Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
Great post.
No "recession advice" is 100%.
LOL @ madmax...that certainly applies to some. (It may apply to madmax, who could be a bonafied hoodlum on a public library computer in between saggy panted-corn rowed drug deals.)
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Ironically, some of my co-workers were griping about the no raises again next year, etc. that same day. I told them "You don't work in health care for the money" and they tried to argue. The reality is, health care is STABLE, but only the doctors and highly trained people like radiologists and nurse anesthetists, PAs, etc. make a lot of money. Therapists, nurses aides, etc, have stable jobs, there is no doubt, but they don't get wealthy. They will be comfortable enough, but they won't get rich. Accountants, purchasing, etc. type folks, HR type folks, they make more money in other industries. In the almost 25 years I've worked in health care, there has never been more than a 2-3% cost of living raise and several years, there have been none. There are no profit sharing bonuses in good times, because we are non-profit. There are no merit raises. There are sometimes bonuses, but they used to be things like a turkey at Christmas, or a $100 Visa card. Health care benefits do tend to be a little better, but the costs are still going up. Many providers used to waive co-pays as a "professional courtesy" but that became illegal and is no longer done. We do get discounted co-pays for using our own health system, but that also means that our health information is available to our co-workers, who have legal access to it for research purposes, even without a signed consent.
This particular group of co-workers who constantly complain about low pay in comparison to those who do the same job for universities (namely, statisticians) are the highest paid people in our department. They all make at least $20K a year more than I do and they all have employed spouses who make even more than they make. It's so hard to sit and listen to them gripe and complain about their salaries all the time. They gripe when we get a $100 bonus because it is so small and I always offer to take theirs if they don't want it. It's really annoying. That particular day, as one was being especially vocal, I said "Then why don't you leave?" Come on, you are raising a family of 4 with 130% more money than I'm using to raise my family of 3, especially now that my kids' dad is unemployed and can't contribute anything. And, when I say something like "I really need to get a battery for my daughter's car but other things keep taking financial priority", they say stupid crap like "It's only like $100". Do you get it??? That's $100 that I don't have! And when I say that I'm missing the $87 a month in child support that I used to get from my ex, they act like I'm insane. "Only $87 a month?". I used to say that was two tanks of gas, but now I'm using the taco analogy... lol. I love the taco analogy.
ETA: And, I even feel guilty for complaining about being broke sometimes. I am very lucky to have a mortgage payment, a car payment, cell phone bills for the kids and I, digital cable with DVR, etc. We have luxuries that I can cut if I really get to the point where I have to. I'm choosing to ride it out until I get my tuition reimbursement for this term (again, lucky that I get that!), my tax refund, etc. My kids are going to have a much smaller Christmas than in other years, but you know what? They have so much already, we are truly blessed. I'm watching every penny right now, but things could be sooooooooooooo much worse.