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During these trying times as hardworking and loyal co-workers find themselves worried and often afraid of losing their jobs I would and have suggested to others to share hours and take pay cuts.

When employees reach a certain age in many communities where there few businesses to provide work it is very important to maintain security for their families by sticking to the low paying work they have. If they are laid off or terminated they can't keep the benefits for their families. Insurance is too costly plus often they find they have to use savings or retirement funds to get by. Many of these men and woman stand little chance of replacing their jobs because of their advanced age, specialized training and discrimination of one type or another.

If you can afford to cut back enough to share hours or accept pay cuts to help keep your friends employed it should be done. By doing this in hard times you are showing the kind of American grit that helped build this country. This is the kind of spirit that turns many companies around during difficult times. By helping fellow employees you are also helping the industry you work in, you are keeping dollars in the community. The cut backs hurt and make life harder but at least families are not hungry, jobs are protected and tax payers are not having to pay for welfare or unemployment compensation.

We all want to be paid well, to be paid what we think we are worth but if our greed causes good people to lose their jobs, their health care, their homes and cars and end up on welfare is that greed a smart move? Saving jobs is important, creating a team spirit and having the values to help each other are wise investments. In small towns the dollar that gets spent usually is spent two or three times before it leaves that town. Each business that manages to stay in business is helping that community, many families and many other businesses are helped by keeping people employed. So take a cut and be proud to do your part.

Hardship is what builds great things...like the pyramids or sky scrapers,hardship builds stronger and better men and women. Life is not easy and giving up money is a hardship but seeing your friends and co workers giving up their income so a few others can keep theirs is not the right way to deal with these hard times.

When enough Americans face the hardship of pay cuts, job cuts, fear and stress as they see how nothing in life is free and few are there to help them when it gets really tough, we will change things. Hard times are not over but if we pull together we can make a difference for others and save some jobs. We can save some tax money too.

Learn more about this author, S. Linda Jensen.
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