Crying Over Pay 

I worked with some friends at a shitty hunting and camping store after I got out of the military. I was 26, I had some college under my belt, I had a bunch of experience working in the field, and I got along great with customers. I repeatedly tried to demonstrate my worth and thought I was doing a good job at it. We had several hiring waves where all the new hires would walk out, and on more than one occassion I found out that the new hires (high school kids most of the times) got hired in at $18 an hour, meanwhile I was getting paid $10.50 an hour. I finally got irritated one day and decided to bring up my pay with my manager saying how is it fair you hire kids in at 18 but im making almost 10 bucks less. Most these kids live at home, while im struggling to figure out how much gas costs to get to work? They told me that even though they announced how much they made as they quit, that im still technically discussing pay so they will do me a favor and not fire me for breaking company policy, so long as I never bring up my wages again. Later on I had a group project for my college class I asked three weeks in advance on to have the day off for, they told me that day was first day of Archery Season and my manager had already called dibs on that day (without putting in any paperwork) so I was gonna have to skip my class project to come in. The manager said they already made travel plans and was taking the whole family out. This project was vital to me passing the class and i had to be there in person, so on that particular day, I went in to work, told them I quit and gave them a letter of resignation, and then I drove to my campus. One of my friends told me a little while after the manager dropped their family off and then drove all the way back to the store to cover all my shifts since I quit so abruptly. I fuckin hate retail.

“Evil takes effort, and most people are lazy”. Spoken like a true blue collar guy. I love it.

The flip side is that I worked for a company for over 20 years and got to the point I could pretty much step into any position and take over their job. Yet my employer routinely brought in high school graduates that didn’t know shit, put them above me and paid them more than I was making. These entitled little shits were usually some kind of manager’s kids or their friends and I ended up doing their job and mine. finally one day, I had enough and do I waited until a Big Crunch came in and I walked in, took a look around and said” I’m done” and started cleaning out my locker. The big boss came in and started screaming at me that I couldn’t quit without 2 weeks notice. “ just watch me” I said “ at will employee”. I then walked to my car and never looked back. I don’t know what happened to them but I am fine and wished I had done it 20 years earlier.

That sir, was an absolute masterclass on how to work with employees.

Story time : my wife had a job that she held for 3 long years. She was very good at her job. She was so good that they went through 4 managers (her superior) and each new one was trained by her. So she went to the head supervisor and said "hey Joe. I'm so good at what I do that I train the people above me. How about a promotion?". Well joe told her that he would love to promote her but she was too good at her position and whoever filled it would have big shoes to fill. Now let me just tell you that she had gotten 3 quarter raises. So once a year they would pay her 25 cents more. She was making 17 during covid and they bumped her up to 17.25 for her loyalty. Managers started at 22. But she had faith and against my encouragement she stayed. Well they started having staff shortages and they started doing job fairs. New employees below her position started at 18. So she went back to joe and said "hey Joe. I see the new hires getting paid more then me. It seems unfair and I would like a pay adjustment.". Joe looked at her and told her. "We're sorry but raises aren't in the budget this year. Rest assured that I'll keep you in mind.". Something finally clicked in her head. She finished her week and when she went to pick up her check she told joe that he no longer had to worry about her. She found a new job being a manager starting out at 25. Joe begged her to stay. Promised her the world. When she demanded all his promises in writing he told her good bye it was nice working with you. Moral of story. Know your worth. The time and loyalty that you dedicate to most companies is meaningless. Strive for more and never stop.

Years ago I was a non union electrician. I asked for a raise and got shot down. My Forman had me going behind another guy to fix his mistakes and the mistakes he made were things that even a first year apprentice would know better than to do. When I found out this guy was making $8 per hour more than me, I was pretty pissed and I started looking for another job and when I quit, I told hr how I felt.

I worked for a warehouse grocery company for 5 years and became an assistant manager after two. At Four years a second assistant was hired that 20+ years of experience and is an amazing manager. We got along well and I helped him navigate the different systems that we had. One afternoon after some serious difficulties with our systems I was able to get the problem resolved. After doing so he remarked that I should be paid more... I gave him a side glance because he was so serious about what he said. He went on to tell me that he started at a significantly higher salary than I had and that when he was hired he was told how much I made and to not to let me know how much he made. He then proceeded to champion my raise and got both of us put out to pasture. I never cared that he made more, but the disruption it caused was so laughable that we are good friends to this day and we both openly talk about our former employers actions.

