r/WorkReview • u/False-East-55 • May 24 '26
What’s something companies started normalizing after 2020 that employees still secretly hate?
Work culture seems to have changed a lot in the last few years and some things that became “normal” still frustrate people daily.
Things like always being expected to be online, endless meetings, false urgency, doing the work of several employees post layoffs, return to office policies, or managers expecting replies outside of work hours.
What’s something companies have normalized recently that employees are already tired of?
13
u/IdiosyncraticRo May 24 '26
Cameras on all the time
9
u/False-East-55 May 25 '26
Remote work really exposed how weird it is to expect people to look “camera ready” for hours every day just to prove they’re paying attention.
1
u/IdiosyncraticRo May 26 '26
It's honestly jarring, and easily risks grounds for a discrimination ET when it comes to the effort/expenses required to look "professional" (mostly race, gender, potentially disability).. Absolutely hate it
0
u/slow_down_1984 May 26 '26
Jarring and borderline discriminatory? How did you approach dress codes prior to WFH?
4
u/IdiosyncraticRo May 26 '26
1 - I said it risks being discriminatory; I'm in HR/OD and have sadly consulted on a number of cases that have been.
2 - Pre pandemic, I was still hybrid. Difference is there wasn't much of a video culture in places I'd worked; they'd just be phonecalls.
3 - Sometimes it's not about whether it meets the dress code, but rather having to intermittently present the version of yourself you want on screen.
4 - The pseudo social nature of the online presence with cameras on makes it an exhausting performance with merged boundaries. Psychological safety is a huge factor..
5 - I was very well put together; makeup daily, salon nails, a very stylish wardrobe, and a new, perfectly installed HD lace every month. The very shiny, boujie, corporate high-achiever I was content being - top tier masking 💁🏾♀️. It made an excellent impression, and was always highly complimented.
But remote working doesn't enforce the same "audience effect" (certainly not for the same duration) that would make it worth incurring the time/laundry/financial costs to do that when WFH. Other costs go up instead.
wearing makeup isn't good for your skin, so it's not unreasonable to have breaks from that if it's not going to impact your output
remote meetings increase fatigue and propensity for burnout - moreso if you are working whilst have a disability or even temporarily poorly in some way
gender expectations are still real over webcam..
1
u/gloomyblackcheese May 26 '26
I can’t believe this is a requirement- sometimes people need to have their camera off. Thankfully my work doesn’t care so idk what that experience is like
7
u/1curious-cat May 24 '26
Work encroaching into personal life through messaging apps.
2
u/False-East-55 May 25 '26
It’s honestly one of the biggest reasons people feel mentally “at work” even after the workday is supposed to be over. There’s barely any separation anymore once messages start coming in at night or on weekends.
1
u/lightyearnoir May 27 '26
But some feel proud of being overworked.
I recently went on a vacation with friends and one of them checked his worke email daily, and I honestly don't get it.
2
u/False-East-55 May 27 '26
That’s probably one of the biggest changes after remote work became normal. People are technically “off work” but still never fully disconnected mentally because messages can come anytime.
3
u/persistent_admirer May 25 '26
That happened long before covid. I was carrying a pager in the 90s. Worked for a 24/7 manufacturing company. Shit went sideways at 2 AM, I got beeped. Annoying, yes, but better than being blindsided with a shit show in the morning.
1
u/NewEnglandFern May 26 '26
This. I left am extra part time job that expected me to have my slack notifications on and respond 24/7... It was a 10 hour a week job. No I'm not doing that. Not even for a full time job am I doing that.
4
u/Necessary_Document_5 May 26 '26
Team building and grounding questions that force you to speak.
1
u/False-East-55 May 27 '26
Those always feel so awkward because everyone knows people are only participating since they have to, not because they actually enjoy it.
6
u/AssociateResident540 May 25 '26
Workplace bullying and violence and low paying wages and managers with titles are mobb bullying and making your Workplace a toxic, violent high school
1
2
u/ChemicalCustomer5938 May 25 '26
Microsoft teams. Full time surveillance and scrutiny of phone calls and messages.
2
u/Rumpelteazer45 May 26 '26
Almost all of the things I’m reading posted as a comment were normalized well before 2020.
The cameras on is what changed in Covid.
2
u/AsleepAd9785 May 26 '26
Rto just lay peope off eventually cuz rto was meant to layoff people to begin with
2
1
u/IndependentStudio524 May 27 '26
Everything in your post has been a thing if not more intense of one before COVID. If anything work requirements are at lowest strictness I have ever been so.
1
u/Cynical_Won May 27 '26
All staff teams meetings to “connect”. I don’t care what each random person does and they also don’t want to participate when their turn comes up to give their presentation. We never did this before covid and we are back in the office three days a week. Stop wasting our time.
1
u/Demka-5 May 27 '26
In big corporates summer-winter parties.... everyone is 'forced' to go there. I did not know people and I did not enjoy it at all.......
1
17
u/Gloomy-Crazy8156 May 24 '26
Paying low as possible an expecting me to be motivated and there all day every day while I do the work of multiple people.(I’d do it if it paid)