What's your definition of a "millennial"?

[RealAvalon]

As the video clip above demonstrates so effectively, Gen X-ers are pretty much overshadowed by two larger more self absorbed generations. They are the middle child of generational demographics.

There is a recent book out about the disappearance of the middle child, so many families now have only two kids, there are no middle kids. (and the kids are almost always exactly 2 1/2 years apart … at least in my social circle).

[+ GregM]

A whiny little cunt with no work ethic. Usually 18-30ish I own a biz and I've told my partner no millenials. Age discrimination? Maybe. But I need people who want to work, work smart and dont whine.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Guest]

I've had it up to here with the recriminations between baby boomers and millennials. There's always overgeneralizations and the Boomers sound like old folks yelling at people to get off their lawn...

 

I've been in the workforce for 32 years, and I've never seen the work ethic (or lack thereof) that I've seen in our hires over the last 5 years. Nothing nearly like it. Part of the problem may be that we've had full employment for the last half-dozen years, so workers today may feel more like employers should be privileged that they do any work at all, rather than the employee feeling privileged to have a solid job. After the deaths of each of my parents, I took about 10 days' off bereavement. 3 months for a stillbirth? What was he doing all that time? Just sitting around moping and watching TV? Yes, I'm still haunted by the death of my parents, but sitting around at home moping isn't going to make things better. All I can say is that I've never seen anything like it in all my decades working. I hear some democrats even proposing paying people who are simply "work averse."

Sorry, but the egocentric behavior that I often see in Millennials is not something I ever saw in my generation or in Generation X. But they can't be all bad. I think I'm about to marry one.

[Chad Constantine]

In most countries, it would be assumed that the mother would have a paid year off after the birth or adoption of a child. Of course in some countries, Sweden/Norway, its two years. Miscarriages are another thing of course. When we had one, I was at work the next day.

 

I do find there is a need for regular positive acknowledgements with under 40's, I don't know if that is just good interpersonal behavior or just a great big time suck. I can go both ways on that.

 

That is crazy to have to pay someone for a year of no work. I can understand maybe 2-3 weeks but a year is crazy. You might as well open your own company nursery. We really need to bring back the older generation qualities of being apathetic parents, disciplining kids, having kids do as they are told, and teaching your kids to grow a pair.

[jjkrkwood]

That is crazy to have to pay someone for a year of no work. I can understand maybe 2-3 weeks but a year is crazy. You might as well open your own company nursery. We really need to bring back the older generation qualities of being apathetic parents, disciplining kids, having kids do as they are told, and teaching your kids to grow a pair.

 

The me-me-me generation needs to have their phones taken away ! But who's gonna do that when the parents have THEIR own phones welded to their hands.... It's SAD. I am shamed EVERY single day for not owning a cell/smart phone. I don't need it, want it or miss it …… I'll stay in the dark ages when people were really WOKE !

[Chad Constantine]

The me-me-me generation needs to have their phones taken away ! But who's gonna do that when the parents have THEIR own phones welded to their hands.... It's SAD. I am shamed EVERY single day for not owning a cell/smart phone. I don't need it, want it or miss it …… I'll stay in the dark ages when people were really WOKE !

 

I would love if that would work but we were already on the road to become a bunch of crying pussies because the word police came around the late 90s and everyone was all

[longtime lurker]

I've had it up to here with the recriminations between baby boomers and millennials. There's always overgeneralizations and the Boomers sound like old folks yelling at people to get off their lawn. Blaming Boomers for everything that's wrong is equally annoying.

 

Why doesn't anyone drag Generation X into this? Are they now too old to get dumped on? I seem to remember a time when they were blamed for everything, back when they were the young whippersnappers. Seeing as they are reputedly more apathetic and apolitical than Boomers or Millennials/Generation Y, it seems to me they make better targets of disdain if one absolutely must engage in intergenerational disdain.

 

I helped get myself into the medical condition I'm in now by putting work ahead of my health, so complaints about supposed laziness and lack of work ethic don't ring a bell with me.

 

Full disclosure: I'm a Boomer and my daughter is a late millennial.

The Generation Xers are still outnumbered by the other generations so the complaining and dumping didn't last as long or generate as much commotion as it did with the others. For example, there is a batch of them currently running for president in the one party: Corey Booker, Beto O'Rouke, Julián Castro, Andrew Yang, Kirsten Gillibrand and, being a bit younger than the others, Pete Buttigieg and Tulsi Gabbard. Yet only the 1982-born candidate, the "gay one", seems to have a voice loud enough to compete. In an amusing way, this is probably Generation X's biggest flaw. They were raised by parents either too focused on being "Me" during the "Me" Decade or neurotic Yuppies so they are more used to blending in with the furniture in order to avoid conflict.

