30K everyone in company gets it.

[Hagar]

Listening to a program on R4 about pay. interesting bit about Suma foods In Halifax.

5 day basic week 30k per annum, overtime paid extra and annual bonus (8k this year) for all staff.

Everyone is paid the same from manager to summer students. Interesting take. Sales staff doing forklift driving, warehouse picking etc.

Unlike most UK companies, Suma operates a thoroughly democratic system of management that isn’t bound by the conventional notions of hierarchy. As a workers’ co-operative the business is jointly owned and managed by all of us. Everyone is paid the same and we collectively do all the jobs that need doing, whatever they happen to be.

 

[diamount]

An interesting notion, but I expect the people qualified to do more managerial work don't stay long on that sort of salary.

 

[opstrat]

a company in the us done this. the owner basically paid everyone the same wage including himself. everyone worked more efficient apparently.

 

[gjrc]

sure...

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

 

[dowie]

Not sure it would work so well at scale... it is fine for a small company like that where everyone is making an impact and everyone equally owns a share. But in smaller companies you do get people carrying out a range of duties...(very common at start ups too) but when scaling up roles do tend to be more defined, you're not so easily going to have a system where there are say a few thousand employees and they all help out with forklift trucks... if you want certain skill sets you'll need to pay market rates for them of you'll have serious recruitment problems.

 

[Haggisman]

Interesting concept, but it would only really work in certain companies. I couldn't see it happening in industries which require a lot of specialisation/qualifications/experience; e.g. in a software company you're hardly going to get someone with a degree and 6 years experience in C# answering the phones for a bit while the fresh out of college receptionist works on the the company's next application

 

[Hagar]

It ends all demarcation disputes, length of service etc.

 

[Mynight]

I don't really see this taking off on a larger scale.

Let's be honest not everyone is equal in the workplace skill wise.

 

[jsmoke]

I've read about a few US companies that operate this kind of work model, good if it works, Valve have their own variety if it, although I doubt in the salary sense. Good thread here to read, http://www.gamedev.net/topic/662090-does-valve-have-a-good-working-methodology/

They arent the best example to compare to yours however there are some good points tlmade that make you think.

 

[dowie]

that isn't the same, valve just has a fairly flat hierarchy

 

[jsmoke]

that isn't the same, valve just has a fairly flat hierarchy

Your right overall but there are some similar parallels and good replies. Worth a read anyway.

 

[George Hincapie]

How am I supposed to feel superior to my minions if they are paid the same as me? Silly idea TBH.

 

[Cosimo]

I like the idea of this, a fully democratic workers cooperative. I suppose business size has a lot to do with making this successful.

 

[chaparral]

Crazy idea..

Why would any manager want to go though all the hassle of doing college exams and other qualifications needed to get paid the same wage as just a basic picker..

 

[Unicorn]

How am I supposed to feel superior to my minions if they are paid the same as me? Silly idea TBH.

Sorta this also

In our line of work u would have laborers paid the same as skilled sparks and fitters? Wouldn't work but its an interesting idea for were it can work and im sure it does increase efficiency.

Shame our higher up's don't have to do my work though as when they come and snag our work id love to have a pair of overalls ready for them and go sit in office whilst they make these impossible changes or just a "small" change which can take me days

 

[Edrof]

I like the idea of this, a fully democratic workers cooperative. I suppose business size has a lot to do with making this successful.

Based on your book and DVD purchases alone I suspect this would be a large wage drop for you!

 

[Rroff]

It needs a fine balancing point to make it work - otherwise you end up with everyone looking to everyone else for direction, etc.

EDIT: I've worked for companies that have tried to utilise a flatter structure and a fully multi-skilled workforce and it really doesn't work.

 

[aardvark]

a company in the us done this. the owner basically paid everyone the same wage including himself. everyone worked more efficient apparently.

it was $75k and it worked at first and then collapsed in on itself.
A lot of the really good people left because the crap/ok ones were getting the same so just caused resentment.

last i heard one of the owners was suing the other (who was responsible for the idea).

 

[Rroff]

it was $75k and it worked at first and then collapsed in on itself.
A lot of the really good people left because the crap/ok ones were getting the same so just caused resentment.

last i heard one of the owners was suing the other (who was responsible for the idea).

Best way to do it IMO if you are going to do it is make it bonus lead - so that everyone potentially has access to the same level of bonus but they'd really have to work for it.

 

[Cosimo]

Based on your book and DVD purchases alone I suspect this would be a large wage drop for you!

My kind of cooperative would most certainly require much higher skills and rewards than some organic food shifter could ever provide.