I’m having this issue on my team at the moment and the issue I’m struggling with is how to approach remuneration—does the person working 60hrs get paid for the same amount of work as the one doing 40hrs (I.e. Are they both salaried regardless of the amount they work). If yes, does that not risk demoralizing the former. And if no, then does that not create a culture of incentivizing working hours far beyond the regular 40hr week? Any insights would be much appreciated.
Thanks for asking! I agree this can be pretty tough, especially because people are really different.
In most cases (aside from external contractors) we don’t pay people based on the number of hours that they work. So, salaries don’t really vary based on the hours exactly.
But, if someone truly is able to sustainably and productively work long hours, they will probably perform better. As a result, this could increase the chances that they get promoted, which means higher salary etc.
However, I have also seen cases where people have needed to scale back their work in order to make better judgment calls, and take care of their health, and that ultimately led to promotion. It varies a lot!
Hey Amy
Thanks for this post and the tangible metaphor.
I’m having this issue on my team at the moment and the issue I’m struggling with is how to approach remuneration—does the person working 60hrs get paid for the same amount of work as the one doing 40hrs (I.e. Are they both salaried regardless of the amount they work).
If yes, does that not risk demoralizing the former. And if no, then does that not create a culture of incentivizing working hours far beyond the regular 40hr week?
Any insights would be much appreciated.
Hi Evan,
Thanks for asking! I agree this can be pretty tough, especially because people are really different.
In most cases (aside from external contractors) we don’t pay people based on the number of hours that they work. So, salaries don’t really vary based on the hours exactly.
But, if someone truly is able to sustainably and productively work long hours, they will probably perform better. As a result, this could increase the chances that they get promoted, which means higher salary etc.
However, I have also seen cases where people have needed to scale back their work in order to make better judgment calls, and take care of their health, and that ultimately led to promotion. It varies a lot!
Thanks Amy, I find your perspectives here really helpful and insightful, much appreciated...**goes off to talk to team**!