 

What amuses me so much about the playful videos in particular is that they are less about age and generation and more about Stubborn Personality versus Stubborn Personality. "I am right and therefore you aren't". The only real difference between generations is the technology and changing culture in their lives. Just as one generation was used to horses and another "horseless carriages", one is currently addicted to a box with a picture screen in front of their couch (i.e. television is dying, but it is a slow death since many raised on it are merely at retirement age but not dead yet) and another on electronic devices "glued" to their sides and struggling them to turn them off long enough to stay focused on more obvious concerns in life, including work. Yet we can not cookie cutter everybody the same way. It really boils down to how adaptable an individual is to other individuals.

Edited August 15, 2019 by longtime lurker

[RealAvalon]

That is crazy to have to pay someone for a year of no work. I can understand maybe 2-3 weeks but a year is crazy. You might as well open your own company nursery. We really need to bring back the older generation qualities of being apathetic parents, disciplining kids, having kids do as they are told, and teaching your kids to grow a pair.

It's good for the child, its good for the parents, and its good social policy for the countries. Reduces the need for childcare investments, reduces health care costs. Most programs are provided through the existing unemployment insurance schemes, its not the individual companies supporting the worker.

[mike carey]

That is crazy to have to pay someone for a year of no work. I can understand maybe 2-3 weeks but a year is crazy. You might as well open your own company nursery. We really need to bring back the older generation qualities of being apathetic parents, disciplining kids, having kids do as they are told, and teaching your kids to grow a pair.

Translation: If only women knew their place and didn't try to get into the workforce, that's where men belong.

 

Leaving aside all the reasons related to the health of mothers and their children (and there are many), providing paid maternal leave usually makes business sense (perhaps not for minimum wage insecure jobs, and some small companies). Trained employees are an asset to companies, and maternal leave helps them retain that expertise, and knowing that it will be available makes female employees more confident in their place in the company. Companies that provide leave are more attractive to prospective female employees, helping them attract good staff. Even when it is not legally mandated, many big companies do provide generous maternal leave: it's a business decision, not an altruistic one. It may come as a surprise, but some companies do provide nurseries on site, they make it easier for women to return to work.

 

In many countries governments fund maternal leave, although some mandate it as an employment condition. In Australia the government funds 18 weeks at the minimum wage, but when that was introduced, many big companies already offered 12 weeks at full pay, and most have maintained that. Some countries also fund paternal leave, as that makes it easier for families to manage the early years of childhood. Some allow couples to choose whether the father or mother takes much of the leave, some in Scandinavia allow some leave that is only available to new fathers.

[+ FreshFluff]

Personally, I would like to say that Millennials are currently about 20-35 years old. And apparently, to me, it seems that technology defines the generation. A Millennial is anyone who made it through at least most of their teen years and up with modern technology (high speed internet, texting, social media, etc.).

 

Does Usenet Dejanews count?

[+ Keith30309]

...Even when it is not legally mandated, many big companies do provide generous maternal leave: it's a business decision, not an altruistic one....

Source

 

Turnover seems to vary by wage and role of employee. For example, a CAP study found average costs to replace an employee are:

 

• 16 percent of annual salary for high-turnover, low-paying jobs (earning under $30,000 a year). For example, the cost to replace a $10/hour retail employee would be $3,328.
  
• 20 percent of annual salary for midrange positions (earning $30,000 to $50,000 a year). For example, the cost to replace a $40k manager would be $8,000.
  
• Up to 213 percent of annual salary for highly educated executive positions. For example, the cost to replace a $100k CEO is $213,000.
  

[Guest]

In many countries governments fund maternal leave, although some mandate it as an employment condition. In Australia the government funds 18 weeks at the minimum wage...

That seems reasonable, especially if I were to say 16 weeks. However, months on end of full pay doesn't strike me as fair, especially in a high-paying job, and especially if the employee hasn't been there for a while. A lot of the millennials we've hired recently get hired and start work literally with a bun in the oven, take off within months of being hired, then take off for extended periods of time. Having on-site child care makes good business sense in my view. I think that maternal/paternal leave should be predicated on having worked at a place for at least one year. Otherwise it's too easy to game the system. Once your child-rearing is done, what's to prevent the employee from jumping ship? I suppose one solution would be to have the "pay" be a loan, which is forgiven after X years' continuous work, with X being the number of months taken off. (Full disclosure: where I work, the job is held, but one does not get paid for extended time off)

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

A whiny little cunt with no work ethic. Usually 18-30ish I own a biz and I've told my partner no millenials. Age discrimination? Maybe. But I need people who want to work, work smart and dont whine.

