Hard Work Doesn't Pay Off

originally posted by: ketsuko
Hard work doesn't pay off! Hard work doesn't pay off! You're just a wage slave ... blah, blah, blah.

We hear it all the time from people who want the minimum wages raised. They whine constantly about how no one can just go into a job and earn their way up the ladder anymore. It's impossible! It just can't be done, so people need to start out at what they think they're worth.

And the constant reply is that no employee who does a good job stays at the minimum for long. They move up; they get promoted. They get experience and skills that let them get better jobs with better pay, etc.

Yes. It's true.

And right now, it's easier than ever. Do you know why? The COVID economy. That's why. Businesses are literally starving for want of employees. All the whiners and complainers are busy sitting on their butts on the couch taking temporary unemployment instead of getting jobs. And they're short-sighted fools.

You move up faster now than you will when the government stops paying you and you have to compete with all your slacker bros. You could be well established, possibly even promoted by the time they drag their worthless butts off the couch, but no ... you're all going to sit their milking the situation until you can't anymore, and then you'll be back where you started - at the bottom. And the complaints and whining will start all over again.

Do you know how I know this is real?

Once again I've lived it.

When the shutdown happened, I got laid off into contract employment by the company I've worked for since 2008. It was less than I was making before; it was less than unemployment would have been. But I kept working anyhow. This past March, I got called back with a potential full-time opportunity. I applied, interviewed and was hired. I started in April, got my first raise and my 90-day eval. And today, I was offered my first promotion.

The speed of all this sounds like a lot, but I know it's due to the COVID economy. It's a workers' market. Jobs are easy to find, even salaried ones with benefits. All you need to do is be able to show up on time and work quickly, efficiently, and with competence. It pays off, and I know that in the normal course of a regular economy, this would likely have been where I would have ended up eventually, just in a longer period of time.

Why? Because I do those things: show up on time, show up reliably, and work quickly, efficiently, and with competence.

And because it happened to you, that's proof everyone is getting the same opportunities and rewards for the same performance?

a reply to: strongfp

But does doing nothing make you happy or contented, DOING NOTHING?

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: ketsuko
Hard work doesn't pay off! Hard work doesn't pay off! You're just a wage slave ... blah, blah, blah.

We hear it all the time from people who want the minimum wages raised. They whine constantly about how no one can just go into a job and earn their way up the ladder anymore. It's impossible! It just can't be done, so people need to start out at what they think they're worth.

And the constant reply is that no employee who does a good job stays at the minimum for long. They move up; they get promoted. They get experience and skills that let them get better jobs with better pay, etc.

Yes. It's true.

And right now, it's easier than ever. Do you know why? The COVID economy. That's why. Businesses are literally starving for want of employees. All the whiners and complainers are busy sitting on their butts on the couch taking temporary unemployment instead of getting jobs. And they're short-sighted fools.

You move up faster now than you will when the government stops paying you and you have to compete with all your slacker bros. You could be well established, possibly even promoted by the time they drag their worthless butts off the couch, but no ... you're all going to sit their milking the situation until you can't anymore, and then you'll be back where you started - at the bottom. And the complaints and whining will start all over again.

Do you know how I know this is real?

Once again I've lived it.

When the shutdown happened, I got laid off into contract employment by the company I've worked for since 2008. It was less than I was making before; it was less than unemployment would have been. But I kept working anyhow. This past March, I got called back with a potential full-time opportunity. I applied, interviewed and was hired. I started in April, got my first raise and my 90-day eval. And today, I was offered my first promotion.

The speed of all this sounds like a lot, but I know it's due to the COVID economy. It's a workers' market. Jobs are easy to find, even salaried ones with benefits. All you need to do is be able to show up on time and work quickly, efficiently, and with competence. It pays off, and I know that in the normal course of a regular economy, this would likely have been where I would have ended up eventually, just in a longer period of time.

Why? Because I do those things: show up on time, show up reliably, and work quickly, efficiently, and with competence.

And because it happened to you, that's proof everyone is getting the same opportunities and rewards for the same performance?

Doesn't matter. She's illustrated it doesn't matter much on that end, because rewards are subjectively defined per individual. What my takeaway in plain English here would be is that she's trying to get the point across that if you sit with your hand up and not doing anything, those rewards are a hell of a long way off. So get off you ass and work toward your goals, they won't come to YOU.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme

originally posted by: olaru12
We start even green workers off at 22.50 an hour and up to 30.00 if you show initiative and get some skills. We're not having any trouble filling positions.

Union proud, Union Strong.

What to you pay someone with 25 years experience, and industry certs?

