Today’s Pill (14): When the salary has nothing to do with your skills and knowledge

Most Romanians working for the state entities have an easy-peasy not-my-fault/duty mentality; they enjoy more free days, have less responsibility (in three out of four cases, on my opinion, having irresponsibility,) cash hefty salaries, perks, extra percentages and a 13th salary (some also pensions) — at least double the average in the private sector. On the flip side, (majority of) individuals in the private sector work their butts off to make a living and survive a few more weeks, months in the business; they have to pass tough hiring interviews, hit the ground running, keep always updated, and integrate into a culture focused on performance and quality; and running a private company is challenging, if not a nightmare (in Romania.) You think this “segregation” is normal? It happens when the social contract is mocked and the pyramid of values goes upside down.

I’m not advocating for an extended working schedule either. In some places, like China (and Japan and others,) people work much harder (996 — if it’s a choice, nothing’s wrong); well, they’ll be the leading nation soon. What I would like instead is living and working in a society with universally accepted principles and morality in place.