TheBucsFan
TheChiefsFan
   
   
      
 
 
Since: 2.1.02
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|  #1 Posted on 21.1.10 2109.38 | Instant Rating: 2.20 | Hi, I am conducting a very unscientific poll following a stupid linguistic disagreement I had with a friend.
Which sentence is most correct to you?
a) I work AT [place of employment].
b) I word FOR [place of employment].
Does it change based on the nature of the job and/or employer?
I know ... AT could be used to state the location of your office, among other things, but I am curious about how you say this specifically when [bracketed] word is the name of your company or employer or whatever.
Myself, I almost universally say at, even in sentences in which at doesn't really make a lot of sense. "I work at the newspaper."
I think when I was younger I kind of resented the implications of working "for" someone, and now I don't really care about that anymore but it's just kind of a habit.
The disagreement isn't really about which is correct, though; we disagreed over which was more common. I expect "for" to be more common.
(edited by TheBucsFan on 21.1.10 2211)| Promote this thread! |           | Corajudo
Frankfurter
Since: 7.11.02
From: Dallas, TX
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| #2 Posted on 21.1.10 2115.36 | Instant Rating: 7.73 | | If you are referring to a company or an employer and they are paying you to work there, then you work for them. | Lise
Mrs. Guru
Since: 11.12.01
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| #3 Posted on 21.1.10 2137.11 | Instant Rating: 8.86 | I think it depends.
I say, "I work at the museum."
and
"She works for the government."
| Dutchie
Boerewors
Moderator
Since: 29.1.02
From: PA
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| #4 Posted on 21.1.10 2152.16 | Instant Rating: 8.79 | | I work for a company at a particular site. So if I'm referring to my employer, it's 'for,' and 'at' when I use the name of the facility. However, when I worked retail, I always worked 'at' the store, even though I was working for the retail chain. | Big G
Morcilla
Since: 21.8.03
From: the people who brought you Steel Magnolias....
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|  #5 Posted on 22.1.10 0124.42 | Instant Rating: 6.77 | If you approach it philosophically, I generally work for a company / employer for a period of time until I reach a point where I work at a place of employment for another period of time until I reach a point where I leave to go and work for somebody else.
And to select C - None of the above, when I was in the military we always used 'in', eg Where do you work? I'm in the Air Force.
Grammatically though, I have no idea. | Packman V2
Toulouse
Since: 16.3.04
From: Albuquerque, NM
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| #6 Posted on 22.1.10 0139.44 | Instant Rating: 6.48 | I usually say I work at *insert company here*.
I'd say I work at if I was trying to describe the location of where I worked. I work at the office on the north side of town.
(edited by Packman V2 on 21.1.10 2343)
 | Mike Zeidler
Sujuk
Since: 27.6.02
From: Champaign, IL
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| #7 Posted on 22.1.10 0304.15 | Instant Rating: 5.79 | I work AT my particular station, but I work FOR my company. Generally I'll say "I work AT", but that's so the locals don't get confused.
It really all depends on how localized your company is. I'd say "I work AT [Hometown] Delivery Service" so that people could also use it as a landmark, but conversely I'd use "I work FOR FedEx", because the specific location doesn't matter.
"Tattoos are the mullets of the aughts." - Mike Naimark | AWArulz
Knackwurst
Since: 28.1.02
From: Louisville, KY
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| #8 Posted on 22.1.10 0557.24 | Instant Rating: 4.63 | I would normally say that I work for Johnson Controls, and that I am working in this or that town that week, since I am always traveling
 We'll be back right after order has been restored here in the Omni Center. That the universe was formed by a fortuitous concourse of atoms, I will no more believe than that the accidental jumbling of the alphabet would fall into a most ingenious treatise of philosophy - Swift | emma
Cherries > Peaches
Since: 1.8.02
From: Phoenix-ish
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| #9 Posted on 22.1.10 1337.46 | Instant Rating: 8.43 | | Can't go by me either. I very specifically use option d : since I *do* consulting kinda stuff & am effectively self-employed. I work *with* a client. | samoflange
Lap cheong
Since: 22.2.04
From: Cambridge, MA
Since last post: 5 days
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| #10 Posted on 22.1.10 1512.13 | Instant Rating: 6.32 | I'm in grad school at [university], I work under [my professor]. Going by the at/for designation, I think I'm closer to the 'for' frame of mind.
Lloyd: When I met Mary, I got that old fashioned romantic feeling, where I'd do anything to bone her.
Harry: That's a special feeling. | supersalvadoran
Landjager
Since: 10.1.08
From: westbury, new york
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| #11 Posted on 22.1.10 1653.25 | Instant Rating: 4.13 | I always say I work for (company name), I work at (location). But I mainly say for because I like to emphasize the company name. Or at least I think that's what they would want us to do since it's a big brand name.
It also depends on whom I'm talking to and if I'm trying to impress them a little. If that's the case, I'll say 'for' and try to sound like a big shot by skimming the details of my real job, even though it's a regular everyday job. If it's just a simple conversation among friends or family and not a big deal to talk about, I'll say 'at'.
For full disclosure, I work for Marriott, but I work at the Long Island Marriott & Conference Center.
| dunkndollaz
Boudin blanc
Since: 3.1.02
From: Northern NJ
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| #12 Posted on 25.1.10 0748.40 | Instant Rating: 2.26 | I am working for the paycheck factory no matter where I am.
I think my kids are trying to kill me
| Canard
Cotechino
Since: 25.7.05
From: England
Since last post: 8 days
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|  #13 Posted on 25.1.10 0904.44 | I've actually used both variations in the past few months, but that's mainly due to my change in employment.
Before December, I told people "I work FOR HM Treasury", because I was employed by them. Now I say that "I work AT HM Treasury", because my job was outsourced to Fujitsu.
Now yes, I could say that I work FOR Fujitsu, but I don't and I think that might be because I don't really have any affinity to them yet - I'm essentially doing the same job in the same location, with 90% of the same colleagues, just different line managers and a different name on the pay check. Over time that will no doubt change as they bring in their way of working and I'll feel more an employee of them rather than an ex-employee of the Treasury, but for now I'll continue using "AT". |
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