I work for a guy that pays me more than he pays himself. I'm the highest paid person that works there and some days i feel over paid. It makes me feel appreciated and drives me to make sure i earn my paycheck.

I had no problem discussing my pay, I was talking to one person, and they found out I was making 2$ more than them. They proceeded to take it out on me, like I controlled their pay.

I'm a journeyman welder, discussing ur pay is part of the hustle...if u don't discuss ur pay, the welder helper is prob making more than the welder!GREAT TOPIC DUDE🤘

My employer was paying another guy the same wage as me with 0 experience vs. my 20 years. Some employers just take advantage of people. Mainly because I don't like asking for raises but now I'm going to get paid because I'm not putting up with it anymore. Only reason I stayed because it was a good place to work and guaranteed 40 hours a week. They used me for cheap labor and I used them for experience.

I am both happy for them and pissed at management. I was at a job and worked my tail off, never late, never missed, went above. New hires after me started out making $3 more on the hour than me. I went to ask for a raise to make at least what the new hires made and was told that raises weren't an option. Management was an ass to begin with and had no problems holding meetings and singling out one person to embarrass front of everyone. I had already been through that many times at this point. No matter how hard you worked, it was never enough. So since pay increases weren't an option, neither was my staying. I said good bye and the stress and anxiety I felt everyday, left. Best decision I could have made.

James, if more of the world was as candid and down to earth with their employees and their customers as you are, Walkouts and Strikes would cease to exist. You had me ready to charge in here all "workers rights!!!" but this is an excellent way to look at the subject, and I really appreciate your perspective. Thanks for the top-shelf content, bud, as well as for being an all-around good dude.

Most managers and/or business owners don't take the time to even ask these questions, let alone offering solutions that benefit everyone involved. Good on you, James.

I'm about to become an employer, and I appreciate these brilliant insights into your philosophy on how to be a decent human being and a good employer.

I once worked for a company that offered a 3% pay increase. When the managers found that I was seeking another opportunity my raise was increased 25%. Go figure.

Y'know what? Sometimes you astonish me with the level of self-awareness you exhibit and can articulate without posturing. Good on you.

If there were more bosses like you, life would be so much better.

I met a guy making way more money than me in the same position. When I had some conversations with him it was immediately apparent that he knew way more than anyone else in the shop. Both about the trade and about the plant. Why would I expect top tier pay when I'm not as knowledgeable as that guy? Only words I can think is entitled idiots.

James, I'm glad that you mention "value to the company" in the same breath as "earnings to the company". For most of my carrer I've been employed in positions that didn't directly generate revenue for my employer, but they were still critical to the functioning of the company. It is good to recognize both the people who actually do the work that brings money into the company as well as the people who do the work that allows the company to function.

I like that you have taken the guess work out of your pay scale. So at the drop of A dime you can explain to any employee why they get payed what they do and if you would like more money be more valuable to the company. Pure transparency. Thank you for the videos keep up the good work James.

i actually quit my job over finding out that the cart boy at my store got paid 5$ an hour more than me to smoke weed behind the store and spend all day in the break room while i busted my ass and did everything i was asked to do by management even working 24 hour shifts

I really wish there were more bosses like this. Honesty, respect and understanding. Sounds like the roadmap to what used to be called a company man (person).

You sir should be one of those people that travel around and teach companies how to be like you! Truth isnt always comfortable, and thats a huge problem these days. Kudos to you!

I really appreciate you laying out the issue in an intelligent way. You obviously support worker rights while explaining the potential issues it might create. Honestly wish more business owners had your kind heart and intelligence because its sorely lacking in a lot of business.

James, as supervisor/ manager & Owner of a small business, I totally love this clip and conversation. This is always a tricky topic and difficult conversations to have about what a person is worth. It's extremely difficult to have these conversations without someone having hurt feels afterwards.