Sky's the limit....

Time to move above the line and work on a project by project basis; with a separate contract for each one.

Or get an Ltd. corp. and become an independent contractor consultant and write your own ticket!

paradoxmarketing.io...

That's how I started my career. I'm OK for now with a steady paycheck and still being employed after this interesting year, when many of my friends and peers are not.

a reply to: ketsuko

Thought the subject matter would be more akin to the time I was working at a grocery store for 4-5 years in my late teens and early 20's a young, attractive girl my age gets hired and became assistant manager a week after she started dating the 60yr old manager of the store.

Guess I was wrong lol!

a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Oh and for those watching, that 22.50 to 30 an hour is all the raise you get. Union proud and union strong, and union stifling.
Notice the advice was to leave the union. Interesting to think about. Collective bargaining is great, until you outclass the other workers. Then you are a problem for the collective.

a reply to: ketsuko

I retired in January 2016 and have enjoyed it very much . I worked in a Tool and Gage shop for 40 years and made some good coin . 4 months ago my old company called to see if I would work part time. They can't find anyone to work either , I work 16 hours a week and take home about 370 bucks . I am building up my cash reserves , I call it my Joe Biden relief fund

You work for government, absolutely! Being enterpreneur its not hard work but being smart which pay off.

originally posted by: knoxie
Whine, whine, whine.

The amount of time you spend here makes me question your stellar work ethic, but whatevs..

Whine, whine, whine.

No worries, your extra unemployment will finally be running out soon and you'll actually have to go back to work, good luck that attitude.

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Oh and for those watching, that 22.50 to 30 an hour is all the raise you get. Union proud and union strong, and union stifling.

That's a lie or perhaps you just don't know what your are talking about.

Some techs start at $30 and go up from there.

www.iatse728.org...

I'm also SAG/AFTRA heres the pay scale for that Union.

abspayroll.com...

Yes indeed...Union proud, Union Strong

I got to my current pay scale with 10 years of dedication and hard work; Starting as a background extra/driver.


Deny ignorance!!!!

a reply to: Peeple

Inflation grows with the population. It's easy to counter if people were more responsible.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Oh and for those watching, that 22.50 to 30 an hour is all the raise you get. Union proud and union strong, and union stifling.

That's a lie or perhaps you just don't know what your are talking about.

Some techs start at $30 and go up from there.

www.iatse728.org...

I'm also SAG/AFTRA heres the pay scale for that Union.

abspayroll.com...

Yes indeed...Union proud, Union Strong

I got to my current pay scale with 10 years of dedication and hard work; Starting as a background extra/driver.


Deny ignorance!!!!

Deny ignorance indeed.
The links you provide do not support your own declarations?
So explain yourself, if you would be so kind.

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Oh and for those watching, that 22.50 to 30 an hour is all the raise you get. Union proud and union strong, and union stifling.

That's a lie or perhaps you just don't know what your are talking about.

Some techs start at $30 and go up from there.

www.iatse728.org...

I'm also SAG/AFTRA heres the pay scale for that Union.

abspayroll.com...

Yes indeed...Union proud, Union Strong

I got to my current pay scale with 10 years of dedication and hard work; Starting as a background extra/driver.


Deny ignorance!!!!

Deny ignorance indeed.
The links you provide do not support your own declarations?
So explain yourself, if you would be so kind.

Oh and for those watching, that 22.50 to 30 an hour is all the raise you get. Union proud and union strong, and union stifling.
Notice the advice was to leave the union. Interesting to think about. Collective bargaining is great, until you outclass the other workers. Then you are a problem for the collective.

The links I provided explain that $30 an hour is not all the raises you get. Union scale is much higher than that for established union members. Hard work and diligence in the Union is rewarded just like in other fields of endeavor.

I get it...your anti union. I don't know why, So explain yourself if you would be so kind.

Perhaps the below will help clarify my position

www.iatse728.org...

1. SAG Film Rates
SAG Basic Theatrical Scale: $1,030.00 / Day | $3,575.00 / Week
SAG Low Budget Scale: 65% of Basic rates. Currently $669.00 / Day | $2,323.00 / Week
SAG MPA Scale: 35.00% of Basic rates. Currently $360.00 / Day | $1,251.00 / Week
SAG UPA & Short Film Scale: 20% of Basic rates. Currently $206.00 / Day
Stunt Coordinator Scale: $1,030.00 / Day | $3,840.00 / Week (all theatrical CBAs)

Is 30$ an hour a lot in America? I guess it depends on the location, but you're certainly not buying a house or retiring on 60k/year in many Canadian cities. I suspect you'll see a similar inflation in cost of housing down south. Even 120k/year wont buy you a house in my mid-sized city in Ontario. Maybe a condo. I get why people aren't getting out of bed for minimum wage.

