LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman on the biggest lie employers tell employees – Vox

“The biggest lie is that the employment relationship is like family,” Hoffman says.

He goes on to describe two versions of the lie. “One is where the employer is actually deluding themselves.” Employers may want to believe their workplace really is like a family, and, in that moment, they may convince themselves it actually is like a family.

The other version of the lie comes because the employer wants the employee to believe it. “They really want the employee to be loyal to the company,” Hoffman continues. “That’s when it gets deceptive.”

But the employer-employee relationship isn’t like a family. “You don’t fire your kid because of bad grades,” Hoffman says.

Mr. Hoffman wants to fix this situation, and here is his suggestion…

And now he wants both workers and employers to begin having honest conversations with each other — conversations that admit employment isn’t for life, that loyalty only lasts so long as it coincides with self-interest, and that the relationship doesn’t have to end when the worker leaves.

Color me skeptical.

Word of warning: The HR department at your company is NOT your friend.