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I agree with what everyone above me has said about the 'education' factor being critical in determining salary. It is as it should be. The LPN could at any time have chosen to 'advance herself' (and broadened her earning potential) but apparently has not done so.
I also think though that the LPN actually may over time have one advantage that the RN may not .. and that is, IF there is a reduction in staffing at some point, the lower salaried person who can, and has demonstrated that they can, do the same job for less may keep her job while the higher educated person is laid off.
There is good and bad on both sides. Too bad the LPN doesn't have the insight to see that - but then it is probable that lack of insight may be exactly why she is in the position she is in today
being there for 20 years probably means she is "grandfathered" in to having some significantly better benefits like accruing vacation/sick time faster, less expensive insurance premiums, and possibly an old school pension plan instead of a 401k.
The workplace is never "fair" when it comes to compensation. What's "fair" to one, will usually not be "fair" to another. It's life in corporate America. Get used to it. I don't even think about it.
if she was happy working for the same wage for so long, why does it matter? if she can get more elsewhere, she can go there, if not... suck it up. she had years to go to nursing school.
it doesnt matter what anyone else makes, if person is happy with their own wage, does it matter if someone makes more than them? if you made $20/hr and were happy yeaterday, today tou find out someone makes $28/hr, does that mean your job changes tomorrow?
This happens in every profession. Duties does not equal pay. Do all baseball players get paid the same because they all play baseball? Does the rookie who is the best player in the world get paid the same as the 10 year veteran who will be a hall of famer? Sorry for sports references lol
I haven't seen a LPN position advertised in YEARS! They're all RN, NP, and PA nowadays. She should be happy to have a job. She also has the choice to further her education. No one is stopping her except herself. I wouldn't feel bad about making more money. She chose not to become a RN.
Education is the key factor. She should quit complaining and either further her education or accept her pay. You put a lot of effort and time in your education, she chose not to.
There are many professions where a subordinant even knows and can do more than their supervisors. However, they will never get their salary because their education and title aren't of the better educated person. It just is how it is.
We have mechanics here who know more about cars and do twice as much work as our engineers but they get paid a fraction because they have no bachelors or masters degree. It just is how it is.
Proving once again that the true value of a degree is manifest in the utility of those without it. And yes, "that is the way it is", until workers organize themselves and demand better compensation, not simply based on a piece of paper but moreover, tied to their their skills that so many here are constantly admonishing the unwashed masses to obtain.
Better educated? I've seen the results of that so called better education demonstrated in poor grammar, poor communication skills, sometimes a total lacking in understanding the basic elements of the job, not to mention a general lacking in business savvy. As for the claim of a huge effort being the norm in achieving a degree, I'd have to differ, many workers with degrees are simpletons who managed to get by in school with the same tactics used in securing employment, usually including a fair amount of BS'ing skills. I personally know a college educated RN who would never get my vote of confidence. But---that's just the way it is..
With respect to those who went to school and did get good grades, and did become productive employees, I have a high opinion of their ability to really get to the heart of problems and respond in a way that reflects their assumed superior talent. I just wish there were more in that category..
I worked twenty years in one of America's premiere engineering/manufacturing companies, I saw the best and brightest, along with the dimmest of people, the lowest paid had at the least a very good level of compensation, and those truly stellar types with degrees were paid according to their superior contribution, in short, a pretty happy bunch of employees. Pay gaps are the norm, but when skill levels are acknowledged as being similar the pay gap should be in keeping with the value put upon utilized talent..
Proving once again that the true value of a degree is manifest in the utility of those without it.
That actually isn't true at all. A mechanic might fix a car better than an engineer could, but that's grunt work. You could train anyone to do that within a relatively short period of time. Whereas the engineer is involved in the actual development of the car, which is not something that anyone can do. The problem with today's society is that we have taught people to think that "everyone is equal on the team," which is false. You all have different roles and they are all important, but that doesn't mean your roles are equal.
As far as pay goes, the reality is that your pay can only be judged by yourself. In other words, it is not "fair" or "unfair" based on a comparison to someone else. It's fair if you accept it, by definition. I've worked at places where I've felt that they underpaid me. What you do is leave and go to a place that will pay you more. If nobody will pay you more, then you're not correct in your self-evaluation of your worth.
A manager practicing unfairness is one of the biggest morale-busters.
A new gal joined our department and was a genius when it came to climbing. . .she knew exactly how to place our manager on a pedestal. Our "HR" manager was a very insecure person and soaked up the adoration.
Company rule was for employees to receive an annual increase; yet within six months the newbie received a larger increase that any of us had received annually (her work performance was average).
After one year on the job she rec'd yet another large increase.....after 18 months her total increases equaled 30% (the avg annual increase for the rest of us was 3-4%). Her title kept changing as though she were receiving a promotion yet she continued to do the same work.
Ignorance truly is bliss because working in HR I had access to salary info.
Sure, I could have joined the brown-nose society decades ago but I prefer to sleep at night.
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