this post was submitted on 05 May 2026
1062 points (99.3% liked)

Work Reform

16328 readers
56 users here now

A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

Our Philosophies:

Our Goals

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] hash@slrpnk.net 104 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I don't want 1 hour shipping. I want charming niche shops and fabs where the employees are treated well and able to serve higher quality products, and repair things when they occasionally break.

[–] krisevol@lemmus.org 21 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I get the sentiment, but the market as a whole said differently. I doubt Americans could afford that.

[–] humanamerican@lemmy.zip 30 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Americans could afford to spend more on goods that are actually durable. And those who couldn't would buy used items that actually are worthwhile because they were built to last.

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Maybe they could 50 years ago but they decided then that Walmart was the way to go.

Now all most of them can afford is Walmart

[–] its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago (4 children)

And nothing materially changed between then and now. It's just as possible now as it was then. They just want you to think it isn't.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And nothing materially changed between then and now.

I'd hate to break it to you, but that just isn't true. Manufacturing capabilities have left the continent. People no longer have the relevant expertise to pass on through apprenticeships. We'd basically be starting from scratch, and with corporate hegemony built on cheap overseas labor to compete with.

That doesn't mean it wouldn't be worth doing, but let's not fool ourselves about the uphill battle that it would be, or the very real possibility that people would just keep using the cheap convenient corporations instead of supporting local fabs

[–] its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 week ago (5 children)

You're absolutely right. The word I chose was poor. What I meant was the underlying rules of the material world hasn't changed. Atoms still act the same way, and all that. It was an exceptionally weird way to make an even weirder point, but yeah.

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I don't think it's people can't afford it, but you don't even know if the expensive item is any better.

I have seen identical products on Amazon sold at quite different prices. The expensive one is just as shit but will cost you more.

Long warranties you could actually trust would probably help. But you need to build that trust too

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I really just want a choice in shopping that isn't Amazon, Target, or Walmart.

Like, there are pretty much no mom and pop shores anymore. There's an occasional "niche" bigbox, like Dicks or Walmart or Marshalls...but like, for real, there's nothing left.

And then, you think you're going direct to manufacturer, but nope, just a fancy skin on top of Amazon.

Or worse, twice so far, is order something from eBay and have it delivered in Amazon packaging on an Amazon truck.

[–] nucleative@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

All the ma and pa shops were forced into selling on Walmart and Amazon and eBay etc.

They are equally beat to shit by the platform pushing their prices down, the platform controlling the visibility of their products, and countless rules that if ever broken result in a permanent platform ban, ending the business.

[–] cravl@slrpnk.net 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Walmart is niche?? I feel like I must be misinterpreting. 😅

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I could've sworn I said BestBuy...which I would consider "niche" in that, I can't think of a single other retailer in my area that competes directly as an electronics store.

There's maybe an appliance shop nearby still? But I'm hundreds of miles away from even a Fry's. No more CircuitCity or CompUSA or even Sears.

If I didn't have a wholesale club nearby or a MicroCenter ~90 mins away, I wouldn't have a clue where to buy a TV (for example), in person, besides WalMart, Target, or BestBuy.

Online, the first that comes to mind is those, and Amazon. Then if I start to think deep I'll think maybe Newegg?

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 50 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No matter how sassy your reply is if it is on twitter you're part of the problem.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CptOblivius@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We used to have 2 day shipping. Now I'm lucky to get stuff the same week with prime. Price decrease? Nope price increase. Amazon sucks.

[–] paper_moon@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

That was my experience. Also the 2 hour prime stuff when offered was never stuff you needed, its gonna be paper towels or a hat or something competely stupid, not like a car part that if I could get it here in 2 hours would be really fucking helpful so I could finish the project today!

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 20 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Really. Nobody asked for this.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

You can make money without being cruel or awful to your workers. But every mega corp just wakes up and picks the most exploitive option humanly possible.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago

No you can't. Not in crony capitalism. Any honest business will go under, be bought out, or turn corrupt. If you are a multi millionaire or billionaire, you are absolutely evil.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

If a company is publicly traded it's evil because their business model depends on infinite growth. If you're an investor in a publicly traded company that nets 1,000% profit year over year, your stock may still be effectively worthless because stability is bad for traders.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] mech@feddit.org 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Progress!
25 years ago I could get everything I need within 1 hour by riding the tram or my bicycle to the store.
Where staff with a 3-year education recommended the right product for me, and weren't aggressively pushed by their employer to upsell.
(This wasn't in the US though).
Today, the only things left in the city are shops for smartphones, sports betting, vapes and barbers where the haircut somehow costs half as much as the mandatory minimum wage with taxes.

