To ask how much work you actually and honestly do if you’re highly paid? I am worrying!

[workworkbaby]

I’m on 58k. I know it’s not huuuge money, but it’s decent. Honestly, I do very little. I worry all the time about job security and have mentioned to managers I have capacity to do more etc. Sometimes more will land and other times not. As I work largely from home I often find myself just hanging around. I wonder if this is common? I have a toddler in nursery so I can collect them early sometimes which I love so I’m not complaining but I do worry… anyone else?

DH is very highly paid and he doesn't work that hard. He works around 35 hours a week. He is good at what he does though and is valued in the company. he probably could do more but he isn't that interested in progressing.

My DH is very well paid, he works 9 to 5 with an hour for lunch, works from home one day a week. Private sector. He very rarely works later than 5 but will if he needs to, it's not very stressful and there's only a very small amount of travel involved.

Previously he got paid less (£120K ish) in a senior role in public service, he was working 12 hour days, we never got an uninterrupted holiday or weekend even, it was insanely and publicly stressful. He'd ironically moved to this job to see more of his family and thought the pay cut would be worth it.

Prior to that he was private sector - earning £200K+ with vast amounts of travelling, long hours, good stress and interesting.

Don't know if that proves anything at all.

Only that I am with the wrong guy !!!🤣🤣🤣😫😫

I'm a "generalist" (project manager) and I work myself to the bone for 40k. My friends that went into specialisms (did law, accountancy conversions when we were new grads) are now at the level where they can slow down a bit -They worked themselves to the bone after we'd graduated so they're getting the pay off now. If you're doing that well as a specialist, then that's the way it goes, I think. If you're doing that well as a generalist, I'd say you've hit the jackpot - it might be that you have good soft skills/connection or something? As with any income stream the gravy train can disappear at any time, all you can do is enjoy it while it lasts or upskill if you feel like your job/company/industry is at risk. P.s. If you ever need a project manager, my inbox me - wouldn't mind getting in on the gravy train action 😄

Lots of "my DH..." posts again. Always same on threads about high earners.

Disappointing.

I knew it when I was working for minimum wage, I knew it when I burned out from teaching and I know it now I'm well paid and WFH- how hard you work is largely irrelevant to salary and in fact I'd say the relationship is probably inversely correlated.

I've worked in a lot of offices and it seems to me that the most highly paid workers spend most of their day rubbing their temples and telling everyone how many emails they have in their inbox. I've rarely witnessed anyone who claims to be very busy and overworked sitting down and focusing on work for a sustained period of time. I was never very good at "looking busy".

I guess, now we're all WFH, the skill of appearing busy is redundant and we're all noticing that the whole concept of the 40 hour week has very little to do with what is actually needed to keep a business running, and more to do with sustaining the economy whilst keeping us occupied for long enough for us to not cause too much trouble.

Governance/oversight/conduct

Well, it IS Mumsnet. Not Dadsnet.

Exactly why it would be great if it was more "l..." than "my DH..." when it comes to talking about being a high earner.

Noticeably, no one seems to be rushing on to tell the women with high earning DH that they are lying though.

People only find it hard to believe that women are high earners.

Exactly why it would be great if it was more "l..." than "my DH..." when it comes to talking about being a high earner.

Have you read the thread? There's plenty of that.

To all the high earners, be honest, don't you feel guilty that you get paid so much more than people that the pandemic showed us were in ESSENTIAL jobs? Couldn't you do more to redress the wage inbalance? Care worker here

Not really - The people that make sure the money you put in your bank account is still when you go to go and get it back out are under a lot of pressure and sleepless nights from the stress, and worked for years to get where they are. I know because my sister does that job and although she's paid twice what I am, she deserves it. I care about my work so I'm not upset that there's not a huge amount of money in the industry I work in (education), if I wanted to earn more I'd be more likely to start a side gig than change industries, I've worked in finance before and it did such a number on my quality of life it was worth the pay decrease to leave tbh. I have to budget more tightly, but I own my life choices and accept the cost. I can't help feeling like it's a massive generalisation to say all care workers are morally elite compared to all office workers - we paid 90k/year for my gran's care home and I would still have to visit everyday (on top of my day job) to brush her teeth and take her for toilet and change her nappy - none of the care workers cared, they just left her to rot. There are good and bad office workers just like there are good and bad care workers.

