Everyone is affected......

I've always been the kind of person who likes to see how things work. I find cause and effect interesting especially when it comes to human behavior. Since the economy has been in a downward spiral the last couple of years, I try to look for the differences that have resulted. I've noticed lots of ways that companies have cut back. The magazines that I receive are half the size they used to be. Many companies have shrunk their portions or cheapened their ingredients in an attempt to remain competitive. Another approach to keep consumers returning has been to offer exceptional deals that would have been unheard of 3 years ago. Some have tried offering free items with little or no purchase required, while others have created cheaper options or significantly reduced the prices of regular items. Obviously, not all of the cutbacks have been bad. I've enjoyed many of the perks of the recession. As a matter of fact, the house we bought this year would have been way out of our price range if the housing market was running as usual. Looking at all of the benefits of the downed economy it almost seems as if, as long as you still have a job, the only negative thing is that the magazines are smaller. I wish this were the case. The truth of the matter is that something very disturbing is happening behind all of the clever product marketing. Corporations have lost their appreciation for their loyal employees. The current rate of unemployment has created a stalemate for those still working. We can't complain about our mistreatment because "at least we still have jobs." Companies are cutting benefits, increasing employee insurance contribution, discontinuing retirement programs, freezing or decreasing wages, all while demanding increased performance in positions where there are less people to shoulder the normal responsibility. It used to be that employers wanted to treat their employees well because they didn't want to lose us to another company. But with the unemployment force supersaturated, there are 10 people waiting to fill your shoes. Not to mention, where else would we go? There are currently little to no job opportunities out there. Five years ago the company I worked for appreciated the work that I did. They made sure that I knew I was an asset to the company's future. This is no longer true. With the current, "cut out whatever expenses that we can" attitude, I am nothing more than one more check they have to write at the end of the week. I have become a burden. Instead of them appreciating the work that I do, I am suppose to be thankful for the favor they have granted me. I never realized how much pride I took in doing a good job and the respect that came along with it, until it disappeared.