Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Maybe America is lazy and proud of it

This was in the Chicago Tribune this morning:

Which is the lesser corporate evil: to lay off more workers or save those jobs by cutting everyone's salary?

It's a question that's starting to pop up in management meetings as executives struggle to protect the bottom line during bad times. With companies slashing tens of thousands of jobs, a growing number now are trimming the paychecks of those left in place, with the cuts sometimes totaling 5 percent to 10 percent.

Few, though, have gone as far as Acco Brands Corp. of Lincolnshire to employ what it sees as a job-saving, morale-salvaging strategy.

The company, which supplies office products to such retailers as Office Depot Inc., told its U.S. employees Monday that it would impose a 47 percent pay cut for six weeks, beginning Feb. 23. After that time they would go to 80% of their pay.

As many websites do they had a poll and asked would you rather take a cut or be laid off? To my astonishment 62% said they'd take a layoff.

The story went on to explain the pros and cons which made sense either way. What I see in these unscientific results is an attitude of laziness by the American workforce. Time off for 6-8 months with pay, albeit at half pay, to just sit around and sleep, eat, play and bitch at the government because they have no job.

I offered the company I was doing work for to work for half my pay. I figured half is better than nothing.

Do people have any work ethics, pride, or integrity anymore? 7.7 million people have no jobs, no income of any kind and 62% are saying they're insulted by pay cuts and they'd rather be let go. Maybe I'm dumb, hold your comments, but the idea of having a job, being productive, contributing to society, and having self worth sure seems a lot better than being lazy for 6-8 months.

Maybe it's time to put a stipulation on unemployment benefits. If one is collecting benefits they must do at least 10 hours of community service a week.. There are so many things that could be for done kids, seniors, hospitals, parks and the environment. The government helps you and you help your fellow American.

Who am I kidding, people are probably too lazy to read this blog.


10 comments:

Mark Ploch said...

I'm not too lazy to read your blog, just too lazy to finish thi

Anonymous said...

...s sentence. there mark i finished it for you. how is that for work ethic? so often companies will "employ" any method to cut wages or trim workers. would you believe (use your best maxwell smart voice), or trust, that your company really needed to cut wages to save your job?

Anonymous said...

That's exactly right. What's to stop any company from cutting the pay of their workforce while blaming the economy?
Would reading your blog be considered community service? Have you ever considered paying people to read your blog instead of implying they are lazy? Maybe a contest of some kind is in order!

Scott Plocharczyk said...

If I could pay people to read my blog I wouldn't have a blog.

Tara said...

I think you are right, Americans are lazy and feel entitled to it. Present company exempt of course :)

Scott Plocharczyk said...

I guess my true point is, regardless what companies can do, that with how things are today isn't better to take a cut than lose everything?

Anonymous said...

i would take the pay cut, keep working, and then figure out what to do.

i don't know what the employment data numbers are, but i keep hearing that americans are working longer, two and three jobs, wages are stagnated, etc?

Tara said...

I am on duty 24/7, so sick days or paycheck. They can't cut my pay :(

If hubby's pay were to be cut in half, I would tell him to take the layoff and look elsewhere with the time he would suddenly have. BUT he also works 6 days a week, sometimes 7 and it's barely worth it now. At half his pay we would not survive, nor would there be any time for him to look elsewhere. I'm not saying we wouldn't be buying a daily cappuccino and vacationing in Aspen- we can't do any of that now. Half his pay would leave us homeless and hungry and frozen to death. I suppose I would weigh the options but that's my guess. I think a lot of people would take the lay off in hopes of finding a better pay rate before the unemployment ran out. There are a lot of people unhappy in their jobs and a 50% pay cut would be too much to take, the nothingness of nothing would be less insulting. Of course there will always be those who will turn it into an opportunity to do nothing, milk the unemployment for every cent and then apply for benefits and let the tax payers support them.

Scott Plocharczyk said...

I believe, not positive, the people getting the pay cuts still kept their benefits like health insurance.

Tara said...

True on the benefits, but would the premiums be cut in half as well as the salary? I have to say we pay quite dearly for our crappy coverage.