Modern Day Workplaces and Dehumanization

“Study hard now and you will enjoy your life later when you get a good job.” We grow up hearing this one phrase our entire lives. Life will be good after this exam, life will be good after I get into a good college, and life will be good when I get a good job. We repeat this cycle again and again. We burn ourselves out grinding nonstop for years with only one hope- a good life someday. Let’s begin by tackling the obvious issue. Is life good after that job? We see huge grand offices and aspire to become a part of them. “Wow, look at that infrastructure. These employees must be living the life,” is the thought that crosses the mind of most at first.

However, when we join that company, the facilities don’t matter anymore. Why, you may ask? The answer is simple: those facilities are for humans and the employees aren’t considered one anymore (not every company). Google – the dream office for many with spas, buffets, gaming rooms, nap rooms and many other facilities that are hard even to count. However, for that employee who is working nonstop overtime and struggling to meet tight deadlines, do you think they matter? Sundar Pichai, the current CEO of Google, often emphasises cost-cutting.

However, cost-cutting here does not mean facilities or other materialistic objects. It means employees or, in other words, human beings. In 2023, Google laid off thousands of employees (Times Of India, 2023). With the excuse of cost-cutting, thousands were thrown away as though they were mere objects. A rat race is what we can call most modern industries, but we aren’t actual rats, right? Most modern workplaces might disagree.

What Is Dehumanization?

We usually say that the most impactful examples are the ones we see with our own eyes. When the topic of workplaces came to my mind, my first thought was to ask my parents how happy they feel in their office. Initially, I expected that my mother, who had a higher-paying job, would feel happier about going to work compared to my father, as naturally, we all want a good paycheck. However, my mini-interview with them proved my hypothesis wrong.

My mother complained about how her company kept trying to get old loyal employees laid off to hire new employees that were cheaper. This fear keeps every employee on their toes, some are even too scared to take a day off when they are sick. However, during my interview with my father, he expressed a lot of satisfaction. He said that his company always remembers to appreciate every employee for even small contributions. He shared how the workload was slightly more compared to what he was paid for, but still, most employees willingly worked late despite not having compensation. This made me research why the employees in their mother’s workplace cursed their office every day despite the good pay. The answer lies in the Dehumanisation of workers.

Dehumanization is a cruel mindset or perspective directed at our fellow human beings. It involves viewing another person or group of people as not human, subhuman or even animal (Smith, 2020). “It is a form of prejudice, the classic strategy involves calling the victims vermin or animals”, says Dr Sherry Hamby, an award-winning research professor and clinical psychologist who specializes in working with trauma survivors. Dehumanization is one of the cruellest acts by humanity. It strips people of dignity, respect and rights, leaving a gaping wound in the victims. The surprising fact about dehumanization is that it is happening right under our noses as we continue to blissfully live our lives.

The Problem Of Dehumanization In Modern Workplaces

When we talk about dehumanization, the most commonly known and the most horrifying example continues to be the genocide committed by Nazis. The Holocaust orchestrated by Adolf Hitler remains to be the most horrifying and most condemned instance of dehumanization. However, genocides and large-scale atrocities are not the only forms of dehumanization in the 21st century.

From animals, now humans are being called machines. In this era, where millions of talented humans are looking for successful jobs, increasing productivity seems the natural choice to guarantee it. Industries and organizations are using excuses to justify dehumanization. Common examples include impossible deadlines, taking away sick leaves, overtime without compensation and the list goes on. We call this organizational dehumanization. It is the act of treating workers as tools or instruments, denying them the respect they deserve (Brison et al., 2022). Unfortunately, most of them are forced to overlook this treatment as nobody wants to lose their jobs. We humans look for meaning and fulfilment in our lives. However, this alarming rate of systematic mistreatment is the furthest thing away from it.

Read More: Toxic Positivity: Why being “Positive” is not always the solution?

