Had a meeting at work where management asked essentially how things were going to the rank and file.

Boy did we give them an earful.

It's interesting when you hear from quite calm, rational, well-spoken employees who have worked here for years, getting angry, short and blunt about problems that are years old.

A refreshing dose of the truth, even if not assimilated by the higher-ups, at least lets you know that you're not the only one who thinks things are crazy. Everyone sees it, and sometimes a few people stand up and say the emperor is naked.

It got to the point where at the end, people actually said, "What did you learn from us, and what are you going to do about it?" That was pretty bracing.

Even if you don't expect things to get better, and they might not, at least we all have the empathy and sympathy of each other. And that'll help get us through the hard times ahead.