It amazes me how well thought out your arguments, side bars, and asides are. I am glad the algorithm put your face on my feed. I am even more glad that I watched that first video (a short). I can't get enough James. GREAT STUFF, KEEP IT UP!

I’m glad you point out that experience pays. I never finished college. I went from laborer and rose to Plant Manager at one location. We got sold and I was offered a laborer job at a different location because they were closing my location to eliminate competition. I still got the manager pay for almost 3 years and ended up losing $3 an hour. I stayed there for 10 years and retired during Covid-19 layoff. I never told anyone what I was making! My new Boss found out and had a fit! My district manager told him to calm down because I had 30+ years experience and to never discuss it with anyone. If any other laborer asked I lied and said like $12 less than I was really paid.

Years ago, we had a bunch of new IT techs join the company and they were earning more than the other techs and their supervisors. Management said "well that's the market rate". They wouldn't adjust the existing staff .....so all is senior guys left and they were stuck with the juniors

I love the way successful people talk and think. Strong work sir.

I really wish more employers looked at things like you do man.

I work for the state so everyone’s pay is listed on the website. When I saw a discrepancy as a manager I brought it up to my director and requested a salary adjustment. When I saw it for myself, I did the same thing and came with “receipts”. I would come in with my certifications, job experience and education and seek a fruitful conversation. They’ve always been great listeners and have been considerate of those concerns.

Honestly I work in IT in Europe and here we always discuss our pay with our peers. It's mandatory to know how much you're worth on the market. It's actually a lot more standardized here in tech because usually your pay is equal to the number of years of experience you have in what you're doing and of course it's related to the technology you're working with. Now there are slight differences form one company to another but if your salary is more then something like 10-20% lower then what other people get, then you know you are getting underpaid and you need to either get a raise by stating that you're getting payed less then what's on the market or change companies.

Love it. I wish there was more bosses like you. Set up the workers for success, not failure.

I recently recieved a $7 bump because I asked the new employee how much she was getting paid. She had no experience and was very unreliable. Talked to my boss and we went to hr together and he helped me get what I deserved. But very true, it can be an extremely tricky subject at work.

I wish I would have found an employer like you when I was younger and just starting in my career listening to you is a breath of fresh air God bless and good luck

Been watching your channel for almost a year and whilst doing so went from being an employee at car wash to beginning Hvac apprenticeship in a week! Your channel helped me see the opportunity of what going to trade-school can really make in my life and building foundation. Very grateful of your channel !

I’m an electrician and we all think we are the bomb. When someone who is lazy knows how much you make they don’t tell anyone, they just point out all the flaws in your work to the various bosses and try to get you axed/laid off first. If they were a first rate employee their work would out shine everyone, and set the pace for the job. Good advice James. How do you know ALL this stuff? I haven’t met many people who are super fair and care about their employees and make money all at the same time!

You handled that extremely well. Your explanation to the young lady was on point. Her reaction of crying is entirely understandable, because she had just had her world rocked. My question is; what happened next? Did she go back to work, did she take some time off to process what she had been told? Did she quit? Did she seek out ways to improve herself so as to qualify for more pay?

I worked for a company for 5 years and was recently fired, I made more than my boss because I bust my ass daily and sacrificed a lot for the corporation, worked 6-7 days a week, went in early stayed late all of that, I was promoted to supervisor then manager and then stepped down because the amount of work for pay was not worth it to me. So the guy who took my job and was my direct supervisor found out I made more than him, long story short I was fired within 6 months. Fuck large corporations I started my own company and now I have one goal ruin that place, take all their customers and make the store manager look like a fucking idiot which I will do because I am hungry. He was a mentor to me, now he’s my target and I don’t miss.

I love your channel and your approach to employees and relationships with them. That said, being a gov’t employee is a different animal. Your pay is set. The only thing that affects it is seniority. And the only way to move up is if your boss gets promoted or retires or if your apply for a job someplace else in the government

I have worked for companies on both sides. Ones that are OK with you discussing your pay and ones that are not. It’s always seemed to me that it is a better work environment when the employer allows you to discuss your pay without any consequences.