Tell you truth it really doesn't pay, but being smarter does.

originally posted by: joejack1949
Is 30$ an hour a lot in America? I guess it depends on the location, but you're certainly not buying a house or retiring on 60k/year in many Canadian cities. I suspect you'll see a similar inflation in cost of housing down south. Even 120k/year wont buy you a house in my mid-sized city in Ontario. Maybe a condo. I get why people aren't getting out of bed for minimum wage.

$30 seems like a lot when min. wage in the US is less than $15 bucks an hr in most states.
But that's just pay for entry level jobs and they don't deserve any more than that according to the GOP.

The workers in the US are in the "pretend to pay us and we'll pretend to work" mode....

www.ncsl.org...

a reply to: Proto88

Tell you truth it really doesn't pay, but being smarter does.

Sometimes it's not so much as intelligence, but ambition.
Pick any place with 100 people in a room, and only 2 of
them will have enough ambition to pursue working
for themselves.

a reply to: ketsuko

So maybe I am wrong, but instead of promoting the more ideal world where people have enough leisure, free time, resources and energy to create, dream, think, philosophize, meditate and cultivate their spirit, humanity, the planet and 'society'..

(as was the prediction, excitement and dream when technology started developing, when people were thinking about the future - ahh, free of toil at last, the machines will liberate us!)

you want everyone to imprison themselves by chaining themselves to the rat race, and then make this planet just a labour camp, driven by greed and materialism?

As I said, maybe I am wrong, but that's sort of what it sounded like you're promoting.

You DO know they tried the shorter day and shorter week (3 hours a day, 3 days a week, and such), and the productivity SOARED when people had more free time. They were also happier, felt more in control of their lives, and it was a win-win for everyone. However, corporations just CAN'T let a trivial thing like 'success' or 'increasing happiness of humanity' get in the way of PROFIT and systematic wage enslavement of people so they can't think for themselves, so that experiment had to be stopped and people's noses kept in the grind for 8 or 9 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Why do people always shame regular people for not wanting to work for this mad system, why don't they ever shame those who don't "have to work", because they have become right at the expense of their fellow man, by exploiting them and robbing them of quality life and their free time so they can make more profit? Why don't people ever look at the lazy rich people who laugh at the poor people who 'have to work'..? Why always shame the poor people?

This planet, even with this system, could easily feed everyone for free for millions of years if things were arranged ever-so-slightly differently. Everyone would have to work less than a year their whole lives, and they could live a luxurious life (compared to modern lifestyle of most people).

Don't you see status quo isn't working, it only creates misery? Besides, what good is it if you get all the wealth in the world, if you lose your health, your free time and you have to be miserable your whole life just to get it? The juice is not worth the squeeze in my opinion. If every single super wealthy individual would donate 2% their wealth, everyone could live happily and freely and focus on improving the world and all that, and then robots could be given most of the menial work and such. Things could so easily be changed to such that it'd be a paradise for all, and the rich people wouldn't even be needed anymore - I mean, the people, yes, but their 'richness' would not be necessary, they could just enjoy and create just like everyone else.

This world is a failure on every possible level, except for nature - and even it is full of cockroaches, spiders and insects.

a reply to: MrBlaq

Just saw your post, it comes down to a whole bunch of factors, and ambition/motivation does play a key role, but even then that can only get you so far, an it can back fire too. I remember busting my butt at an old job, an the only benefit I got was to be able to do whatever I wanted, so long as the job got done at the end of the day. To summarize this, 6-7 hours of doing nothing, then 1-2 hours of Chaos. Other times, at other poe, I'd be told to slow down, cause everyone else would have to work harder, with not much incentive to back it up, so yea lol. Plus that how alot of accidents happen with more youthful, an less experienced.

Heck one job, I was morning then midnight to mornings, hoping to get in full time, but they picked the other dude who started 2 weeks before getting laid off. All the while, they would constantly allow a certain dickwad, to miss days cause he in jail, an his dad busted ass there for decades(great guy tho btw ), an I got laid off. Worked out though in a way, they ran out of business, or got bought cause they were going out of business.


Working smarter has paid off for me alot more, mentally an physically then working harder, where as I often only to meet a dead end road for working hard, an where I end up asking, "what did I do wrong." The current job i have right now, I can actually work smarter an harder, cause I know cause my current employer can back up it for me to do so.