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Old 08-15-2012, 05:57 AM
 
Location: Minnysoda
10,659 posts, read 10,702,948 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenneth-Kaunda View Post
does an employee have an obligation to work to the best of his ability, or should he just work to what he feels his paycheck merits?

If he is on a low wage, does he have a right to do the bare minimum that he can get away with - in other words, what is the incentive for the floor sweeper on min wage at MacD's?

if he gets fired, then so what.

but if we look at this the other way around, those on much higher salaries and profit earnings, say they must get these wages otherwise they would not work so hard and create jobs.

Anyone see the glaring double standard here

so what is it to be?
If it looks like your doing this in my plant you get shown the door!
When I started in this industry I was cleaning the crappers! Now I get to build and manage power generation facilitys. One I first started someone asked me if I would jump off a bridge if ordered to do so...My reply was that if there's a check floating in the water I'm going for a swim!!!
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Old 08-15-2012, 06:00 AM
 
9,848 posts, read 8,268,824 times
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Should an employee work to the best of his ability, or only to the level of his pay?

The employee should do what ever they feel they need to. If they are underpaid they should go see if in the market they are worth more. If not they are taking a risk working partial efforts IMO.

I would think people like that also need a good drug test.
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Old 08-15-2012, 06:01 AM
 
6,734 posts, read 9,326,676 times
Reputation: 1857
What type of question is that? Always work to the best of your ability. If not, you're being lazy. I'm sometimes guilty of laziness (everyone has their moments), and it's not a good feeling.
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Old 08-15-2012, 06:11 AM
 
11,412 posts, read 7,769,043 times
Reputation: 21922
Quote:
Originally Posted by UNC4Me View Post
The reality is that most people will work harder if they believe it may lead to a positive outcome in the form of getting a better job or a bigger paycheck. We are, for the most part, driven by what is in our own best interests.

In general, the higher the salary is or the opportunity for advancement, the greater importance a worker will place on keeping the job and the harder they will work. Remove any incentive for betterment and a worker will do the bare minimum. Remove the fear of losing one's job and livelyhood and a worker won't even do the bare minimum (see the failure of Communism across the globe for examples).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenneth-Kaunda View Post
This is mainly what I am getting at.

Higher up the chain, then yes, for sure you have an incentive.

but for the guy on min wage, cleaning the toilets, doing the washing up or stacking the shelves at the supermarket then the only 'incentive' is to not get fired.

especially when you think of temporary low-skilled agency work.

so how can working flat-out in these positions be of any real benefit to the worker? (once they have realised what the acceptable minimum is without getting fired)
The issue is whether a worker perceives any opportunity for betterment. If so, they will tend to work harder based on the belief doing so will result in a better job, promotion or raise. There is no difference if the worker is a white collar middle manager or a minimum wage toilet scrubber. What matters is the perception of the worker, not their current job or pay.

If the worker perceives no opportunity, then they would tend to do just the bare minimum.

And as I said in my original post (and you deleted from your quote), formally removing all possibility for betterment or firing (as communism did) results in a worker who doesn't even do the bare minimum.
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Old 08-15-2012, 06:13 AM
 
11,412 posts, read 7,769,043 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenneth-Kaunda View Post
another question would be: 'if we raise the minimum wage would it actually make these workers more efficient at their jobs?'
No. Those who do more will coninue to do so. Those who do the minimim will continue to do so. Again, it's not the size of the paycheck, but the perception of the worker (in regards to the opportunity for betterment) that drives the quality of their work.
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Old 08-15-2012, 06:16 AM
 
Location: My beloved Bluegrass
20,113 posts, read 16,092,479 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenneth-Kaunda View Post
another question would be: 'if we raise the minimum wage would it actually make these workers more efficient at their jobs?'
No.
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Old 08-15-2012, 06:19 AM
 
6,734 posts, read 9,326,676 times
Reputation: 1857
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenneth-Kaunda View Post
another question would be: 'if we raise the minimum wage would it actually make these workers more efficient at their jobs?'
I doubt it. Wages and benefits are lower now than they were a few years ago, and employee productivity is up. That's why the big employers see no need to hire. They are making greater profits with a reduced payroll and benefits. Why would they hire?
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Old 08-15-2012, 07:15 AM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,665,850 times
Reputation: 24861
If I were a manager faced with a do nothing employee I would encourage him to work for my competition and would provide a glowing reference to help the employee change jobs.
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Old 08-15-2012, 07:19 AM
 
Location: Earth
24,620 posts, read 28,239,057 times
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Most people think they're underpaid - no matter what amount of effort they exert.

Good way to get fired, probably winning an argument about the "for cause" portion of most employment contracts and standards.
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Old 08-15-2012, 07:44 PM
 
5,190 posts, read 4,830,403 times
Reputation: 1115
Quote:
Originally Posted by UNC4Me View Post
If the worker perceives no opportunity, then they would tend to do just the bare minimum.

And as I said in my original post (and you deleted from your quote), formally removing all possibility for betterment or firing (as communism did) results in a worker who doesn't even do the bare minimum.
I just wanted to avoid another communism v. captitalism scenario.

but really, there seems to be little difference here for the low skilled workers.

no incentive = do the minimum.

what's the way around it?
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