by Joshua Pantalleresco

Created on: March 24, 2009

In a word, yes.

Money is why we work to begin with. We have food to eat, bills to pay and a roof to put over our head. I also though want to do more than just break even. I want to enjoy life a little as well. I want books, I want to travel; in short, I want to be happy. And in this world we've made, money is the tool to achieve that happiness.

But more than just the things I need, my pay check is a symbol of my time, effort and sacrifice. I still remember the first time I recieved a pay check. There was such a thrill that came with it. It was a physical representation of how hard I worked. It was my first achievement in the working world, and I wanted more. I've done a number of jobs since then. Some that pay well - others, not so much. My favorite jobs were the ones that paid me the most.

It makes sense doesn't it? If a job allows me to do the things that I want and need to do, it's a job I want to keep for as long as possible. I find with the right motivation, it's much easier to put up with the little things about a job. I found in reverse, things I didn't like about any job multiply with the lack of a pay check. Recently my hours were cut at my last job. I could no longer pay my bills with the hours I was working, and so I started looking elsewhere.

My previous job to that one didn't pay like they said they would. I put up with this for a long time, but in the end decided that I couldn't wait for them to get their act together. I found my work gradually deteriorate over a period of time. It's hard to maintain a professional level of competence when you don't recieve a professional rate of compensation.

In both situations I found myself losing interest in the job when the money disappeared. But when the money was there, there wasn't a more determined worker. I remember when I worked at UPS. I was paid fairly well to do in comparison much less than some of the jobs listed above. And not once did I screw up or make mistakes. In my case, I worked hard and found myself caring much more about the final result of my work in ways I haven't since. The wage made me care and be professional. If the wage hadn't been there I wouldn't have cared quite so much.

When workers are paid, and feel justified in compensation you won't find more productive people. When the money stops, you won't get the work you wish from them, simply because on some level workers believe they deserve more. And they're right. People deserve whatever ticket they write for themselves. Cutting wages cuts your own productivity. It might take a while, but the quality suffers in the end.

A paid worker is a happy one, and a happy worker is more productive. That is the truth.

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