The Toxic Effects of Branding Your Workplace a “Family”
&gt;<i>&quot;Relationships between employees and employers are temporary in nature, and at some point, have to come to an end. So to liken the relationship to a family creates an allusion that the bond will last indefinitely.&quot;</i><p>Here in Germany a lot of the time this isn&#x27;t a metaphor, a lot of business is literally multigenerational family owned and operated. (i.e. the so called <i>Mittelstand</i>).<p>In these firms people generally start as apprentices, are often employed for life and nowadays sometimes even take over the business given our demographics.<p>So I think it&#x27;s valuable to make a distinction between some corporate branding and the actual thing, which is very much real, and in my opinion a great way to work. I would always take a real family culture over contractual and legalistic work environment.<p>I also think the articles questioning of familial loyalty as a value is very emblematic of this sterile management mindset. There&#x27;s nothing wrong with being a partisan for your own company, all startups essentially work this way. A lot of early game studios in particular wouldn&#x27;t have been possible without people being fiercely passionate and invested in what they do in slightly crazy ways.