The Wrap #39: A Growing Disconnect
I try to be optimistic. I really try. But the news keeps dragging me down. Aside from the "totally not a bribe" gifts of a luxury aircraft to Trump, and a 'Yuge' order of Boeing planes (guess who's friends have a the stock), we're seeing more large layoffs in tech and a complete disconnect from the government on what's happening in work today.
RFK Jr. and his enablers are doubling down on welfare and medicaid requirements, making a case in the NYTimes to send more of our most vulnerable society members out to "plentiful" jobs. But here's the secret: While there are some jobs out there, they exist because they are jobs that no one wants. Physically demanding jobs that only pay $7.25 a hour.
Many people before me have written about the complete erosion of the middle class in America, between the "have too much"s and the "don't have enough"s and it mirrors what we've been seeing in the workplace. More skilled professionals are pushed into low-wage jobs just to stay afloat. Is this the new normal? Will having a job soon mean just barely getting by?
And what about corporations? What about the ones who told us that their employees are their number one resource, who championed a life at their company in their DEI-focused career pages? They're backtracking smoother than Michael Jackson.
They don't care. It's your problem, not theirs. Everyone's replaceable. People at the top are too insulated from the struggles of everyday workers.
I've been laid off twice in four years. You don't understand — can't understand — just how tough things can get until you've had to make decisions like: which bills to pay this month? Or, how can I get the most meals out of my groceries? Or giving their kids second-hand gifts for Christmas. These all happened to me, but looking back, I am better off for it because I understand what that's like. I have empathy towards any colleague or employee facing tough times.
In boardrooms and political arenas, decisions are made with a cold, calculated detachment—policies that insist jobs are plentiful without addressing their unlivable wages, or layoffs framed as "necessary efficiencies" while executives pocket bonuses. This disconnection breeds a dangerous cycle where the privileged dismiss the plight of those scraping by, and workers, in turn, lose faith in a system that seems rigged against them. As empathy fades, solidarity crumbles, leaving a workforce fragmented and demoralized.
So where do we go from here? The gap between the “have too muchs” and the “don’t have enoughs” isn’t just growin, it’s hardening into a reality where empathy is treated like a luxury, not a necessity. Those making the rules are so far removed from the daily grind that they’ve forgotten what it’s like to worry about rent, food, and the next paycheck. And as long as the people at the top keep pretending that any job is a good job, while conveniently avoiding those low-wage, backbreaking gigs themselves, we’ll keep seeing this erosion of empathy and solidarity.
But here’s the thing: I’m not giving up. We’ve been through tough times before, and we know how to push back when things get bleak. We can still hold leaders accountable, advocate for fair wages, and remind companies that people aren’t just assets, they’re human beings who deserve respect, dignity, and a fair shot at thriving. Let’s keep calling out hypocrisy where we see it, lifting each other up, and fighting for a better, more empathetic future. Because I still believe that we can change the story, it’s just going to take a whole lot more noise.
On to this week's news.
This edition of The Wrap features the growing divide between management and workers, upcoming research and events from HR.com, Microsoft layoffs, a look at frontline versus desk job hiring with JazzHR, Joel Lalgee vs. Dr. Phil and an out-of-touch senator, Klarna realizing quality diminishes when you replace people with AI, and a look into how AI is helping, not replacing, radiologists.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
