Culture and Trends

Aaron Stadler is one of hundreds of people holding hand-made cardboard signs on busy intersections throughout Denver today. But unlike that vast majority, he's not asking for a hand out; he's asking for work. Don't dismiss him among the typical "will work for food" panhandlers (most of which aren't really looking for work at all) because Aaron's seriously wanting a job. A real job. He's nicely groomed and professionally dressed and he's ready for an interview. If you'd g

Think 'lack of work ethic' of the young workforce is a criticism leveled only by American employers? Think again. This story from the U.K. tells the story of an owner of a large farm in England whose frustration with young job seekers has escalated to the point he is publicly lambasting--and even boycotting--the teen job applicants coming from the local Jobcentre. "They have no work ethic and unfit for the labour market," 54-year-old Richard Haddock says. "They turn up lat

Ben works hard. His job at the quarry calls for long days of back-breaking labor operating heavy equipment and risking injury while lifting large rocks. True or False: Ben possesses great work ethic. Trick question. There isn't enough information to determine whether or not Ben has a great work ethic. Even though Ben performs hard work, we don't know if Ben is reliable, or whether he frequently calls in sick or arrives late. We don't know if he does only what is required

Pull any manager aside and ask them to describe the emerging front line workforce and terms like ‘entitled’ and ‘poor work ethic’ will enter into the conversation. I interact with thousands of managers in the hospitality industry each year, and this I can say with certainty. At last year’s CHART conference in New Orleans, a regional training manager for a large restaurant chain lamented to me, “the work ethic has gotten so bad that our people are in the perpetual mode of tryi

This going to strike a nerve, but here goes... I know times are tough. I know people are losing their jobs and struggling. I know work is hard to find. I know things cost now more than they used to. I know all the rationale behind letting your adult children move back home with you. Nonetheless, I don't agree with it. It is my opinion that parents who allow their struggling twenty-somethings to move back home are doing them a disservice. Yet, according to a new report in