“Owning” Your Job Leaves You Penniless

Today my friend was fired. Just like that. One day he’s working for the man and the next he’s out on his tail (with a severance package at least). He’s not alone. According to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 8.5 million unemployed workers in the U.S., up from 7 million a year ago. The White House says that number is likely to rise through 2009.

The good news for people in their 20s is they might be the least likely to be let go, usually because they cost the least to keep on. Many companies try to shed older workers first because even though their expertise might be greater, they cost more and might not be able to produce like younger workers.

“That’s not fair!” says a litany of older workers in a 20/20 interview who have been fired because of their advanced age. There are laws that protect employees from being fired solely based on age, but many organizations say that there are legitimate reasons why it makes sense to keep their workforce young.

The arguments most often used against age discrimination seem to revolve around one concept: that seniority or age entitles people to their jobs. In a sense, people come to own their jobs.

It’s hard to nail down where that entitlement mentality comes from. But it has become so commonplace that most people don’t question it. It’s played out in shows like American Idol where Simon, Paula, and Randy tell contestants to own the songs and make it their own. (But I know the producers on the show understand very well that each time a contestant sings, an artist - or production company - gets another drop in the bucket.)

Employers sometimes even feed the myth by telling employees that this is their position and they should own it. Let me reassure you that if you screw up big enough they’ll revoke that ownership really quickly.

Sure, make it your own. Bring your unique flavor to the job. Mix it. Remix it. Jump-start it. Do whatever you need to do - including work hard - to make your employer think that you’re the perfect fit for that job. But don’t own it. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Because once you buy into the idea that you own your job, you’re less likely to look for other jobs, sharpen your skills, or think about your next move. Before you know it, you could be the wide-eyed person on camera complaining about the inequities of life, and no amount of complaining will bring in a single penny of pay.

If there’s one thing we can learn from our older colleagues it’s this:

No matter how well you do at your job, no matter how many hours you work or how loyal you are, the position always belongs to your employer.

Employees no more own their jobs than renters own their apartments. Employees own their skills, their labor, their thoughts, and their free will. But they don’t own their positions. That’s owned by the employer to maintain, eliminate, or fill how they see fit. Learn this and you’ll avoid the deer in the headlights look if the hammer ever falls on you!