I've worked for several different organisations over the years. I once worked a for an employer like you, and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. He was a Vietnam Veteran; a conscript, and the whole experience for him had helped him understand what was really important in life. That included his business and how he treated his customers and staff. Pretty similar to you and that's probably why I enjoy watching your channel. In that company, we didn't really discuss wages with each other, even though it was allowed. We all felt fairly remunerated for our efforts and that the boss had our best interests at heart. Likewise, we looked after him and saved him a lot of overtime and travel time. I worked in a couple of companies that tried to prevent staff discussing wages. One, because they were ripping us off. The other because the boss and her husband played favourites with the staff and were not declaring taxes for the additional (off-the-books) pay of the favourites. Both places were pretty toxic environments. The funny thing about the first place was most of us were students and knew our rights. So more often than not, when some one resigned, they would report the company for wage theft and successfully sue the company for the substantial backpay. This company eventually changed its employment policy to exclude students, because they were too difficult to cheat. The other place had a pretty high turnover of staff (even the favourites eventually left on bad terms) and got a pretty bad reputation in their industry. At another place I worked for, everyone could work out your rate of pay by the job you perfumed in the organisation. It was very transparent on this, but you could get additional pay for useful additional profession skills you brought to the job (including other languages as you mentioned). The only times I saw people discuss their wages with colleagues was when they wanted to be boastful dicks. Love your work. Keep 'em coming. 👍👍

I myself work at a small company, the mention of our pay between coworkers is an extremely rare occurrence and if it does happen, I tend to ignore it. I know I’m the lowest paid at the company I work for, but, I also know that my coworkers are higher skilled than me due to degrees or experience they have. I therefore choose to ignore any mentions of differences in pay because I know it’s not personal, it’s purely business.

You are spot on. And handled that impromptu conversation very well. The lawyer part is so true.

Aloha, i have talked with coworkers about pay and have found some made more than me, both male and female, but i also took into consideration they have had more years at the same job as well as more education. So I, of course, was happy for them and picked their brain on how i could achieve the same level they were on.

I watched your video while ago about sending your company up so that your books are basically available to all your employees. It's a great video and I have been striving to organize my company in the same way so that we can have full transparency and promote a better workplace. Thanks for being some guy on the internet. You do a tremendous amount of good with these videos.

I like your way of thinking James. Keep doing what your doing. Your lessons are invaluable to most of us! Thank you.

MAN, I wish more owners/managers were like you.. If I were younger I'd love to work for you!! At the very least, would love to find someone with your common sense and logic.. Your employees are incredibly lucky to have someone with your mindset for a boss.. You truly do seem to look out for the best of your employees.

Great video ❤ i love when inexperienced demands experienced pay

This is my all time favorite video by James. I've watched it multiple times. Even though I'm retired, I find what he says very relevant.

I never get mad about people making more money than me if they're worth it. When I was fresh out of college I started working for a small managed services provider, or an IT company for business that didn't have IT and needed that kind of service. One of the rules was to not talk about pay. We all made probably within 10K of each other, which was surreal to me because my job was easy and the guy who made 10k more than me, their job was a lot harder than mine. Then we had our lead engineer who was absolutely brilliant and he got paid more than double my salary, I'd say close to triple. At first I was Ok with this, he's earned it right? Some day I'll get there. Well, this guy was my boss and he was an absolute load. Super smart, but super lazy. We started at 8 and he wandered in the office about 10 AM, and then took a 2 hour lunch at 11 AM. Sometimes he even came back to the office. Usually he just played video games when he came back.. anyway, we had a few larger clients that had very specific systems that this guy set up and his job was to train us. He never really did, the amount of bullshit I had to figure out on my own while being on the line with a client who pays us thousands of dollars a month was mine numbing. For the sake of privacy, we're going to call this guy Marty. One day the owner of the company said it was his dream that we'd all be as smart as Marty so we could just rake in the dough. When it was brought up about being compensated in a similar way, there were crickets. Not long after that a lot of us that started with the company while it was young left. It was apparent that it didn't matter what we did, the money wasn't going to get better. Now I make more than double my old salary with a lot less work and bullshit.

Every time I worked for a manager who discouraged discussing pay I found out they didn't pay fairly. Usually I would be the one who got screwed because I suck at negotiating. I usually don't discuss my pay, but I get suspicious now when a manager discourages it.

