[Beta]

Aside from how much most people fantasize about quitting their job (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPrSVkTRb24 ), and worry if it would work out for them or not (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sd7B10f1X8 ), how would that actually work out in the SR world?

Let’s say that you are, for example, a wage slave working shipping logistics for Wuxing in Seattle.  You aren’t privy to cutting edge research, but you do know a fair bit about that part of the company.  You’ve been doing the job for seven years, have done well enough that you are treated decently as such things go, but for whatever reason you’ve decided to drop out of the corporate rat-race (at least at the mega-corp level).  Maybe you are planning to start a barber shop, maybe you inherited money and are going to retire young, maybe you are going to become a runner – it doesn’t really matter for this, other than that it is not a case of moving to a competitor, you just want out.

First question is, do they let you quit easily?  Or are you going to have to pull a vanishing act, get yourself fired, or fake some sort of break-down that would ruin your value so they are happy to let you go?

Second is a question of SIN.  I don’t know if you have to have a corp SIN to be a wage slave or whether a national SIN would be enough (at least up to a certain level), but if you did have a corporate SIN, do you keep it?  Or does it get cancelled?

Third is the question of day-to-day practicalities.  There is a good chance that your living arrangements may be, if not corporately owned at least corporately aligned, so I think you’d have to move?  If you have kids they may likewise have to change schools?  Some of your stuff may be company owned, so possibly your comm-link, vehicle (if any), etc. have to get turned in.  But what about things that you bought through some sort of corporate plan – say you own your private comm-link, but it was bought through the corp (weekly deduction from wages), will you still be able to use that, or would it be a special corporate model that would get disabled?  Or what if what you bought that way was cyberware?

And finally would be the social.  I presume that ‘friends’ from work would mostly cut contact with you lest they be tainted by association.  If you met them at a bar, however, would they be likely to talk with you, or would the corporate expectation be that they stay away from you even if that is awkward?  What if your spouse or parent or children were working for the corp too – would they be expecting repercussions for your lack of loyalty?

[Reaver]

Hard to say. It would depend on your position in the corp, and if you are a "high value asset" or not.

If you are a "high value asset" then the Corp would probably try to keep you, using every legal trick in the book. Such as "breach of contract" (you can't quit, you signed a lifetime employment contract), all the way to heavy handed techniques. (Say, it would be a shame if that girl in accounting you liked got transfered to 'pleasure and entertainment divison. Can you see her on her knees and back everyday, servicing the upper managment? Well that could hapoen if you're here at your job. Every. Day.)

But assuming you can and do quit, chances are your SIN for the Corp will be canceled. After all, A SIN also puts the issuer in a legal responsibility, and you are contributing nothing to the Corp now.... so why would they continue to shoulder responsibility for you?

Likewise if you lived in Corp housing. That is a perk for employees (even if they charge you for it!). Not a corp employee? Please leave and have the place sanitized by sundown. Thank you.

●●●●

Basically, you have stumbled on to why 'wageslave' is the used term. Employees are slaved to their Corporations through systems, perks, and institutions that leaving is almost unthinkable!

It would be comparable to travelling to a foreign country with only the money in your pocket, and starting a new life... For many that is a terrorifying idea.

[Senko]

I'm not sure I agree.

Sure anyone high value the corps going to use everything they can to hold onto them but someone like that is probably going to have lots of legal means to keep around and doing the "Work or we hurt people" with that level does more harm than good.

For generic wage slaves I doubt the Corp would care they're a multi trillion dollar industry it really doesn't matter if Tom a middle manager quits or not. They are simply to big for it to matter for the vast majority of their employees.

If you have a corporate SIN you'd keep it as that's just an ID saying your a "Corp x" citizen and whether you work for them or as a barber or even just retire on the lottery you're still a citizen with all that entails. Specifically taxes and what corporation is going to want to pass those up. Sure Tom isn't directly working for then but he's still earning and that means he needs to pay 10-20 percent of his income (depending on limited or full citizenship). If they revoke his citizenship that money instead goes to some local government.

Which brings us to SINS specifically for most corporate employees a national SIN is good enough but you aren't even going to rise go the top. Those with special skills e.g. mages may be offered limited citizenship to entice them but still the very top jobs are out of reach. The ones with extreme levels of skill or born into it are full corporate citizens including children. Few children are anything more than a drain but they're still full corporate citizens.

As for things paid through salary deduction I'd imagine you need to pay the full amount remaining before your allowed to quit or arrange an alternative payment method I.e. Direct deduction from your bank. As for if your living on corporate property whether you stay or go depends on whether it's like a military base where accommodation is supplied or if it's just corporate owned and your paying rent/mortgage on it (more money for the Corp).

As for friends I can't see them cutting ties unless you did something horrible that could taint them e.g. embezzlement just quitting not so much. The sections on Japan mention corporate employees who take the fall for s bosses mistake and are officially fired while unofficially being set up with another job as a reward for their loyalty in protecting their boss often as a go between to runners.

Basically corps aren't out to screw the little guy that's just a side effect they're there to make money and whether some minor employee quits or not isn't going to really affect them especially since they still make money off them. Any remaining debts = money, any repayments on the corporate housing = money, taxes for those with a corporate SIN = money, electric and water bills = money, if your living in a corporate area any purchase = money if only because that soykrill vendor is corporate owned and pays taxes on his sale as well.

No for the vast majority of employees the Corp just views them as a number and isn't going to care if they quit especial since they'll still be making money from them. Even if you. Have generic janitor tom the slacker win the corporate lottery and retire that's (a) good Pr (it could happen to you) and (b) he still pays for food, electricity, water, the remainder on his house or buys a better one (taxed from the real estate agent).

For a A+ Corp an employee quitting will generate more of a "we need s new office manager" than a " That disloyal peon turn him into a girl and throw her in with the satyr to test our new pheromone concentrate."

[kyoto kid]

Basically, you have stumbled on to why 'wageslave' is the used term. Employees are slaved to their Corporations through systems, perks, and institutions that leaving is almost unthinkable! .

...felt like that in RL especially during the recession. Being older without a degree, getting a new job is far more difficult, so I had to stick it out with a company (and commute) I began to dislike more and more as the only option would have been ending up on the streets due to high unemployment in the region at the time.

...and in RL, there is no Edge attribute to get a "re-roll" with.