JB, Companies are only as good as their willingness to entertain new ideas. With that, they also entertain new ways of going about business and keeping good employees no matter what their age is. Sometimes they just don't think outside the box..... I do agree with you that companies have the attitude that they can replace you in a heartbeat. A successful business owner/mgmt. knows that, and takes advantage of their employees fears. I know I've been there. I have replaced a few managers with that attitude, and it's not pretty. Everyone is scared, he even told my secretary that if she took vacation, she wouldn't have a job when she got back! That's not management-that's a dictatorship. It took me a good 6 months until the employees finally grasped the concept that I was not like that. There was less tension in the air, and they were more productive. They learned that it was okay if they were sick and needed to call in, or their child was sick and they needed to stay home with them. That's family, and that's okay.....
I agree - you've got to weed out the 'Overlords' in management and then try and weed out the employees who will take advantage of a supervisor because that supervisor isn't an 'Overlord'.