I worked for Walmart for 15 years and have had that very same conversation about pay and the experience/qualifications of one person to another. It's not really an easy conversation to have. But when you lay out the facts and the why's it normally clicks with the employee. I agree 100% with your description and the way you deal with it now. 😊

Your company sound like a great place you work and climb the ranks, if you have the will and desire to do so. Higher efforts= higher pay, seems fair to me

Mr Butler, you are the epitome of logic and exemplary communication skills. 💥

You are providing the world a huge service sharing your life experiences via your channel. Common sense things that most people don't seem to have, and just plain practical sense. Keep up the good work I applaud you.

I love the fact that James knows it illegal, but also understands that companies do it anyway knowing that the recourse from the employee is often more trouble then it worth. The level of self awareness to understand that is rare in this day and age.

I wish more employers had that mindset. I respect your grind brother. Keep up the good work!

The only time I discussed pay with a co-worker was when it was clear to us that our pay was evened out at one particular time. He got a significant raise and I got a much smaller raise. We had about the same amount of experience (he probably had a little more) and doing the same work (desktop IT support). He asked if I was upset, and I truly wasn't. I was happy for him that he got a good raise.

Hey, as a high school grad as of this year, your videos are helpful to me as I am preparing to starting a living. It is scarry starting out but listening to someones experiences lets me think and determine how I would make decisions in a similar situaction. It helps that you have fun stories and are a lively narrator but not too loud and obnoxious. So Thank You.

I was a contract software developer for years and YES, I did talk to other contractors about pay--as contractors we view it as market research. Also as a contractor, if someone was paid more than me, I wouldn't get upset--they either were worth more or better at negotiating than I was. I really enjoy listening to your business discussions. If more business owners were like you, this would be a much better country. You are honest and fair with your customers and your employees and it has a positive effect on the world.

Answers to your questions: 1. I don't recall ever actually discussing pay with any of my co-workers. I'm not sure if the subject never came up, or if we were all "old school" where certain topics were considered off limits. 2. I don't know how I would have felt had I found out I made more or less than someone else, but I am also smart enough to know that certain positions, education, and experience will likely create more pay potential. I would not be upset over this. However, if I was working side by side with someone doing the same job and I could see no difference otherwise, I think I would have felt slighted. But, I still don't know the story or reasoning and would not have questioned it. Enjoyed this immensely! I like the way you've restructured your company. Employees have opportunities to increase their pay, which gives them motivation to do their jobs better.

❤ this is super awesome and yanno how nice it was for you to even give her a chance? Excellent job, friend!

Ive been in the same field for 15 years and never cared what others made. When ive happened to find anothers pay rate over the years ive certainly taken it into account, thought of the differences between myself and that person to see what they are doing differently and did what i could to raise my value. That was effective my first couple years working in my field (network engineer). Since then ive gotten numerous certifications (got 15 currently), outworked everyone else around me and made it a point to raise my value amd take more responsibility.. This has given me the ability to be one of the highest paid at my last few companies. I guess all that to say another persons pay has never been a consideration for me...unless im looking to get more pay and looking for what i can do to raise my value to achieve that higher pay.

Great leadership video.. how to handel employees is a lost art.. Im impressed with your attitude. Thank you

As a contractor for department of defense related company after my service in the Marine Corp I quickly learned that the less others know about you the better off every one is. Due to experience and education my pay was noticable higher than my peers. There was an incident where the main character in the drama created involved himself in my divorce. He eventually got terminated, and a revocation of his security clearance. Which in turn made it impossible for him to get employment in any other department of defense related company. I love your no nonsense, and very direct path to clear up the drama in your operation (company).

1. I have not discussed pay with coworkers, but my place of work has a given pay range for each position. 2. If someone is paid more than me I’m happy for them. It generally means that they either have more education or work experience that they put the effort into.

I am happy for those that can get the best value for themselves and their family. When I find out peoples salary I see what I can do here, or what I can do at another location. I try to glean what I can to change my conditions, and the highest pay raise I get is moving on to another company. thanks for all you do.

The world needs more bosses like you.

