overworked, nudity, BBC adaptations, and more

by Alison Green on June 3, 2011

A few miscellaneous updates:

* I’m quoted in this article on what to do if you’re chronically overworked at your job.

* Suzanne Lucas, the Evil HR Lady, takes on the intriguing topic of what to do if you’re working in a foreign culture where you’re expected to get naked with your boss in the sauna.

* This is pretty interesting. It’s the “reference guide” that Netflix uses to introduce new and prospective employees to its culture. It covers the “keeper test” Netflix managers use, their five-word expense policy (“act in Netflix’s best interests”), and more.

* I’ve mentioned my love of Jane Austen adaptations here before, I think. Here’s a new recommendation for something in a similar vein if you’re into that sort of thing, which you should be: Wives and Daughters.

* D.I.Y. hot sauce:  It’s happening this weekend.

You may also like:
{ 16 comments }

{ 16 comments… read them below }

  1. Sabrina*

    So if Netflix doesn’t track PTO and you leave the company, they have nothing to pay out. And only salaried employees get freedom and responsibility? Doesn’t make me want to work there.

    1. Nate*

      Employers are not obligated to pay out excess PTO anyway – there’s no law that protects convertible time into cash. PTO is a luxury, not a right (as of this date).

  3. Mike C.*

    What I find so interesting about the Netflix approach is that while they take a typical “people are responsible for themselves”, they actually give their employees the agency to make those decisions.

  4. Anonymous*

    Definitely thought the naked sauna question was going to be about Japan, where bonding with coworkers at the local hot springs is so common they have a word for it: “skinship”

  5. Jamie*

    Re: Netflix – at least they are open about their culture so that applicants know what they are getting into – and so the type A’s among us wouldn’t waste time on a cover letter. Personally, I would rather work with a brilliant jerk than someone who is pleasant but adequate any day.

    Re: Nudity at work. My favorite line was “I was told it would be very offensive if I were not naked.” I’ve never fully appreciated how lucky I am to work in a culture where everyone keeps their clothes on.

    So when these naked people are talking about work, where do they keep their phones? Or are they just without access to email while they’re in there? No clothes and no email – that’s just wrong on so many levels.

    1. Joe*

      Sure, I might rather work with a brilliant jerk than someone nice but only adequate, but really I’d rather hire nobody at all if those are my only two choices. The point that that presentation is making, which I agree with (based on personal experiences), is that the brilliant jerk has a strong negative effect on the overall output of the team/group/company, just like the adequate employee. “Ability to work well with others” can be a necessary job skill, just as much as “ability to write high quality code” (in my case, where I’m hiring developers) or whatever other technical abilities you might need.

      1. Suz2*

        And thanks…I roped myself into watching the entire series tonight on YouTube …but it was worth every minute!

  7. Chris*

    Well, I have thought about the naked question and I don’t see an issue with it. I seem to remember boot camp. It was not uncommon for a line of guys to be waiting to take a shower with 6-8 nozzles in the room. Once you see one grown man naked, you have pretty much seen them all naked.

  8. Jamie*

    Ee! I love Wives and Daughters. :D I like it because the characters and plot seem a teeny bit more realistic than Jane Austen’s (at least, to me…) and it’s just really fun to watch. I even really enjoy reading the book more than I enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice, but they both have that same hidden sense of humor. :D Good recommendation, and it’s on Netflix! Yay! (Also, I hear North & South is good, also by the same author who wrote Wives and Daughters.)

  9. Stryker*

    In a completely random and seriously out of date comment on a thread that’s years old, I don’t suppose you’ve seen “Bride and Prejudice,” the Bollywood version of Jane Austen’s classic? It’s hysterical!

Comments are closed.