Psychological Consequences Of Organizational Dehumanization:

We hear regular news about employees overworking themselves to death. Not just news, we observe people around us, our family, friends or neighbours suffering from poor physical health due to a toxic workplace environment. However, with poor physical health always comes poor
mental health and vice versa. Psychological consequences of workplace Dehumanization include:

• Poor Well-being: Great rewards come with great sacrifices. In this case, with the sacrifice of employee well-being. Organizational dehumanization is associated with poor mental health, negative emotions, and exhaustion. Burnout becomes a part of everyday life and stress a constant headache. Overall, mental and physical well-being takes a turn for the worse.
• Poor Self-esteem: It is easy to imagine how being treated as a machine could harm one’s self-image. Victims of dehumanization report lower self-esteem. They find themselves losing confidence in their abilities with a sense of loss of identity and self. They eventually start dehumanizing themselves on their own at a subconscious level.
• Lower Job Satisfaction: Not only do employees struggle to love themselves, but they also find it hard to love their jobs. Imagine finally getting a job in your dream organization, only to be treated so cruelly that your job doesn’t matter anymore. Dehumanization is linked with low job satisfaction and a negative attitude towards their work.
• Decreased Productivity: With poor self-esteem and negative attitude towards work comes poor quality of work. Employees find it hard to stay productive as the desire to just quit becomes stronger. Organizational dehumanization is also associated with rebellious behaviour. People lose respect for their workplace, which eventually leads to the destruction of the organization itself (Stinglhamber & Caesens, 2024).
• Strained Relationships: Employee mistreatment goes beyond the organization. Their poor mental health seeps into their treatment of people around them. First, they undermine themselves, then they undermine their loved ones. This affects their relationships, which further affects their mental health.

Read More: Signs of a Toxic Boss You Should Never Miss Out On

Strategies To Overcome Organizational Dehumanization:

A bit of empathy and compassion can transform someone’s entire life. It is important to play your part in calling out dehumanization. Some strategies to overcome workplace dehumanization include:

• Fostering A Culture Of Respect And Empathy: It is important to regularly remind everyone in the organization that we are all humans. Organize training programmes to help develop empathy, active listening and respect. Encourage leaders to display active learning and healthy communication practices to set a good example for their subordinates.
• Encourage Open Communication: Create anonymous feedback channels where employees are able to share their grievances with the company without fear of reprimand. However, remember to regularly address these concerns to ensure that the employees feel heard.
• Appreciate And Then Appreciate Some More: A company doesn’t just owe their employees timely paychecks. Instead, they owe their employees due recognition and appreciation for their hard work. This helps create a positive environment where workers can feel motivated to do their best.
• Implement Fair And Transparent Policies: Knowledge is not meant to be hidden. Companies owe their employees fairness and transparency to ensure not just the well-being of the employees but also the company itself. Ensure that all policies related to promotions, disciplinary actions and evaluations are clearly conveyed to all.
• Evaluate Employee Satisfaction: Conduct regular surveys and evaluations to ensure the well-being of the employees. Use these surveys to implement strategies to improve work-life balance to ensure that employees are able to work productively. Taking away the dignity and respect of another human is the cruellest act that any human can do.

Read More: The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, According to Psychology

Don’t let anyone take away the title of human away from you. Fear of job security and livelihood can be hard but remember that as employees you also hold certain power over them. Without the employees, there is no company so treat your employees with respect and compassion. The change starts with you, call out bad behaviour and learn your legal rights. It is important to always keep in mind that at the end of the day, we are all human beings who deserve love and respect.

FAQs

1. What are some examples of Dehumanization?

How our minds detach or dissociate someone’s humanity to justify cruel and aggressive behaviour is the root cause of dehumanization. Dehumanized actions in the workplace can include disrespecting employees, overcoming them, neglecting their needs or not appropriately paying them while overworking them at the same time.

2. What is Organizational Dehumanization?

Dehumanization does not always express itself in aggressive or violent ways. It can be defined as the experience of an employee who feels objectified by their organization and believes that they are denied personal subjectivity and made to feel like a tool or instrument for the organization.

3. What is the difference between Dehumanizing and Objectifying?

According to psychologists, objectification is the act of treating a person as an object or a thing and is actually a part of dehumanization the act of disavowing the humanity of others.

4. Why do people Dehumanize others?

People who dehumanize often want to assert their power over certain out-groups whom they believe might infringe on the rights, privileges and lifestyles of their in-group.