I'm not your usual demographic, older female. However , I love your sense of humor and common sense. I shared your flamethrower video with my brother and he had raffle tickets for the same flamethrower! We both love that thing. Lol - in the workplace I don't discuss pay, I'd rather rescue dogs. Never liked drama. Have a great weekend and happy Father's day to all the dada!

Oooh, free merch!? Throwing my hat into that ring. As for discussing pay with coworkers, I used to work for state and local government where our pay rate was available to the public. It was always fun to look and see how much your boss was making. It was a motivating factor to do better and aim higher.

I really wish more business owners would start thinking like you do. And yes, I acknowledge it took you some years and some hard thinking on your part to get to this point. Here's hoping you sharing stories like this help them to do that workstyle-changing thinking, too.

I dig it. Increasing your value to the company to get more money is a great investment and conversation.

My motto is. “Your next raise becomes effective when you are”

I won a big EEOC case in the early 90's. As an experienced female semi driver, I was tasked to train new hires to operate frameless dump boxes. They had experience as drivers, but NOT semi dump boxes. This is a specialized skill. There are many potential dangers involved. I also had to make sure they knew our routes, as well the unique procedures for all of our customers and our supply lines. Imagine MY surprise to learn that MANY of my trainees were hired in at a higher rate of hourly pay than ME!! OOOPPS!! I had lawyers begging to represent me when they fired me for filing my official complaint. I also had NUMEROUS job offers. Not only did I have a great reputation in the industry... hiring me brought government bonuses as well. I was a rarity in my field at the time. By the way... trainees were told NOT to tell me their pay details. BUT. .. The one who didn't like to take instruction from a woman couldn't help himself 😅 He ALSO cost that company A LOT of money! I had flunked him for unsafe practices. But he was a friend of the owner... 😂 SO my report was ignored. He tipped a trailer over while dumping his overweight load. The boss gave him another chance! THEN... He forgot to set his brakes when he stopped at a convenience store. His truck rolled across U.S. 20 and struck a few trees. LOL... He had his wife come to get him because he had been drinking 😮😅 He abandoned the truck and didn't call the boss. That REALLY HELPED my case against Fancher Trucking! Yup! Ollie Fancher hired his old drinking buddy!! Anyone who was a rock hauler in Northwest Indiana back then KNEW my name. 😅

I've worked as a carpenter for 30 plus years and personally I never talk about my pay it's always drama. The best policy is to be friends heck cut up but do your work professionally and efficiently at the end of the day we all have our own problems to deal with. Your spot on and I just wish more people understood that.

I don't get how someone could get upset over the difference between apples and oranges. They clearly have completely different functions and resposibilities within the company.

I once learned the pay of everyone else in my company, including my bosses, by accident. It really pissed me off, but I kept quiet, didn’t want to cause any drama (this was 25 years ago). It just showed me what they thought of me, wasn’t there much longer. Looking back, was the best decision I could have made

Yet another great conversation with a real-world problem, but more importantly, the SOLUTION. Thank you for running a great business model and sharing. We don't discuss pay at work, but we do discuss titles and ratings as they apply to the work we perform. I've never been unhappy with my particular rating because it reflects my investment in the company. HOWEVER, I have been angry for another employee with more education than myself who was not recognized for her hard work, and who was consistently denied a raise to the next rating several years running. Unfortunately, while we could all see the subtle racism and general misogyny of her supervisor, he was always very careful that there wasn't enough actionable evidence to take to HR. Luckily, with consistent support from her peers, she transferred to another department and is now thriving. We can't always advocate for ourselves. Sometimes it takes a group effort to help our co-workers get around the office roadblocks to get what they richly deserve.

I worked at Taco Bell and a coworker brought up pay. He has an ego and started off the conversation with everyone who was currently working bragging that he got a 2$ raise. Then he found out that he was only a dollar short an hour to be paid to one of the managers. No one knew how much I made because by this point I was getting paid $0.50 above that guy and did not want to starts more drama than a fast food chain already has. There would have been the difference between how we each got our raises that would have also created drama. He “negotiated” his raise (in other words he kept bugging management till he got the raise. Not kidding. He would ask at least one time a shift for a raise for over a month.) I was offered the raise and never brought up getting paid more. I kept my mouth shut. He was an ass anyway I did not want him to have the knowledge and use it against me somehow.

