Why Work in an Industry that You can't Negotiate your own Pay/Benefits? (employment, job)

[Boston_Burbs]

Its a question I often ask myself about those in a union or in a government job.

Do you feel trapped? Do you feel like your effort is not getting recognized because you don't have X amount of years to move up a step?

[joe from dayton]

Union or not, in thirty years of employment I have never worked at a job in which I negotiated my own pay and/or benefits.

[coped]

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

Union or not, in thirty years of employment I have never worked at a job in which I negotiated my own pay and/or benefits.

Every job I've worked at has had some flexibility in negotiating pay to start out - this includes private sector and government. Government was far more transparent about what they would the pay would be. I knew what everyone else made because i could look it up in a public record database. I considered that a good thing. I didn't feel trapped. There were pretty clear rules on how to get more money. Whereas, in the private sector, people could be making widely divergent salaries for doing the same work.

I've never negotiated benefits, though. That might be possible in very small businesses of if you are a very high-level manager.

[Chzanne]

Originally Posted by Morris Wanchuk

Its a question I often ask myself about those in a union or in a government job.

Do you feel trapped? Do you feel like your effort is not getting recognized because you don't have X amount of years to move up a step?

Job security is a pretty good reason. I work a government job with pay grades that are based on X amount of years and the level of your education. Yeah, it can be a slow moving place. Yearly evaluations seem irrelevant seeing as everyone knows it just takes time or more education to move up. However, I have no concerns about losing my job. It if very difficult to get fired, and I have never heard of a lay-off in my sector. Bascially, if you show up, do your work, you will get a pay check and continue to be vested into the system. The benefits are pretty good also. Many people do their 25 years in the government sector, retire, and then get a job in a private industry.

It is the exact opposite for my husband in a similar industry, earning double in the private sector. In the corporate world it is cut throat, mass lay-off's happening every other year, turn over is high, and I worry every time there is a shift in power, shift in tasks, shift in team grouping, etc.