The world certainly has changed.
I was reminded of this just the other day when a friend of mine told me he had advertised a position in his business and one of the applicants arrived for the scheduled interview but had someone with them.
When it was the person’s turn to be interviewed, they both stood up.
Somewhat confused, my friend asked if they both were applying for the job, only to be told that the applicant had brought a support person.
Now, we all have challenges and are all wired differently.
But my first thought would have been: ‘Well, if the support person helps you get the job, are they also coming along to help you do the job?’
Maybe it was a good thing – two for the price of one.
Call me old fashioned, but I find it somewhat precious.
Now, before you nail me to the wall, this person didn’t have any learning difficulties or anything like that.
The support person was there to make sure it was a good deal for the employee.
Nothing else.
I shouldn’t be surprised, though.
Today’s Australia is far different to the one I grew up in: some ways better, some far worse.
In my workplace 40 or so years ago, if you were doing a sh*t job, you would get told exactly that.
No calls for bullying or anything else.
You just had to do better or find another job.
In the pub game in the ’80s to ’90s, a manager was expected to do 60 to 70 hours a week, with no compensation for public holidays or anything else and no time in lieu.
You had an agreed salary and that was what was expected to get the job done.
Maybe I should borrow Old Mate’s support person and wind my work history back a few decades to see what I should have been entitled to in today’s standards.
Time in lieu would be massive.
I could probably retire now and not even worry about the pension.
Then there would be the hundreds of times I was bullied by my boss – all justified for poor decisions I made.
But hey, these days that doesn’t matter.
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It turns out nothing is actually my fault, so cha-ching again: more cash coming my way.
Is the world a better place in 2023?
Nothing is black and white, and everyone wants to be outraged about something.
You know what? I’m outraged about that.
But I am just going to have some ‘me time’, although the support person who lives in my house may not agree.
Sorry, her house.
Ashley Robinson is a columnist with Sunshine Coast News and My Weekly Preview. His views are his own.