I'm gonna stick around and listen to what you gotta say but opening with that statement already has me HARD disagreeing with you. It's our right and we absolutely SHOULD be discussing wages. EDIT: Alright, lmao. You got me, brother.

Never discuss this with fellow employees, never. I learned this the hard way to!

In Sweden you can just ask the government for anyone's income and they have to give it to you. It's a public record.

ALWAYS discuss pay and benefits, no matter who gets uncomfortable. We do better when we do it together, even wage negotiations. My old boss came from a grounds maintenance background, with prior residential framing experience. He technically didn't complete his apprenticeship, but his dad was a long time office employee. I completed a 4 year apprenticeship (work hours, class hours, etc) in two and a half, being given opportunities to better myself along the way. I have more experience for higher end customers, a more diverse skill set, and come with my own tools. I was pissed off about our pay difference. However I wasn't bitter. My boss recognized me early on, so we talked about it. It boiled down to a mutually amicable agreement that I would make him look good to his bosses, and he could trust me to handle business and didn't micromanage me or come at me with unnecessary BS. So yeah, it pissed me off, but I didn't let it make me bitter towards the man. We used to it create a pleasant work environment we both benefitted from.

I have watched your content for almost a year now and enjoyed it so damn much that i wish i were young enough to go back to work (twice retired and still work a day or 2 a week) and would love to work for you. Your very VERY intellegent and well spoken yet your humble enough to not lord it over anyone. It seems that all your employees love to work for you! Now i doubt i could work at your company at least on the sewage side but listening to u and your employees has damn near convinced me to move to NC and apply at your company ! great job sir you make a fantastic boss and entrepreneur

Evil requires effort

My boss is like you. He pays based on individual value. He also encourages us to talk about what we make and to help our team members achieve their own maximum value. It may not be best for every situation but here it seems to make a difference and I work along side with more people who get paid higher than at any similar place of employment would offer.

Food for thought. Thank you

Having an open policy allows people to know where they stand and more importantly what it takes to step up. You have to look out for yourself, not one else will.

My dad managed a bunch of engineers for an electric utility. As the company grew (more power plants built) they would go recruiting at nearby engineering colleges. Often when they hired a new engineer with zero experience, the company had to make higher offers to the new graduates than what the current engineers were making, to compete with other companies. Dad would make sure all the current engineers got a raise even if it meant they made more than him. The company made the wise decision to go along with my dad on increasing the other engineers' salary. Eventually they would also budget to catch up on my dad's salary too. They said they could not abide him making less than his employees. The company had such a good reputation for treating their engineers right, that some cross hires with experience from other companies would take a pay cut to come work for them.

Some people are never happy. That's down to them and their perspective in life. Instead of doing the mature thing and reaching out to you in the first place and talking about pay, she decides to have a 2 year old sand pit reaction and give you attitude. That's down to her. She can either choose to grow from this experience, or she can choose to let it fester inside. I think that the way you handled it was exceptional.

40 years in the work force and I’m making decent pay without a degree. I know most of my coworkers are probably making more fresh out of college, but I’m always still at my desk after the smoke clears every time there is a layoff…. Having a good work ethic pays off!

Hahaha that troll opening! Hell yeah, that's how you grab someone's attention! Well done!

Completely agree with you, if you want to earn more you need to bring more value to the company. Love your videos James

Well done. Do I talk about pay? No. Do I want to? Yes, but I respect my peers too much. What if I found out that someone is being paid more than I am being paid? Yes, I would be upset. I have the greatest seniority in the division, and finding out that someone at my level or lower is getting paid more makes me feel devalued.

I love his evil vs lazy logic. That shyt tracks pretty well.

My wife's employer pays her 50% less than someone who does half the work she does because of her age. Literally told that to another co worker who asked why she didn't make more than the other person did. She's the business operations manager and gets paid less than suprevisors who are 35+ and haven't been there as long and don't do nearly as much, and she is over them in the company hierarchy...

There are 3 main topics to avoid at work...to also avoid drama. PAY RATE, POLITICS, AND RELIGION. Those will always cause problems, so I will politely decline those conversations! 💜💜💜

Every business should have your wisdom!