by Carel Two-Eagle

Created on: February 04, 2008

In order to write to this question of whether or not people work more if they are paid more, we must make an assumption. I truly detest making assumptions, and in my businesses, Rule # 1 is "Never assume anything! It will catch you up every time, due to lack of some key bit of information." The assumption here is in regard to the word "paid"; and it is that 'paid' means 'money', not the total package of various kinds of financial-type 'pay and perks that we generally term 'compensation packages'.

For at least the past 25 years, the Number One source of articles in management magazines has been on the subject of Employee Absenteeism and its causes. I've never had the problem, for the simple reason that I see employee absenteeism as the employees saying in the most emphatic terms they know, "I'm REALLY not happy with my working CONDITIONS, so I've found other things to do that make me happier, and when I can't stand any more of the stressors in my job, I won't come to work; I'll go do stress-relieving things instead." Actions speak louder than words.

Sad thing is, there is a gross excess of "massa-slave" mentality in American business, and from what I've seen, it has always been there. When I was on the Chamber of Commerce for a small town where I had a business some time back, everyone except me complained constantly how they "couldn't get any decent help" or how "everyone they hired did poor work or was so0o lazy". I finally got tired of hearing this 'stuff' repeated, and one day I said quietly, two things: "If you can't get any decent help, it sounds like your criteria need revision. I don't have that problem.." and "If they are all so lazy, why do you think that is?" Made myself hugely unpopular that day, of course. Not that I care much.. They made their problems; I tried to see problems ahead of time and prevent them from taking root.

I only lost 6 guys in 20 years; most companies lose 6 people every couple of months, every year they are in business. It isn't one-sided, takoszja.. It isn't 'only' the employees' 'fault'.. partly because, in any company that is incorporated, everyone is an 'employee'. Therefore, the 'bosses' are really talking about... themselves. Aren't they.

Just as the best helping hand you will ever get is at the end of your arm, so the source of the majority of your problems is you. You "let" them in, or you "bring" them in. Once in awhile, you just don't see the elephant in the living room and when it steps on you, it hurts more than

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