Surveys show that nobody cares how much they're paid as long as it is more than their colleagues. If our boss had any brains, he'd pay us a laughable pittance and whisper individually to each of us that our colleagues were getting only half a laughable pittance. Wait. I think he DOES do that.
When it comes to salaries, negotiation skills are vital. Consider toilet cleaners Akku and Leela Sherigar, named by the Daily Mail as the world's lowest paid workers. They sent their averages down by working for nothing following a dispute with their employer. This was surely the worst negotiating tactic in the history of the world. CLEANERS: "Give us a pay rise or we'll work for free." BOSS: "Oh, dear, sorry, can't afford it, mwah ha ha ha ha." It took these south Indian ladies only 11 years of working for nothing to spot the weakness in their strategy.
My mentor/bartender says there are four types of pay packets. 1) The Christmas Gift Salary: You accept it gratefully but wish it happened more often. 2) The Onion Salary: You open it and start weeping. 3) The Molecular Salary: You open the envelope and reach for an electron microscope to locate the money. 4) The Letter Bomb Salary: You open it and your head flies off in shock.
