[anbotero]

All those things can and probably will happen at some point. It doesn’t take away that no matter how “good” the company seems to be, the first advice we are selling to fresh soon-to-be-employees is to look for jobs as soon as they get into one. We are selling the idea that we don’t even have the will to keep being where you are comfortable, and simply negotiate better terms when something starts to rub off. Also, if they leave as soon as possible, like in #2, the company would have still lost some money.

To simplify, because everyone’s a Hipster now (yeah, pun intended), since now it’s trending to move every X years from job to job, a lot of neonates do not even consider simply renegotiating extending or improving the terms of their current comfort zone.

[artmageddon]

> because everyone’s a Hipster now (yeah, pun intended), since now it’s trending to move every X years from job to job, a lot of neonates do not even consider simply renegotiating extending or improving the terms of their current comfort zone.

My experience has been with larger companies of the non-startup variety, so I think we're looking at this from two different perspectives. Anyway, it seems like it's been this way for awhile given the way the industry works, I wouldn't necessarily say it's trending. I do agree that people should leave for a good reason(better pay, opportunity, whatever), rather than just passing some specific time frame. As for renegotiating though, in my experience, it's been difficult if not impossible to try to negotiate the terms of one's current comfort zone, as you put it. At my last job, I couldn't even be allowed to adjust the window blind covers due to mid-day sun blinding me, let alone ask for a raise, because the CEO thought that having the blinds at different heights looked ugly.

[anbotero]

I’ve seen or had such experience in both kinds of companies. It’s happened in all of them, although in a high percentage on the startup-kind, but remember this “startup” mentality also invades the employees minds, not just the company’s. Most of all if one of the new employees has had the “pleasure” of working on a project with a lot of perks that maybe their colleagues didn’t or stopped considering given the big company policies, and boasts of them; quickly everybody starts getting out their stable comfort zones and demand all these awesome perks. At least those with the will to do so.

As you said, if you couldn’t adjust the window blind covers so you can work better (not having to succumb to squinting anymore), there is no longer the adequate comfort zone you’d wish you had, and a good enough reason (believe it or not) to start looking at other options. It’s happened to me on a job, where my colleagues would turn off the air conditioning belonging to our whole isle because 22ºC was too cold, but 34ºC was awesome? Heck that! Complained to Management after my (I swear I was polite) suggestions to simply bring jackets were seen as a joke. I do not joke on working environment conditions. I ended up working at home with most benefits (AC, Internet, etc.) being paid by the company. From time to time I let out one or two “troll” comments to those having to work at the office, but I stopped since I realized I don’t really care about obtuse people feeling offended.

If nothing had happened, I would have definitely started looking at other options, or who knows, maybe I received an option offer, like I eventually did.

Risks are everywhere, you just need to be ready to stand up to them and assume them with responsibility and tenacity.

[artmageddon]

> a good enough reason (believe it or not) to start looking at other options.

I usually just picked up my laptop and went to a quiet location to work, especially out of the sun. It sucked though because I'd have to go from a dual-monitor setup to looking at a small laptop screen, so I couldn't win. On top of that annoyance in the immediate present, there were multiple announcements that the company would have to make cuts to our benefits to stay afloat, happening at some unspecified date, which further degraded morale. I and 20 other people got laid off, but I'm in a much better situation now.