I feel guilty to an extent. But actually, many many jobs are essential.

My job is essential to my organisation, and my organisation is essential to the economy and the economy is essential to everyone.

I can't really do anything personally to redress the wage imbalance, we live in a capitalist society and you have to accept that to some extent.

But I make sure I give back by doing a volunteer role in the care sector.

I'm in an essential job, albeit in the private sector. I was flat out for the entire pandemic.

Not at all. Just because a job is essential doesn't mean it is difficult to do. Salaries are based on a number of factors including the ease of replacing you in your role. If replacement is not a costly or difficult process then it follows that wages will not be high.

When I was young I worked in a supermarket on relatively low pay. That job could be construed as being essential. It wasn't difficult.

I now earn £200k in a role that takes up fewer hours and could no way be described as essential but it does help my employer generate huge profits which is why I am rewarded so well.

My employer clearly believes it makes economic sense to pay me the rate they do and I agree with them. If I mess up I could easily cost them huge sums that would dwarf my salary.

chaosmaker · Today 10:08

To all the high earners, be honest, don't you feel guilty that you get paid so much more than people that the pandemic showed us were in ESSENTIAL jobs? Couldn't you do more to redress the wage inbalance? Care worker here

No because I didn't start out being highly paid. I had to work very very hard for many many years including academically get going in the first place, spent years earning very little on low rungs made huge personal sacrifices to progress in my career.

If a high income is hard won, why should anyone feel guilty about it.

I'm not sure anyone with a high income even if it came easily should feel guilty about others life choices and decisions. Maybe they should be grateful or feel lucky but not guilty. Why guilt? It's not their fault. They are lucky but not culpable for others misfortune.

No I don’t feel guilty. I think care workers are amazing but it’s not my fault they aren’t paid well. Redress the balance how? If you mean give back then sure, I donate monthly to 3 charities because I can afford it. I’m not sure how I am supposed to influence the wage gap though. I’m paid for my specialist skills, qualifications and experience.

I didn't mean just my sector, I mean all essential roles. Something as simple as not voting tory or making more noise about UBI would help the bottom rung earners who, if we didn't do our jobs, would then have an increase in immigrant workers to fill those roles (causing a bigger imbalance for the countries they come from, increasing racism in the UK) and so on and so forth.

I'd get rid of a capitalist system to be honest. There are different systems of living that are more equal. There are so many people on high wages that do nothing and just get moved on for higher reward and then we have the scandals that keep coming out (PO being the latest but also countless hospital trusts over 'reputation' which will obviously be money related).

There is nothing that says things couldn't be different and more equitable.

I didn't say care workers are morally elite and was talking about all essential workers. Lots of whom have been on strike recently for better pay and conditions.

I've never voted Tory, I support UBI. Your comments about racism are wrong.

As I said, my job is still essential, just because I'm a high earner and have downtime doesn't mean my job is not essential.

You did imply non essential workers should feel guilty. Why would we feel guilty if we've not done anything wrong? In my opinion anyone who works hard doing something legal and constructive, and pays tax is contributing, so what's the matter?

I'd get rid of a capitalist system to be honest. There are different systems of living that are more equal.

What did you have in mind?

No, I don’t feel guilty that I’m a high earner. I am a lawyer and feel that my job is essential in a functioning society. Most of my clients are pension funds seeking advice on how best to invest the general public’s pensions or local authorities. My firm also acts for the government. You may not respect my job because it comes with a high salary but I assure you it’s essential.

Couldn't you do more to redress the wage inbalance? This is the job of the government. I vote for the party that supports rather than vilifies the poor - that is to say I have never (and never would) vote Tory. But there are lots of low earners that vote Tory for some strange reason (well, not so strange as lots of studies have been carried out on this).