Monday, May 08, 2006

Work Does not Equal Pay

You know, I am an administrative type. Not the airlines, “Coffee, Tea or Me”, but just answering phones, surfing the Internet, and making copies. On really ambitious days, I would send a fax. I really liked that job. You see, I worked beneath my skills. And I was freakin’ happy.

Now I do more work. Yeah, I get paid a little more, but not much. And I cannot understand what happened.

I had a philosophy when working. If my boss asked me to do something that seemed like it (1) would take a great deal of time, or (2) would take a great deal of brain-power, I would give him a sort of confused, vacant stare. I worked on that stare, and it was money. At times, I thought he would pat me on the head and say, “Don’t worry about the big bad work. I will get someone else to perform the tasks. Now back to your desk.” He was not that demeaning, but I am sure he was thinking it.

I had a co-worker who would purposefully screw things up. She made more money than me and was given greater responsibilities, but she did not want them so she screwed them up. Now managers give her no real work and she still gets more pay than me. No performance awards, but she still gets cost-of-living increases, so she at least keeps up with inflation.

And I am thinking about adopting the same strategy. There are two things holding me back: (1) they could actually fire me, and (2) part of me wants to do a good job, as long as it doesn’t take too much work. About the firing thing – well, sooner or later, managers are going to have to realize they are attracting dolts and freeloaders, and they will have to either make some people work (but that takes energy on management’s part) or they will start to fire employees they are turning into dolts and freeloaders.

So I have a problem. I am doing more work for nominally more pay. But I wonder if these things are isolated to the business world. I mean, in entertainment, can you think of people who really are not good performers and yet they still get parts year after year. And you know that the movies they will make will be stinkers – Carrot Top, for instance.

A shorter post than normal today. I got to get some work done!



Oh, and by the way, apparently someone has noticed this little blog. If you want to vote for me, please click on the image below. Sort of cool that the award uses a word I rarely use.

8 comments:

Deb said...

They always say if you take on more responsibilities, it's your job forever. Just make sure you're getting paid what you're worth. Sometimes high profile exec jobs aren't worth the quality of life.

WAIT--you want me to vote you into an award ceremony that promotes stupidity? Ugh, what am I missing here? You are too intelligent for that girl!

kathi said...

How is it Saturday the 6th and this is dated Monday the 8th...I can't get past it, no matter how hard I try. Hell, I've gotta go take some more meds now....

Kim's Life said...

johneycollins61580707
Askinstoo

LOl Dont ya love when these add's that pop into your comment box. Nothing better then an add screaming out YOU NEED AN EDUCATION or YOU HAVE NO MONEY EARN EXTRA MONEY ON THE NET.lol Cracks me up these things.
Act now you owe it to your future.
LOLOLOL

Stacy The Peanut Queen said...

I'm an administrative type too...and it amazed me (although it probably really shouldn't have) that before I got the promotion that got me my current job, I was working my ass off for about $4.00 less an hour. Now that I'm an administrative aide, I do half the work but get paid more. It's not fair...but I'll take it.

Man, now I feel all shitty. But I kinda feel like I did my time...I spent 10 years at that work-my-ass-off, get-little-pay job. Still, the whole thing isn't really fair, is it?

Leesa said...

~deb: oh, I did not read the fine print. So is this chick saying my blog is stupid and it sucks?

kathi: this is the twilight zone. Actually, I planned on calling in sick today, and decided not to.

kim's life: a great blog topic actually.

stacey: I want one of those golden parachutes. Then I can steal money and collect my gold when I get caught.

mikster said...

Well.....if you get tired of your job at least you're getting spam comments showing how to make a couple of bucks.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a revamp on the empty gaze is in order.. I have an idea.. put some important papers you were supposed to copy into the paper shredder (thanks Jenn).. that oughtta work, either that or get you fired.. never mind, that might not be a good idea..

Leesa said...

mike: but I would never want to profit from spam. Ever.

heather: I thought of going the incompetence route. Just not me.

jackt: ouch, Ashley Simpson.