I'm reminded of manager I worked for one time who (in almost the same breath) talked about how great my 25 cent/hour raise was, then complained about how our shop only made $30,000 more that year than the year before. ;~D

How about the unshaven conservative, sitting in his bathrobe, watching the country getting flushed down the toilet

btw nice couplet.

How about the unshaven conservative, sitting in his bathrobe, watching the country getting flushed down the toilet

Better imagery.

shop only made $30,000 more that year than the year before.

Great irony!

reminds me of the boss at work who congratulated us on record sales, then said we need to focus on two things: Cutting labour costs and teamwork.

I always loved my boss, because it was usually me. heh nothing better than to look in the mirror and give myself the day off because I was such a good employee.

A $.25/hour raise will cut into profits, especially if you give out more than one. And an extra $30k isn't much if a company wants to give out raises, expand their market, make new capital investments, comply with new regulations, hire more talent, etc.

I could easily imagine a manager, knowing the full financial situation of the company, thinking that a 25-cent raise was really good, considering the company only grew revenues by $30k, rather than the $50k it needed to maintain healthy growth and additional future raises.

And sometimes record sales don't offset the expense of labor and a lack of teamwork. It's a well-known psychologial principle that people respond better to praise and encouragement. Most of the time, a person tries and fails, you're better off praising them for trying, rather than trying to discuss why they failed. Reward them for the effort, and they'll be motivated to make an even better effort the next time. Criticize them--even constructively--and they lose their enthusiasm and maybe don't bother trying at all the next time.

A manager who understands this might congratulate a team for record sales, even though the sales are still subpar, in order to encourage them to perform even better, especially in the areas of labor costs and teamwork, which may be exactly where the breakdown is between "better sales than last quarter" and "sales good enough to keep this company afloat".

And what's up with that, anyway? "We had record sales! How dare he tell us to work harder!" I can think of at least one way to cut labor costs: clear out the deadwood.

I used to work for a startup company. I went in asking for a $2000 raise one year, after being underpaid for nearly 2 years. My boss said that the company just couldn't afford it at the time. A couple of years later, after my boss was forced out of the company, I learned that the whole time he was employed, including the time I asked for a raise we couldn't afford, he was personally making $137,000 / year.

I used to work for a startup company.

I used to work for a startup company.

They had to shut down.


Ba-dum-bum. (rimshot)

Cute, but a little stereotypical, of course.

I occasionally wear ties, mainly on Sunday, when I take my lily-white, conservative behind to church and plant it in a pew to worship a God the liberals despise and actively work to exclude.
I don't own a pin-stripped suit. I do own a stripped t-shirt, and I wear it once in a while when I go to work, where I stand in front of a greasy, dusty machine for 8 hours, and wish I made more money.
But then, intellectually, I realize that if I did make more money, the Democrats would just conspire to find ways to take it away from me, anyway.

Love ya Stevie D, but you try living under a Liberal government for 12+ years and see how you like it! It's all relative, I suppose, but I think it's accurate to say that Canada is waking up from a national nightmare right aboot noow. Canadian Conservatism - Stephen Harper style - is where it's at in the 21st century; it is not nasty, or selfish, but it flows from a realization that we - all welfare states including the USA, AUS, UK, etc. - have lost our way and have put too much faith in The State.

But then, intellectually, I realize that if I did make more money, the Democrats would just conspire to find ways to take it away from me, anyway.

Ahh, so all the money issues in the Good ol USA are because of the Dems................? Lets see...I work in the education field making less than most people make at fast food joints. I work 35 hours a week (no full time, then theyd have to give me incentives)...and get no benefits...all under an education system which is supported by President Bush....who is using the same failed education process that he used in Texas when he was Gov down there. Because of lack of funding (thanks George)...they are planning on cutting various positions throughout the school district, while at the same time, giving the superintendant a raise so she will make 128k this year and 132k next year.

A $.25/hour raise will cut into profits, especially if you give out more than one.

Well the question is...how much profit does a company want to make, compared to paying its employees a better wage?

A matter of stereotypes. Other times, the conservative is the tractor driving redneck full of America-uber-alles. The fact is the hard working people you describe are pretty well divided on social economics, as are the folks in pinstripes. The majority of the people you describe as mr. 'pinstripe' that I know are Dems that complain about Bush all day.

It's easy to think in those terms, like Lenin's hard-working proletariat that he found wasn't much better than the middle class he hated. If this were the well-off vs. the struggling no Republican would ever win an election. In reality it is two complex philosophies, neither of which seems to be able to exist on its own in a crowded society without major problems.

A $.25/hour raise will cut into profits, especially if you give out more than one. And an extra $30k isn't much if a company wants to give out raises, expand their market, make new capital investments, comply with new regulations, hire more talent, etc

You really should try to lighten up a bit.

A matter of stereotypes.

Of course!

But then, intellectually, I realize that if I did make more money, the Democrats would just conspire to find ways to take it away from me, anyway.

A legitimate fear; still, tax is but a percentage of the raise.

Stevendallus:

A $.25/hour raise will cut into profits, especially if you give out more than one. And an extra $30k isn't much if a company wants to give out raises, expand their market, make new capital investments, comply with new regulations, hire more talent, etcYou really should try to lighten up a bit.

Sorry Stutfish, you're alright in my book, but I have to 2nd Stevendallus on this one. ;~D

the boss at work who congratulated us on record sales, then said we need to focus on two things: Cutting labour costs and teamwork

please tell me you immediately suggested he cut his salary to make it correspond with yours because nothing enhances team spirit like shared experiences.