[–] Frostbeard@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Living in rural Norway this was never an option. Normal stuff was accessible (and in shops with qualified staff) but anything special was only available if a distributor had it.

EBay, Etsy, Ali Express and amazon (however much I despise their business practice) makes stuff available. Even now living close to Oslo, Norway is such a small market that stores can't really have that much capital bound up in stock that occasionally sells.

A few examples:

  • Pluck foam is impossible to find outside specialized commercial vendors that want to sell it by the ton or something
  • Small vortex mixer that is not sold by ThermoFischer for an insany jacked up prize.
  • 3mm rubber mat, that apparently you get cut to measure in Home Depot according to the craft YT channel, cannot be found outside companies selling them as health and safety mats to cushion walking surface... Guess if they are cheap?

Same with IT. Unless i order it I can't get anything better than drop shipped unmarked second hand cables from media market. But we have 20 clothing shops with the same cheap slave made clothes.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Both are entirely possible. But only one will exist, because Amazon absolutely needs all the money in the world.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] jtrek@startrek.website 15 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I'd like Amazon broken up.

I haven't ordered from them in a couple years, I think. They make a stupid amount of money from AWS so me spending $10 elsewhere isn't a big deal, but it feels worthwhile.

Also, I live in a livable city. A lot of things I can just walk outside and get in under an hour.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip 14 points 1 week ago (3 children)

They can't even meet their estimated shipping dates 3 days out. Whenever I choose the non 2-day option. They delay it an additional day beyond the estimate. With out fail.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So you’re saying their estimates are reliable.

[–] ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip 4 points 1 week ago

Reliability inaccurate, yes.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] JennaR8r@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 week ago

We don't want or need one hour shipping. We want Jeff bezos to divide his net worth equally among all his employees so they can have a comfortable living while working their asses off every day.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 week ago

Meh, still not happy about their overpromise on drone delivery years ago. Would much rather have a drone drop something off than someone peeing in a cup in a truck.

[–] HrabiaVulpes@europe.pub 7 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Honestly I don't think it can. In USA there is this shit called "law of precedence" and also there is this precedence that means companies are liable in court if they don't prioritize shareholder profit.

Any reform that could possibly work must probably start with outlawing stock markets and loans.

[–] Napster153@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The Longer I live, the more I realise America is just Rapture City from Bioshock with some adjustments.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

There's nothing wrong with 5-7 buisness days, or 3-5. Whichever. We can go to the store if it's an emergency.

[–] filcuk@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

We can't easily go to the store when many things don't sell in brick and mortar anymore. When everything is online and the price is as low as it gets, it's a battle of convenience.
There is nothing wrong with longer shipping times, but they won't exactly win customers over.
I avoid Amazon by principle, but I've had to use it to source materials urgently on an occasion.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] ThunderQueen@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

"But if I dont subjugate an underclass and kill babies then someone else will and they might make money doing it."

-literally the problem with gestures broadly

[–] Fishnoodle@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I want my Amazon packages delivered by the USPS again. They showed up way earlier in the day, and without slave labor

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] jeniferariza@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Exactly. I don’t need socks delivered like emergency medicine — I’d rather the worker gets a real lunch break.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I don’t need socks delivered like emergency medicine

If socks were delivered like emergency medicine, it would take six weeks to fill the prescription, cost you $600/sock, and you could suddenly be refused service because the head of HHS decided you deserve to be barefoot.

[–] mrmisses@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

(in the usa)

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] phoenixarise@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

I don’t care about one hour shipping. Aren’t those workers overworked as it is?

[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

Includes a complementary bottle of piss.

[–] ThatGuy46475@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

I don’t want one hour lunch, I want to go home a half hour early

[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Wait weren't you americans having a whole striking day on May 1?
What happened, didn't the regime crumble under your powerful relentless resistance?

[–] sanbdra@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

One-hour shipping is impressive, but one-hour lunch breaks would be a much better flex.

[–] osanna@lemmy.vg 3 points 1 week ago

nah, what would jeff bozo do if he didn't make another billion dollars? We can't have him GASP LOSING MONEY!

[–] SnarkoPolo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

But but Jeffo is a Job Creator! He was just born Better Than You. /s

[–] dragonfucker@lemmy.nz 3 points 1 week ago
load more comments
view more: next ›