporate leadership that involves significant abuses of power including indifference toward and exploitation of employees. These abuses can be wide in scope and impact, occurring randomly or systematically, taking many forms, from financial exploitation to emotional manipulation, and they have a profound consequence on individuals, families, companies, and society at large. This article explores some – by no means all of – the various ways corporate management can, and too often does, abuse its power. Hopefully, we can offer insights into the broader implications for the workforce and corporate responsibility.

?Wage Theft and Financial Exploitation

?As incredible as this sounds, “wage theft” is one of the most direct, explicit, and pernicious forms of abuse. This destructive situation occurs when employers do not pay employees the just, full amount they have earned within a pay period. This is often accomplished by misclassifying workers, refusing to compensate employees for overtime, or withholding/diluting tips. A 2017 study by the Economic Policy Institute estimated that wage theft costs U.S. workers billions of dollars annually, and, as one would expect, it impacts low-wage workers disproportionately.

?Another aspect of financial exploitation is compelling employees to work off-the-clock or during unpaid breaks. Management often discourages employees (sometimes threateningly) from taking breaks/lunches during busy time periods. These practices violate labor laws and leave workers with fewer resources to support themselves and their families. Corporate management that engages in these practices not only undermines workers' rights, but also contributes to income inequality, and reduced employee morale/motivation.

?Excessive Work Hours and Work-Life Imbalance

?Corporate management often pressures employees to work longer hours, sometimes without additional compensation. This expectation can lead to a toxic work environment where employees feel compelled to sacrifice their personal lives for their jobs. The culture of overwork (especially when combined with low pay) has been linked to a range of negative outcomes, including burnout, decreased productivity, “quiet quitting”, and adverse health effects.

?In some cases, employees are expected to remain available after hours, including weekends and holidays, responding to emails and phone calls. This "always-on" culture blurs the boundary line between work and personal time, leading to a work-life imbalance that can produce stress on many levels and reduce overall quality of life. Corporate management that prioritizes productivity and profitability over employee well-being contributes to a cycle of exploitation and burnout. Beware when corporations utter the false claims that “our employees are our greatest assets.” Although there is great truth to that overused statement, it does not say anything about appreciating and taking care of those “assets”. This corporate attitude became recognizable when the “Personnel Office” (with a focus on people), became “Human Resources” with a focus on plug-and-play assets.

?Harassment and Discrimination

?Harassment and discrimination are significant issues in many corporate environments, and affect employees across all demographic groups. Employees may face verbal, sexual, or emotional harassment from managers or colleagues.

Discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or other protected characteristics is not only illegal, but also creates a hostile work environment. Is it any wonder that the duration of employment with any one company has been decreasing for decades?

?Corporate management that fails to address harassment and/or discrimination issues often fosters a detrimental, toxic culture where employees feel unsafe and marginalized. In some cases, companies, rather than addressing the issue(s) might attempt to cover up these issues to protect their corporate and many times individual reputations, further victimizing those who come forward with the expectation of acquiring help. This type of abuse can have long-lasting, debilitating psychological effects on employees and contributes to a culture of fear, mistrust, and resentment.

?Unreasonable Performance Expectations and Micromanagement

Another form of abuse by corporate management is imposing unreasonable performance expectations on employees. Parallel to this issue is stating actual job responsibilities, and then adding to those duties without discussion with or acceptance of those duties from the employee. Quite often these abuses are done using the threat of termination or disciplinary action resulting from insubordination. This pressure to meet unattainable goals can lead to high stress, burnout, an attitude of “doing only the minimal”, and a decline in morale.

?When management adopts a micromanagement approach, employees often feel undervalued and incapable of making decisions independently. This lack of autonomy stifles creativity and innovation, implies incompetence, indicates a distrust of the employees ability and willingness to perform tasks, and may result in reducing overall job satisfaction.

?Micromanagement can also create a hostile work environment, where employees feel constantly scrutinized and judged. This dynamic erodes trust between management and employees, leading to high turnover rates and a negative workplace culture. The retail segment is highly susceptible to these abuses.

?Retaliation and Whistleblower Suppression

?Employees who speak out against corporate abuses, under the implied yet incorrect expectation of anonymity, often face retaliation from management or even co-workers. After all, “snitches get stitches”. This retaliation can take a wide variety forms, including demotion, verbal/written warnings, termination, or creating a hostile work environment sufficient to force the employee to leave.

?Retaliation not only harms the individual employee but also sends a chilling message to others who might consider exposing corporate wrongdoing.

?Whistleblower suppression is another way corporate management can abuse its power. By discouraging employees from reporting unethical behavior, management creates an environment where misconduct can thrive. This suppression undermines transparency and accountability, making it difficult for companies to address systemic issues.

?Conclusion

?Corporate management wields significant power over the lives of their employee, and that power should guarantee their responsibility to treat employees with fairness and respect.

?Unfortunately, the abuses outlined in this article (and many others that we haven’t discussed) are all too common in the current corporate world. From wage theft and financial exploitation to harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, these abuses have far-reaching consequences for individuals, companies, and society as a whole.

?Addressing these issues requires a multi-faceted approach. Governments and regulatory bodies must enforce labor laws and protect workers' rights. Companies must cultivate a culture of transparency, accountability, and respect, ensuring that employees have a safe and supportive work environment. Employees must be empowered to speak out against abuse without fear of retaliation.

?Ultimately, creating a fair and equitable workplace benefits everyone, fostering a more just society and a healthier business environment. Corporate management must rise to the challenge, recognizing that the well-being of employees is integral to the success of any organization.

?What is staggering is that an article such as this one needs to be written. Corporations, and the priority of profits over people, continue to grow more powerful, and more hypocritical. Beware. Once the people leave, so do the profits.

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