I am about to offend a whole segment of the work force--and frankly, I do not care. I want an explanation for what I see going on in today's workplace. Notice, I said "explanation", not "excuse."
A situation has occurred in recent days which has brought the phrase "equal pay for equal work" into sharper scrutiny on my part. A complaint was raised concerning the raises which our company will be issuing shortly. Someone commented that the differences in salaries for different people doing the same job should not be in evidence. If two people are doing the same job, they should receive the same salary for it. And then the phrase was uttered: "After all, equal pay for equal work."
I so badly wanted to ask the individual what the definition was for the word "equal" in that sentence. After all, I know a number of people who work in the same company, have the same job title, work for the same group, and are on the same pay scale. Should they receive "equal pay for equal work" when:
* One is constantly looking for ways to reduce the workload for the group, while the other does barely enough work to get by?
* One has no education and ten years of experience with the company, while the other has a bachelor's degree and twenty years of experience in the field?
* One responds to new assignments with "Sorry, that is not my job", while the other says "Let me help you find out how to resolve the issue"?
* One puts in the necessary hours to complete work assignments, even if it means unpaid overtime, while the other looks for every opportunity to start work late, leave work early, and avoid working on weekends and holidays at all costs?
* One constantly takes unscheduled time off to take care of "family emergencies", while the other follows policies when requesting vacation and sick leave?
* One does the job with little or no complaint, while the other continually voices concerns about what is "fair" and "right"?
Now, before some of you get all self-righteously angry and start writing those stop-the-hatred-and-prejudice comments (and you know who you are), let me assure you that (a) each of the examples above describes two individuals--but not always the same two individuals; and (b) the two individuals in each example above are not necessary on opposite sides of a given fence--it is not always male-versus-female, or black-versus-white, or gay-versus-straight. Each is a real-life example, using people with whom I have worked over the years, and modifying some of the details to protect the guilty. (No, that is not a typo.)
So let me ask again: In these examples, how would one define the term "equal?" In each situation, it is very obvious that one person is either more qualified, more motivated, or more conscientious than the other. So where is the equality in the workplace? Is simply assigning the same amount of pay to every individual regardless of their experience, education, and work ethic "equal"? Is rewarding people for working harder, smarter, and more efficiently showing favoritism and encouraging prejudice? Especially in today's economy, is the basic law of evolution, "survival of the fittest", not applicable in the business world?
I know where I stand on the issue. I look forward to your comments on the matter.
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