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

.., Greg, you really need to learn to just speak your mind. Don't hold back so much.

 

[+ tassojunior]

That seems reasonable, especially if I were to say 16 weeks. However, months on end of full pay doesn't strike me as fair, especially in a high-paying job, and especially if the employee hasn't been there for a while. A lot of the millennials we've hired recently get hired and start work literally with a bun in the oven, take off within months of being hired, then take off for extended periods of time. Having on-site child care makes good business sense in my view. I think that maternal/paternal leave should be predicated on having worked at a place for at least one year. Otherwise it's too easy to game the system. Once your child-rearing is done, what's to prevent the employee from jumping ship? I suppose one solution would be to have the "pay" be a loan, which is forgiven after X years' continuous work, with X being the number of months taken off. (Full disclosure: where I work, the job is held, but one does not get paid for extended time off)

 

The German government does all that paid parental leave plus pays for a six-week vacation each year for every worker and pays for hotel or spa accommodations for two weeks while on that vacation. And that is why Germany has the best workers in the world. It's a business decision that pays off well for the country.

 

And unless you encourage children or let in a lot of "illegal" immigrants, Social Security goes broke.

[+ WilliamM]

The German government does all that paid parental leave plus pays for a six-week vacation each year for every worker and pays for hotel or spa accommodations for two weeks while on that vacation. And that is why Germany has the best workers in the world. It's a business decision that pays off well for the country.

 

And unless you encourage children or let in a lot of "illegal" immigrants, Social Security goes broke.

 

I spent Christmas 1972 in a small West German town. Even on Christmas Eve, some neighbors were clearing brush in a nearby forest. Germans are seldom lazy. The benefits are quite generous, but mostly very well deserved.

[+ GregM]

.., Greg, you really need to learn to just speak your mind. Don't hold back so much.

 

 

LOL Love me or hate me I just cant hold my tongue sometimes.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[MassageDrew]

Useless

[RealAvalon]

They're older than some seem to think. They are pushing 40 now, the 25-40 age group. Under 25 aren't Millennials

[LaffingBear]

Someone whose mother has his 5th place trophy and the certificates of effort on display in the bedroom where he grew up.

[+ ArVaGuy]

I saw a Gen Xer quietly minding their own business while the self-absorbed oldster and youngster cried for more attention.

[+ oldNbusted]

I saw a Gen Xer quietly minding their own business while the self-absorbed oldster and youngster cried for more attention.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATTMB4gH3sU

 

 

"I’m Gen X. I just sit on the sidelines and watch the world burn."

[Guest]

"I’m Gen X. I just sit on the sidelines and watch the world burn."

 

Yeah, I'm a boomer, and I'm never going to die! And when I went to the UCLA Medical School, which was the #10 medical school in the nation at the time, the tuition was $1500 per year! One of our millennials came back to work after taking 6 months' off for family leave. She said "I'm only going to be working half-time for a while, so I can ease my way back into work." Honey? You're 27 and need to ease your way back into work? I wonder how the hell she's paying back all of those massive student loans these millennials are all supposed to have. I've been working full-time almost since the day I graduated, and then some (still average some 50 hours per week). While you were kicking back, I've been stashing away. I've paid into social security all of those decades, and I'll take my share back, thank you. But you're right, I won't exactly be needing it...

[+ OliverSaks]

1) college tuition rates have exploded (and a degree is MANDATORY, even for many, many entry-level positions)

2) rental costs / real estate has exploded

3) wage growth has not even close to kept up with 1 & 2

 

Just for fun, plugging into various inflation calculators online, 1,500$ in 1975 would be around 7,000$ today

 

1500 a year tuition at a top ten med school?! It cost me 35,000 in tuition a year for my middle of the road state med school (my friends from out of state were paying 60k plus for tuition) - 12,000 for tuition per year undergrad at my state school

- I won’t go into all the specific ways that our universities are just squeezing every penny out of students, but they have found *such* creative ways (coursepacks, online problem sets, lab fees, etc)

 

Boomers, the world is not the same and no amount of avoiding Avocado Toast is going to save my generation - I’m very thankful for the generosity of my Boomer clientele, but please, be real about how things are

[RealAvalon]

All of the pejorative descriptions of self-absorption … its reminding me of someone that's in the news a lot … hmmm … who is it?

[Guest]

...One of our millennials came back to work after taking 6 months' off for family leave. She said "I'm only going to be working half-time for a while, so I can ease my way back into work." Honey? You're 27 and need to ease your way back into work? I wonder how the hell she's paying back all of those massive student loans these millennials are all supposed to have. I've been working full-time almost since the day I graduated, and then some (still average some 50 hours per week). While you were kicking back, I've been stashing away...