What to do when someone's underpaid?

[DaveJ]

I have a "friend" who I am a little concerned about. All his life he's considered money of secondary importance. His work is what he always cared about, more than his paycheck. As a result, he's become highly skilled, and accomplishes things no other employee in his position has ever done. That's fine. He's not complaining about how much he makes, per se.

The problem is, when the company became more successful, they needed more people, and what they ended up doing was hiring a coworker who was less skilled and less concerned about the work, but since the new guy is driven simply by the desire for a high paycheck, he manages to ask, and get, more money.

Now, my friend was happy working for, let's say, half of what others get for the same work. The only problem is that he seems sort of taken advantage and clearly demoralized.

Sure, he could ask for more money, but he feels what he's getting paid is fair. Others are taking advantage of the employment environment by asking for more than what they deserve, really. I know, I know, capitalism means getting the most you can get, right? But it's just not in his personality. He's believes in an honest days work for an honest days pay -- he's just not a supply sider.

He feels that it's great to earn a lot of money, but he wants to really earn it, not just manipulate the system, as he sees it.

So, it seems he has two choices: A) Change his thinking and seek more money, or B) listen to his new coworker talk about all his money and be fine with it.

Are there any other options?

[Nikia]

1. He should not feel like he is manipulating the system

If he asks for more money at a company where others who do the equivalent or less work make a significant amount more than him. It suggests that his company values its employees, that particuliar job, and/or those particuliar skills. He should not blame other employees who make more than him, especially new ones, because perhaps they would not have wanted to work at that company if they were not offered the higher amount. He should mention to the appropriate person at an appropriate time what he has accomplished and that he thinks that he should be compensated appropriately. If he does not get more money, he should seek employment elsewhere. Chances are that if he really is only making half of what others in his position are making that he would be able to get more money than he is currently making at another company as a first offer.

[DaveJ]

2. I tried to tell him he'd make more money being a panhandler.

Panhandlers make $200 in an hour sometimes I hear. Obviously people value their work more. :sarcasm:

Should everyone just follow the money in life? There is much more to be made in selling interest only mortgages or being a 'contractor' overseas.

Or how about highway robbery, setup a filling station in the middle of nowhere and sell gas for $200 an gallon or a belt for $1k.

Or in the case of a technical position, learn one piece of information an employer might not know, and charge incredible sums of money for it.

These approaches are not ethical, IMO, although I know some people are fine with it and think it's grand!

But I guess these are the type of people who have all the money today.

Sorry, I don't think lack of understanding of how Capitalism works is the problem. I tried to make the point that 'earning' the money is important to some. Most people have the mental capacity to -understand- capitalism, it just takes a certain type of person to squeeze it for all its worth. We are living in an economy where ones accomplishment means nothing and this is why.

[Nikia]

3. I'm not saying that he should keep following the money, but

Some companies pay more than others for certain skills. Sometimes it has to do with supply and demand. For example, some scientific testing labs are in college towns and pay their techs crap wages because there may be many students or new grads wanting to get work experience in that field. At a company that requires that type of work where few people have that type of degree or skills, they often pay a few dollars an hour more. Other companies might pay someone more in a particuliar position because they want to be more picky (having say 50 or more highly qualified applicants to choose from rather than 5). Some companies pay more because there is something profoundly wrong with the environment of their company and few people would continue to work there unless they paid significantly more than anymore else in the area for that field. Some companies just value their employees more than others and why shouldn't a company that is highly successful take this approach.
Where I work, I make more than many people there. I have a unique job though so you cannot really comapare my wage to their wage. If someone found out what I made and thought that I was overpaid, I would tell them that I would have never come to work where I did unless they started me at what they did because I made almost that much at my previous workplace, where I was in a stagnant position, and I had turned down jobs for which I had applied because of the money issue. I should also point out that they asked me to fill out a form that had my expected salary range and that I simply put down a figure, which they would have been free to turn down. I would also tell them that if I did not make as much as I did now (if I weren't pregnant right now) that I would be actively seeking other work because there are things profoundly wrong with the company's environment. If I later do actively seek work elsewhere, I do hope to make at least as much money as I currently make. If I apply for a job that is advertised as negotiable, it is not my fault if they offer me more money than other people in equivalent positions. It is the employer's fault for being unfair to their current employees. If they feel the need to pay new people more in order to get good employees, they should give their current good employees bigger raises.
It is your friend's company's fault that he is in this situation. If the company has really become more successful, they should be able to pay him more. They should value his skills for helping them become more successful. If anyone is acting unethical, they are. No, it would not be unethical for him to ask for more money or to leave for a better paying company.

[Kire]

4. he really should not be doing anything he is not being paid for

There is a difference between "going above and beyond the call of duty" and "working too much".

Trial and error, and making a lot of mistakes is really the only way to come close to knowing where the line is, and even then, it's not entirely clear.

I have a similar problem. It is hard habit to break. I definitely would like to hear about how other people have overcome adversities like this.


After a while, the situation at my job got so bad that I was in such fear that it only made sense to leave.

Here is a brief post about my own story.