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I think the reason why stories like the Sqirl story draw such strong reactions is because of the way these companies make us feel. They create these progressive, 'our employees and customers are like family' vibes and we want to believe in that. For example:
I once worked at a 'progressive' company that made me contract FT for 3 months, withheld insurance for 6, and paid me $15K less than other employees in the same job. When I found out, it gutted me because I had done so much for them.
I was not the only person mistreated there. I read a story about how the owners tried to union bust after I had quit. I also read an interview where a founder said the company was run like a 'socialist collective.' Okay, sure.
I recently passed a story to another journalist because I knew too many parties involved. I'm sure it's forthcoming. It's about a place that called itself a family/safe space and allegedly preyed on its supposed family instead.
Companies... they aren't your family. You work there in exchange for money in a capitalist system. Companies that pretend to be progressive or safe or inclusive when they're actually the opposite are often more insidious than the ones that are just big evil corporations.
And I think it sucks all the more when we were left to think we were spending a few dollars more because the product was healthy or the employees were treated well, and it turns out we just lined the pockets of someone who DIDN'T care about us or their employees.
