Assembly Line Employees

In the article titled “Shortweek,” I brought up a theory about the current state of treatment of employees throughout our country. I stated, “Employee satisfaction and morale usually isn’t the number one thing on management’s minds these days.” While it is a pretty broad statement and there are many people who are being treated very well in their positions, the vast majority of the working classes are not being treated well. What exactly do I believe being “treated well” entails? “Well” is a very relative term but I’m going to give you my theory behind what I believe our country’s employees deserve for their time and effort devoted to supporting their family and business.

Let’s start with an easy one, compensation. Remember, I’m an Economics major so I think about things a bit differently than your normal person. People on average are making $16+ per hour which is a 25% increase over what the average hourly worker was making in 1997 ($12+). Well, that sounds great doesn’t it? It does if prices of everything around us stayed equal to what they cost in 1997 but we all know that didn’t happen. So, yes, we are in fact making more money these days in actual dollar amounts, but in reality, we are making basically the same amount we were in 1997 or even less. Prices have increased across the board, costs of living have been on a steady increase, and there is of course the current gas crisis. An employer feels they are doing the right thing by providing raises based on some theoretical “3% yearly inflation” number and assume they are keeping their employees’ heads above water. More dollars utilizing the old standards of determining raise amounts does not cover what the reality of our world has placed in front of us.

This isn’t to say that the employer is doing anything wrong, but on the other hand, let’s take a look at the increases in salary of those in charge of businesses. Study after study has shown the fact that the percentage of dollars being given to those in charge are skyrocketing. In 1980, the average CEO was being paid 40 times the average worker salary. In 2004, that number is 500. Did your average worker receive similar raises? Of course they did not. It would be impossible and the economy would die under the pressure of extreme inflation. The problem is that the money being made is not being divided and distributed appropriately. Employees are left to pull up the rear of the financial ladder while the people perched on the top rung are continually sucking the money from the financial river. It may not seem ethically right but that’s the result of a free, capitalist market economy.

Another determination of being treated well is the amount of time offered to the employee for vacation, personal time, and holidays. The United States has long been behind the times when vacation time per employee is considered. Our businesses pride themselves on working harder, being more efficient, and always giving what it takes to get the job done. Productivity is our calling card as a country. For some, that means more hours on the job are necessary and extended time away is not allowed. A quick look at average vacation time around the world shows that the US is at roughly 13 days of vacation time. Compared to other industrial, non-third world countries, the next country with the lowest amount is Japan and Korea both with 25 days. The leader is Italy with 42 days off for their employees. The average US employee works 50 weeks of the year for wages equivalent of working 20+ years ago. I do not think that is being treated well.

Perks are another factor in employee satisfaction and well being. Most people measure successful jobs as having perks including insurance, dental care, pension plans, and flexible hours. As we all know, health care and insurance costs have gone through the roof and most employers are now either passing on most of the costs to the employee or they have removed support all together. Pension plans have also come under fire in some of the major companies because they just cannot “afford” to fund the plans for so many aged or retired employees. Most employers cut their contributions to the bare minimum if they continue to support pension plans at all. Flexible hours are a great perk that some companies are being forced to allow. Employees with experience and skill in certain areas are hard to come by and many employees require flexible hours for a variety of reasons. Some companies face the facts and allow this but most do not and force employees into the rigid 8 to 5 schedule no matter if they suffer by hiring less talented employees or not.

There are many other attributes of treating an employee well but I’m not going for an exhaustive look into the subject here. I believe the 3 above factors are on the mind of 100% of the working class in our country. Compensation, Vacation Time, and Perks are the determining factors of a job and the employee’s satisfaction and state of morale assuming the job is otherwise acceptable (working conditions/etc). The United States and our employers are behind the times compared to other countries and how they treat their employees. Our employees are treated as if they are part of an assembly line, easily replaceable. While that may hold true for some of the positions within our various industries, it doesn’t give employers the right to abuse the people who work for them. No, we are not slaves and we have the right to leave at any time, but most of us are “stuck” in positions due to the costs of living that any time away from employment could spell disaster for the family.

Is there anything we can do as individuals? Sadly, but the answer is likely no. We can search for the best possible job that fits our lifestyle and try and make due. We can start our own business and leave the standard employment assembly line. We can move. There is always the chance that the company you work for will listen to employee issues and complaints but if they haven’t listened yet, what’s going to get them to listen today? While most companies resist change, some welcome it. Sometimes, a new business will be created due to the fact that employees are treated unfairly. This new business will focus entirely upon employee satisfaction and well being and “compete” for workers of other companies. A prime example is Google. They are a leading example of putting the employee first and caring about their morale and satisfaction. However, for the rest of us, we are likely still left in a position where we have been for quite some time. We are employed by a company who believes we are just another component in the assembly line and it doesn’t matter whether we are there or some other person as long as the chair is filled with a living, breathing human being.

The changes for employee morale and satisfaction have to come from the top of each company. Sure, the employee can choose to go to work happy, but putting on a “happy face” does not cure the statistics of our real world. The executives of our companies need to change the employment landscape. Not to cost them money, but to make them more money. I’ve said it before, happier employees make better employees. Happy employees are efficient employees. Happy employees are loyal, dedicated, and do whatever it takes to be the best. What our businesses have at the moment is a pocket full of money with employees who are only “putting their time in.” If you are someone who can make a difference in a company and read this, I hope you have the guts to change the reality of your employees’ lives.

Citation: World Tourism Organization (WTO)

Citation: Jack Rasmus, National Writers Union, UAW 1981, AFL-CIO.