Employer Slavery
Got a job offer last week. For $25,000 less than I made last year.
Like many of us, I fully expected a contraction of salaries. With so may unemployed, it’s was easily predictable that employers would take this opportunity to lower salaries a bit. But I have to admit, I was absolutely floored with the obscenity of the offer. This particular company (that I will not name – please don’t ask) has taken the word “contraction” to a new level.
I managed to remain calm and went straight into my negotiation stance. Perhaps a deal that would increase my salary in 6 or 12 months? “No. We wont do an employment agreement to guarantee an increase.”, was the reply. Then how about a compromise between your offer and my previous salary? Silence.
Knowing that this deal was absolutely not going to happen, I shift my stance to maybe help the next applicant. I begin to explain that by demanding these obscenely low salaries, just because they can, is going to create animosity with their employees. They will know and believe that they are being taken advantage of. Ultimately, they will not be loyal to the company. They are not going to work hard or go the extra mile. It’s just like the old adage, “the beatings will continue until moral improves”. It won’t work. At the end of the day, the employee will jump ship at the first offer (of more money) that they get. And in all likelihood, they will take the owners clients and maybe even his furniture with them when they go.
Obviously, employers need to contract a bit on the salaries they pay when work is slow. There is no doubt of that. But extortion and slavery is no way to run a business. Let this be the advice for all employers in architectural design. Respect your employees. Be honest with them. Tell them what is happening within the company. Ask them to make sacrifices and they will – as long as you reward them when things get better. Remember, you have no business without them.
As for the job offer, we mutually agreed that I was not right for their company.
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Posted by Michael E.
on May 2 2009. Filed under Economy.
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I completely agee. It just goes to show that there are people (employers) who are actually enjoying this recession, which is one of the contributing factors as to why this country is in the position- employers want to do well but are offended by the thought of their employees doing well. You did the right thing and again, have my respect. So many would cower, bend over and ask, “Is this position you want me in – higher or lower? Do you have the lubricant or should I bring my own?
“The cost of lubricant will be deducted from your monthly paycheck”
Michael will not have to worry about the lubricant being deducted from his paycheck, since, he did not take the job. Many people would have jumped at it, put on their knee pads, bent over and then lied to everyone about what they are making, as to, make it seem like they were highly sought after and highly paid – even in a recession. They would not only have lied that they took a job making 25k less than industry standard they probably would have swung the figure 50k in the other direction for a net gain of 25k.
Taking a job such as that only lowers the standards and pay -for all of us. People who jump at offers like that have little respect for their peers and even less for themselves. I respect Michael for holding to his principals in a profession that is so wishy-washy.