Arbitrary Office Policy and US Vote

Happy New Year!

Take care of yourselves, let’s take care of each other!

Arbitrary Office Policy

Back Makers know how to organize as a team when it makes sense to come to the office, better than management does.

It’s winter, it was snowing last Monday! But no snowman for you, comrade, because it’s mandatory Monday and you have to go to the office. Well, that’s if you can get there and no vehicle has piled up on the road or your commuter train hasn’t been canceled. Maybe you came by bike to avoid these pitfalls at the risk of taking a nasty fall (which would be a commuting accident, for your information).

In short, lots of difficulty coming to an office that, at least in Paris, struggles to heat properly for this temporary cold snap¹, only to learn that you actually could have stayed home in the warmth and without risk of frostbite, because paternal managerial kindness decided, once everyone was there, to exceptionally lift the Office Policy for the rest of the weather alert. By the way, this weather alert 🇫🇷 had been in effect since Saturday, January 3rd 🇫🇷, and since it’s a public service, we had access to it. There’s reason to imagine that we all could have made the same decision as management, but before heading out onto the slippery pavement.

Generally speaking, management regularly shows up late to lift the punishment of mandatory in-person attendance. We still don’t know exactly what we did to deserve it. Or what positive effects it’s supposed to have, beyond offering us the absence of punishment as a reward for an exhausting year for many (in the absence of bonuses, profit-sharing, or raises commensurate with grades). Thus, in December we were treated to a lifting of the requirement (presented as a reward) that wiped out the Flexidays that Back Makers had carefully saved to travel while avoiding peak holiday prices. They came to the office more than required (and certainly more than necessary) in October and November.

This shows that management implements a constraint that it reserves the discretionary right to lift without giving itself the means to use it wisely or communicate in time. Moreover, it would be pointless to invest more resources in optimizing this pet project when simply eliminating the arbitrary requirement would suffice.

On the other hand, the Back Makers involved will know how to make their own decisions that allow them to do their teamwork as best as possible, together in the office or together online, and at the right time to implement them effectively.

The US Team Votes for a Union on January 15th

Management is putting on the pressure, but the Back Makers are holding strong!

You know the US Back Makers want to unionize. Back Market refuses to recognize their union, so a vote will take place on January 15th to force management.

In the last Pirate Letter, we already talked about the law firm with questionable practices that management is paying handsomely to make this vote fail. We’re told that a second firm is now stepping in to provide talking points to managers…

Despite the absence of snow in New York, the Office Policy was also suspended for two days there, probably to prevent Back Makers from talking too much around the coffee machine! 🤣

On Monday the 12th, our CEO and our Chief People Officer (just back!) will be in the NYC offices to increase pressure on the US team.

Despite the company pouring tons of resources into union busting, to dissuade the US team from voting for the union (resources that could be going to Back Market’s mission), Back Makers United is on the verge of victory January 15th!

Once Back Makers United win the election, they will be able to bargain for a more equitable contract!

Let’s hope their example can inspire Back Makers everywhere to ask for better treatment from the company.