How modern workers are at the mercy of ratings
I am Number 0.6
A CLOSE FRIEND of Bartleby’s just got the news that their department was shedding 2.6 workers. At first sight, the concept of 0.6 of a worker sounds pretty odd. But workers who are freelance, on temporary contracts, or in part-time employment register in the headcount as less than a whole number.
Being classed as 0.6 of a worker seems dehumanising. Few people want to be thought of as just a number, let alone a fraction. In “The Prisoner”, a cult British television series from the 1960s, the hero, played by Patrick McGoohan, resigns from his job as a secret agent only to be abducted and taken to a village. He is only referred to as “Number 6” and his frequent escape attempts are frustrated.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "I am Number 0.6"
Business February 8th 2020
- After a nervy year America Inc has a bounce in its step
- Talk of succession atop Big Tech grows louder
- Tesla gains $60bn in market value in a week
- How modern workers are at the mercy of ratings
- Gold companies try to restore their sparkle
- Why India’s annual budget is a powerful market force
- Away from the headlines, defence is Boeing’s next problem
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