Some Thoughts on the Work Life
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (85053)
United States
December 1, 2022 8:20am CST
Money is not everything when it comes to the workplace, but let's face it; few people work because they are a bored millionaire with nothing better to do. Most workers are working because they have bills to pay, wants and needs, and want to build their retirement nest eggs.
Beyond that, people more and more nowadays also want better work-life balance. And I don't actually think that is too much to ask for. Life is short. It's hard. You've got to have fun and enjoy it otherwise what's the point?
Just to work the grind every day of your life until you can't and then sit at home all day wasting away?
I think most companies, besides what many people think, actually do have an interest in being fair to their workers. I think most wages are fair and competitive in their respective fields.
But I also think more focus on life over work is important and I think companies can be creative enough to find interesting ways to offer that as just another benefit in the overall compensation package.
I think companies should also spend more time making financial management and planning a part of ongoing, regular training on the job.
Why?
Because the financial health of their employees is important as well, and if the employees don't feel like they are getting a fair deal, or a fair shot, for that matter, to get ahead, it affects how they feel about their worth and value and that reflects in their attitude and overall work performance.
If companies can help their employees learn how to save and invest and manage what they have, it may help to offer a different perspective on the real value of what they get.
The fact is, The Great Resignation, quiet-quitting and "act your wage" are all movements that are real and growing in popularity, and were borne out of the pandemic, economic concerns, and now are being fueled by inflation to some extent.
In a way, it is and was a product of capitulation. "I'm busting my tail but not getting anywhere, and I am at the whim of others—why bother trying so hard when I feel like in the end, it doesn't matter?"
Companies would be wise to take notice of this and not only that, but understand it.
It is human nature to want to feel useful and needed. It is human nature to want to be appreciated, and to feel genuinely like they are. And at the same time, people want to feel like what they are doing is not just helping the other guy—but helping them personally too.
If companies are not promoting this feeling, then to my mind they are missing out, themselves, on vast opportunities.
Because it does impact productivity. It does impact the quality of the work they get for their wage dollars. It does impact retention. Ultimately it affects what kind of worker they will get and what their wage dollars will ultimately produce.
I think it's simply a fine line. Workers need to understand their employers and need to understand what their employers can actually provide, within reason. But employers also need to understand their workers and what their needs are and find ways to be more accommodating to them on some level.
After all, it takes two to tango and nothing gets accomplished if both sides are not doing all they can to achieve the desired end goal.
11 people like this
10 responses
@RebeccasFarm (88351)
• Arvada, Colorado
2 Dec 22
@porwest You always are a success to me friend always
@Marilynda1225 (81807)
• United States
1 Dec 22
You make a good point. I'm retired now and happily. I'm comfortable financially but wish I had had more understanding and had planned better
2 people like this
@porwest (85053)
• United States
2 Dec 22
There are probably a lot of people who say the same thing. I guess a part of me wants to help people avoid some of the pitfalls, which is part of the reason I talk about it so much. Money, investing, saving, being frugal.
I have been lucky to take the time to figure it out. I think it would be unfair of me not to share what I know and what I have learned and at least plant a seed in the minds of some who have not quite figured it out.
Working only has a payoff if it not just a means to an end.
1 person likes this
@Manasha (2730)
• Pondicherry, India
18 Dec 22
That way, employees can get a better handle on their finances and be better able to budget and plan for their future. This will help to ensure that they are able to build their retirement nest eggs and have a better sense of financial security.
So, while money is important, it is not the only thing that matters in the workplace. A good balance of work and life is important, and employers should be creative in finding ways to offer that to their employees. And financial planning training should be made available to help employees plan for a more secure future.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (21631)
• Australia
2 Dec 22
I guess that some of these points also apply to the person who runs their own one-man business too. They also need to train themselves in money management too.
@innertalks (21631)
• Australia
2 Dec 22
@porwest Yes, sometimes we begin with a head of steam, which diminishes, and after a few years, there is no steam left, especially if something unsuspected happens to you.
I bought a second-hand book business, which I thought would take me into retirement, and into my later years, but after 3 years, and after the lease expired, and he had put me on a month-to-month lease then, the owner wanted his shop back for his own accounting practice, and he booted me out one Christmas, at my busiest time. I could not move the shop with 60,000 books in it, but just had a fire-sale and closed it down.
@porwest (85053)
• United States
2 Dec 22
Sometimes I think of the person who goes into business for themselves like I think of kids entering adulthood. Suddenly you realize the reality of what things cost and how much money there really is and it changes your perspective grandly and profoundly.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (170715)
• United States
2 Dec 22
I agree with a lot of what you said. Most companies, well many anyway, aren't going to spend time and money educating their employees.....at least not where I worked. I used my own common sense to build my 401k by moving my money around every so often.
1 person likes this
@Nakitakona (56299)
• Philippines
27 Dec 22
I do agree with you to have fun in lfe and even enjoy it to its fullest.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
1 Dec 22
It’s more than money. I used to say that we got $3.35 an hour at the post office for the actual work (because it was a minimum-wage, assembly-line job) and the other nine bucks an hour was for the bulllsh*t we had to put up with. My union president said they’d done a survey saying that the Louisville post office was the second-most likely for a “going postal” incident (back when it was only postal workers who went postal). I don’t think it’s necessary to kowtow to people because someone got fired 15 years ago and went back to where they’d worked and shot people, but by the same token understanding the physical/psychological need is just as important as “how much an hour are you making.” I’m very thankful to be retired, but I did quit jobs over the course of my employment career because the money wasn’t worth what I was feeling emotionally.
Because, as you said, life is short.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317038)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
1 Dec 22
I totally agree. It's probably why I wanted to quit my first day on the job at 18. My work never mattered to my employer. I never felt like a valued employee - only one they could fire and hire someone to take my place in a heartbeat. I like retirement. I finally feel like I'm making a difference in my life. And no, nobody taught me about investment, saving, or anything else related to finances. I didn't have a clue until it was too late to matter.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34957)
•
3 Dec 22
All good points and well stated. I think it comes down to supply and demand. If a company can fill jobs easily then concerning themselves with retaining employees is not so urgent or important to them. Companies are in business to make as much money as possible and if they don't have to change their attitude to maintain their profit they won't.
@Beestring (14133)
• Hong Kong
1 Dec 22
I agree that it's a good idea to provide financial management training to employees. In fact, companies in HK are facing talent shortage as a lot of people have emigrated to other countries. The companies are looking for ways to attract/retain talents. A financial business in Hong Kong has launched an unlimited paid annual leave policy to help employees achieve "work life balance" by means of flexible leave. Employees can take time off to handle family and personal affairs when necessary. During the past trial period, some employees applied for two to three months of vacation after reaching financial performance targets. The company said that they trust employees will not abuse the policy. Since the implementation, it has reflected that employees are more responsible. There was no abuse.
1 person likes this
