Hello DU! I have a question...

[JANdad]

How many here are in a position on responsibility at work. In other words, do you hold power over others, thereby controlling their lives in an oblique way? Can you hire/fire? Can you control wages? Can you grant/deny time off/vacations?

For the past ten years I have been in this situation and during that time I have come to a realization that my political leanings do not square with the current mindset of American business practices.

I strongly support a raise (huge) in minimum wage.

I am all for profits (how else to stay in business) but not at the cost of others livelihood. In other words, how much is enough?

I could go on but you get my drift...I hope?

[onehandle]

1. I take good care of my staff.

I'm a Democrat. They're lucky that way.

I work well with my team and treat them well, because I'm a Democrat.

They do a good job for me, because I take good care of them.

[JANdad]

9. I feel the same way about my management style

But the owner of the company I work for has "Let Freedom Ring" as his ringtone on his phone (Sean Hannity's radio theme song) and is a "devout" Christian. So I am in a bit of a quandry so to speak. I have to put myself out in front of my staff from time to time...

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. I was going to say the same. My focus is primarily on making sure the employees in the department

have what they need from me to do their jobs. I supervise union (from two bargaining units) workers, and they're a terrific group.

What I don't do is worry about, or posture for, the higher ups in the company. I have no desire to move into a higher position, which would take me away from front line operations. It must be the Democrat in me that feels that way. MKJ

[YOY]

2. I have often thougth that a percentage/ratio would be accurate

Somewhere along the lines of the highest paid employee cannot make ten times more than the least paid. There would be middle grounds and obviously 1:10 ratio might be asking too much/little.

eg. The company mailroom guys earn 30K and therefore the CEO/CFO/VP etc...cannot earn more than $300,000. The ratio would need playing around with, but it is highly doable and harly overly socialistic. Of course some might say that some executives earn their multimillion dollar salaries...to which I am liable to break out laughing...ever known any? They don't merit it, I assure you. At least the handful I have had the displeasure of bumping shoulders with...

Of course many corportions would work around this using contracted labor...

[Redstone]

3. Uh, there are lots of us who are capitalists, but also liberals. You're not alone; the two

are NOT mutually exclusive.

Redstone

[seabeyond]

4. right there with you edwards. we do pay more than need to

for example the gal answering phone. she was a single mom. raised her to 10 dollars an hour when we could have paid significantly less. we pay our people more than the going pay for the exact reason we feel a responsibility to pay a oivable wage, so people can put in a hard day of work and be able to meet their obligations. my hubby has a strong sense of obligation to pay health insurance, unfortunately over the last three years it has raised so high that we are possibly going to put an end to it and just add cash into pay. hubby business pretty well dictates not to high a profit, no getting aroud that with competition. but we also add things like two weeks paid holidays, some one needs time off, we work with it, a parent cant find care for a child, they can come into offices ect....

[Warpy]

5. Been there, done that

and found I hated management with a purple and undying passion, mostly because of the psychopathic corporate structure at such odds with the needs of human beings.

I just couldn't manage to be a kiss up, kick down suit. I got sick of it quickly and left.

[uppityperson]

6. self employed and not getting rich because of my ethics, morals.

I make enough to stay in business, but am a service health care thing and am always trying to figure out the balance between what people can afford to pay, what I can afford to make, and go back and forth a lot.

[illinoisprogressive]

7. welcome. Don't worry about others. Be proud of your views but not obnoxious

I was in management and always was supportive and caring. I don't care what others think as I feel it's my right to have my own views.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. I felt the same way

getting laid off was good for me in the long run.

[liberal N proud]

10. Welcome to DU edwardsguy

I am a mid level manager above 10 professionals. I do their appraisals, vacations and other time off.
Minimum wage is not a factor in this profession.
I think of the people under me as my peers and treat them with every respect they deserve.
My job is to coordinate the projects they work on and insure they are getting the job done for the customer and the quality of their work meets company and industry standards.
I very rarely deny anyone time off if the reason is valid and I see a scheduled vacation as valid and I will go up against managers at the highest level to try to make sure my people get their vacation when they scheduled it. I see it as a part of their compensation for the work they do and managers should not deprive them of that time. I also feel it is good for the employee to get away for a week or two at a time, it helps the moral.
Our evaluation system makes it difficult to deny someone a pay raise based on my judgment alone. There are safeguards to protect the employee that measure their performance.

[rucky]

12. Good wages ARE good business.

More loyalty, more productivity, less drama, less re-training.

[Left Is Write]

13. I can hire and fire and also make decisions about staff time off.

I set the shifts and schedule.

I do not, however, control wages. I am far too low on the totem pole for that, though if I felt strongly about it, I could plead a case for a staffer to get raise.

[givemebackmycountry]

14. First off guy...Welcome to DU!

Second, I have 13 employees that report to me.
They fully understand the "food chain".
The more tricks they know and the more tricks they can do the higher they rank on the food chain.
You do more, and you get more at the end of the year.

That's just common sense.

They have listened to me rant and rave now for 7 years.
Funny thing, they are all Democrats now.

I have a lot of smart people working for me.

If I had it my way - they would all get raises at the same percent value as our CEO who does not deserve the millions he's paid.

[JANdad]

15. Thanks to all that have responded thus far and I will

get back to you on this. With my new job I have to get up at 4:30 AM, so it is off to bed for now.

Wow...great feeling not being so alone out there!

thanks again!

[wildbilln864]

16. welcome to DU edwardsguy! n/t

[DURHAM D]

17. I own a small company.

I pay myself an OK salary. However, I have two employees that I pay more than I pay myself - both have families. That should pretty much answer your question.

Note: Health insurance costs are really tough on business owners. Why in god's name everyone in this country is not for some sort of national health care is crazy.

[jody]

18. Do you buy products or services produced by workers paid near starvation wages? If so you indirectly

support their employers including those overseas. I suppose most of us are guilty of that act.:shrug:

[jody]

19. Dupe deleted. n/t

[bonito]

20. Self employed with direct control over life and death

Without regard to profit because there isn't any, successful for over 9yrs now.
Welcome to DU man with a conscience!