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by g051051 1937 days ago
> In software engineering, in general, companies take extremely good care of their workforce because labor is very scarce and expensive.

Not that I've seen. I experienced a lot of "abuse" like OP mentioned in the last few years at my last job, and it was a common complaint from my peers at other companies around the country. It sounds to me like you're really lucky.
2 comments
arcbyte 1937 days ago
Never ever ever stay where someone treats you badly. There are great leaders out there, go work for them. I ask questions in my interviews to get at what kind of leader I'll be working for and that's the #1 consideration for me. I want to work with people who care.

By the same token, I try to take excellent care of my teammates and coworkers who report to me. The primary way I do this is by reporting to them as well.

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hntrader 1937 days ago
I've worked with people who would self-report feelings of being mistreated, but the real reason was that they were underperforming and the boss was not giving them the appreciation they mistakenly thought that they deserved. Their ego couldn't handle being rightly terminated or reprimanded, and they'd respond by forming uncharitably negative opinions about their prior boss, when it was their incompetence or negative attitude that was the issue.

So I always interpret such anecdotes very sceptically unless it's a particularly egregious account, unless I've witnessed it directly, or unless I know that I can trust them.

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g051051 1937 days ago
It didn't start out that way. I worked in the same place for a lot of years, but it started deteriorating rapidly when new management came in, they tried to push "Agile", etc. I don't work there any more. Even when it was good for me, I would still here stories from friends and colleagues in other places about terrible management.
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wegs 1937 days ago
I'd compare to other industries.

My experience is perceptions of abuse and abuse are very different. What passes for abuse in software engineering would be a dream job in e.g. retail, education, construction, or many other segments of the economy.

Jerks and nice people are everywhere, but the underlying baseline is set by power dynamics.

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