I'm surprised by employee's behavior. Is this normal these days?

Question

I've been home with my children for four years. I recently picked up a part time job in a grocery store for a little extra money. I am shocked to find how vulgar, rude, and inappropriate the young employees behave. In front of customers, to each other. The swearing, sex talk, and talking behind each others backs. I do not remember acting this way as a teen (I'm 33), and I find it really sad. They seem to have no respect for themselves or each other. Is this really a representation of teens and young twenties or am I just seeing a select few? What are your thoughts on teens these days? Teens, I'd love to hear from you too.

Answer 1

I'm 30 and remember only a handful of my peers acted that way, but now it's more and more normal for teenagers to talk with vulgar mouths and have no respect for themselves or the people around them. It absolutely disgusts me and when they do it near my children, I say something to them and they usually get embarrassed and apologize. The worst part is the way teen boys treat teen girls and how the girls laugh about it or think it's cute instead of being disgusted. I'm talking about the crude sex type things boys say to girls. I will never allow my children to talk this way and if I find out that they did they will be in so much trouble. Hopefully I will bring them up to understand the proper way to respect themselves and others.

Answer 2

It's a good representation of what teens and young adults are like these days. They seem to feel that since anything goes on TV, movies and in music that it should be true for their own lives. The work ethic is basically a thing of the past, too. Young people seldom take pride in doing a job for the sake of doing it; that one is being paid to do it so it should be done and done well. They are usually concerned with what they are getting from it, not what they are giving to it, as though they are in charge of the workplace and the place they work at is supposed to be there for them. They also tend to treat their customers the same way, as though the customer should be thankful the employee is there to provide them any type of service.

I recently tried to make the point here at Yahoo! Answers that a business can't exist without its customers. They were trying to say that an employee works separately for the business and the customer, and so they should be compensated for the work from both the business and the customer. This is the "I'm out for myself" type of thinking that exist today.

Answer 3

Sounds normal to me. Folks young and old are just flat out rude.

I am 33 y/o as well and I have not tolerence for rudness/selfishness.

I know for a fact I was not a rude child/teen nor am I a rude adult

Answer 4

no, what youre seeing really is a good part of the population of our nations youth. sad, but true. of course there are still MANY good and respectful teenagers, but typically they wont be the ones working at grocery stores. in our current times most of the 'good' kids, if you will, have found themselves office jobs.

Answer 5

I'm not surprised. I'm in a professional, full-time job and one of my co-workers (with a college education and she's in her late 30s) regularly bares her midriff at work. I'll be sitting there talking to her and she'll lean back. And all I'll see is her bare stomach.

Standards of dress aren't what they used to be. Standards of courtesy in conversation went the same way.

Answer 6

I've found the same thing to be true. Not all young employees are like that, but a great many are

Answer 7

No, you're seeing a accurate cross section of America teens.
Spoiled self-centered brats.

Answer 8

No excuse for crass behavior. Especially from an employer !

Answer 9

I agree with you teens these days have no respect, its sad that they're parents didn't raise them better.