"A user on Reddit forum who goes by the alias FiletOfFish1066 (referred to as Mr. Fish hereafter) has been let go by his company after it was discovered that Mr. Fish hadn't actually done anything for six years. Umm, well he did something, but nothing new and productive, his Bay Area-based firm says, which paid him $95,000 (avg) each of these years. When he first got his software testing quality assurance job, he spent eight months automating all of the programming tasks. With all of his tasks fully automated by a computer, he was able to literally sit back and do whatever he wanted. Mr. Fish is pretty despondent in tone after he posted about getting fired from his job. He's upset because he has completely forgotten how to code, having relegated all that work to the computer, and now possesses no marketable skills. But, he also is not stressed financially, having saved up $200,000 during his 6-year long "career."
He should totally sue the company for wrongful dismissal. Unless his job description and contract specifically states that his job needs to be done manually by a person, there is nothing preventing him from automating all the tasks in his job. As long as he performed his job adequately, there is no cause for letting him go.
That is why even youngsters at investment banks get paid 200k plus in their first year with VPs regularly making 500k +. It's called a hunger to learn, competitive mindset, and a rigorous work environment that forces one to constantly learn more to perform at one's top abilities. | I would fire anyone who just sits around for ANY reason. Does not matter he or she already got the assigned tasks done or not. I want employees (and surround myself with individuals) who are driven to constantly learn more and perform better. That is the work environment I want to be in and demand those around myself to conduct themselves, too. Investment banks and hedge funds make it easy to be in such environment in that they simply fire those who apply a mindset of "40 hours is enough for me, after all I completed the assigned tasks". Well, someone who completed the task could have done more work or invented more ways to automate other tasks or could have learned more to potentially improve management skills. That's the people I want to be around and how I conduct myself at work. Conducted. I worked at such fast pace for over 20 years and retired under 50 just a few years ago. I don't have the slightest respect for people who idle or try to do the minimum asked of them. Most of them are low ambition and frustrated individuals who are happy to retire at the age of 60 with just a little saved up and probably a shitty retirement life waiting for them. I worked incredibly hard, played very hard, too, experienced things most in the world don't have the privilege to experience and still retired in my 40s with enough saved up to do whatever my heart desires now. My secret: 1) playing hard does not require spending hard. I saved up whenever I could yet set aside "play money" allocated to do things over the past 20 years that were on my bucket list. All else went into investments and savings. 2) I never engaged in stupid or dangerous vices. No hard drugs, almost no drinking, faithful to my girl. No bullshit 3) applied an attitude of eternal hunger to learn more and become better. This got me promotions to ultimately manage others and manage more investments for others. 4) top ethical and moral values in life inside and outside of work. This kept me away from engaging in shady stuff and made others respect and trust me. I also surrounded myself with like minded people and that motivated me and I learned a lot from them. Being around other highly motivated and trustworthy individuals is fantastic and absolute key. 5) zero patience for people of low ethical and moral values. I always cut ties or don't even engage with those of low ethical and moral character. This kept me away from getting taken advantage of or getting cheated. It also minimized chances to be affected by people with bad moods and those who constantly complain, bicker, gossip... I never looked back. Never regretted my past choices aside a very few slipups. I am prepared to die and leave this life at any moment knowing I have done well, done most things on my wish list, knowing I am in good standing with those I respect and value. But while I still live I still have many more things I want to learn and do and places I want to travel to. Life has been very good to me, I am incredibly privileged and blessed despite having been dealt pretty mediocre cards at the very beginning.
I think you could use a bit more humility to go with your "top ethical and moral values". Lots of good, moral people out there who just do 40h/week or the minimum that they have to... to say that you have not the slightest respect for them makes you sound conceited, narrow minded, out of touch. There are other admirable virtues in life besides striving to be a top performer at work. Have you ever considered that if everyone behaved like a clone of yourself, you wouldn't be anything special, and thus wouldn't have a high income and be able to retire early like you are so proud of? Ironic.
A lawsuit probably wouldn't work (except for the lawyers) because you don't need a reason to fire someone when "employment at will" applies.
This is the dystopian reality of productivity culture. Its mandate is never "You figured out how to do your tasks more efficiently, so you get to spend less time working." It is always: "You figured out how to do your tasks more efficiency, so you must now do more tasks."