As the economy began its downturn, in late 2007, I was freelancing 40 hours/week on-site in the creative department of a large corporate client. A couple month gig. Due to the money and the fact that I was a sub-contractor, this opportunity to return to cubicle life after 2 years away was refreshing at first. Life on my own was good up until then, the business momentum was building, but a steady stint was welcomed. 

But not long into it, watching the way people treated each other from my removed sub-contractor perspective, I thought, “The actual product or service is irrelevant, this place is a hate factory. Their product is hate for one another AND for themselves.”

An inefficient status quo, setting people up to fail, passive-aggressiveness, hearing people talk about vile pieces of shit getting promoted, rewarding mediocrity, the “battles”—yup, a hate factory. 

Their stress and ugliness was somewhat explained, about three months after I quit working there they had a substantial layoff. This was early 2008, too, so our world tension at that point in time can definitely be factored in as well. But still, the term hate factory applied. This is a term that applies to small companies as well as large ones. 

About a year or so after their layoff, I ran into a person who had worked there. They told me how their distance from that company allowed them to look at their former day-to-day environment and see how sick it really was. This person also pointed out that post-layoff, a bunch of vile pieces of shit got big promotions as well.

Do you work in a hate factory? 

The prevalence of hate factories and the prolonged economic downturn. I’m no scientist, but there has to be a connection. For more thoughts on the workforce of 2000–2010, check out my book. Or e-mail me for the first chapters if you want, info is to the right. 

And as the old saying goes, the beatings will continue until morale improves.