Many Employees Are Complaining That Work Has Been ‘Stripped of Fun’ — Here’s Why

Remember when work was occasionally enjoyable? Those days appear to be over. A recent report in the Wall Street Journal found that few employees feel positive about their jobs anymore. The reason? Companies are cutting perks while pushing AI that seems designed to squeeze more work out of fewer people.

Dell employees, for example, used to get free espresso every morning until the company started charging for it last year. One worker said the fee felt demoralizing. “Honestly, it feels like a funeral in the office right now,” the employee said.

The numbers bear out the impersonal misery. The average manager now oversees 12 direct reports, up nearly 50% from 2013. CFOs at large U.S. companies mentioned “efficiency” 307 times on conference calls in the latest quarter, up from 219 a year earlier. One longtime tech worker summed up the current mood: “We’re in the AI dread era.”