What are you worth?

Are you getting paid what you’re worth? I’ve been reading all of the career advice articles that keep telling hard‑working employees that they better be careful if they’re thinking about asking the boss for a raise. With the real threat of being “off‑shored” and more than 8,000 people applying for 400 jobs at a Wal‑Mart, it’s no wonder that the work force is a little paranoid these days. But not asking for a pay raise is taking it a little too far. Be brave, Dear Readers. Your boss might be hoping you’ll be timid so he or she can remain cheap. Go for the gusto and ask for what you deserve.

I read with amazement a local newspaper’s advice that as an employee, you should never compare yourself to another employee, lest you get the boss upset. I say, throw all caution to the wind. Go ahead, point out to your boss that you outwork most of your dim‑witted colleagues and it’s about time that you got paid for your efforts. If that doesn’t get you the response you hoped for, maybe you could compare yourself to one of those “hard‑working” television celebrities who takes home a million bucks an episode. How hard can it be to act? Isn’t that what you’re doing everyday when you are acting like you love your job? Oops, only kidding.

A man in Desert Hills e‑mailed me to say that his first love is God and his family, then his horses, dogs, trucks and motorcycles. He said he is “forced to bear the burden of a mediocre job, working for a beast of a boss, with an intolerable commute, for substandard pay.” The good news? He claims he only has twenty years left at it. Ouch, this is the tragedy of the working bloke.

According to a team of psychologists from Stanford, a recent survey claims that only a small portion of the American public love their jobs. While many people may enjoy their work, they may still hate their jobs. It seems as though the list of reasons why more than 70 percent of the employed population is so frustrated is because: too much to do; unpleasant working conditions; uncooperative co‑workers; long hours, difficult bosses, lack of time to complete tasks, and not enough compensation. What’s your list?

Hey, it seems many people will do many things (maybe even anything) if they feel they are paid what they are worth. Long hours, tough assignments, and crabby co‑workers all seem to be manageable when you bring home a paycheck that makes you smile. On the other hand, money alone won’t make people happy if they dislike their jobs, though it does seem to help ease the pain.

Oh, but I digress. Yes, go ahead, Dear Readers, go ask the boss for a raise and start out 2007 with a bang. Don’t listen to what those experts are saying.

Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Walk right into your boss’s office, pull up a chair and point out exactly what you’ve been doing for the past year. Hopefully, your boss will be completely amazed at your (often overlooked) stellar achievements.

I’m not much for blazing a trail, so why don’t you go first. Let me know how it all works out. E‑mail me with your successes and then I will try it on my bosses right away. We are worth so much more than we getting paid ... In fact, perhaps we could point out to our employers that we are simply priceless. Good luck. Oh, if it doesn’t work out, don’t worry, I know of a Wal‑Mart that is hiring soon.