to think that 6000 per month is excessive for the government to take off my pay for tax?

[tootaxed]

Surely there should be a maximum limit that each person has to pay as tax? Six grand per month in tax is just excessive imo. And that is before NI contributions etc. If the government set a maximum tax limit they would take more care over how they spent their central funds. And I wouldn't have to work so many hours away from my DCs only to have 72 bloody grand a year taken off my income to fund their mis-spending.

"but i deserve that good salary". That's your opinion, but don't be surprised if many disagree.

and as far as reponsibility is concerned , he had the welfare of the crew to consider, as well as the cost of the £100 million A/C

But surely if jobs in other sectors are equally demanding, stressful and challenging as those in the city, then people doing those jobs would decide that they may as well work in the city and at least get paid a fat salary to compensate for thei enormous personal sacrifice.

Yes smallwhitecat but yurt is right. The community midwife who delivered my daughter at 7.45 on a Saturday morning would have been doing her 8 hour day during the week, but would not have been paid anything like what you were for being available at anti-social weekend hours in a potentially life and death situation. She was the sole professional there (due to my incompetence at not ringing soon enough).

I'm not sure she is the exception anymore. Working for the NHS in a clinical role (non Doctor clinical role anyway) has become a lot harder over the last 2 years. As any nurse, SALT, midwife....

Great idea chocolate dot. Let's put all the brains of the country into gambling on the markets. Who needs medicine, architecture, education etc anyway?

actually smallwhitecat I think you are wrong on that. My mother was a social worker - typical public sector wages and her job was never over. She even had to bring one client (child) home for the weekend once. Wouldn't be allowed now but it was then. Plus her job was dangerous (she got punched by a client for telling her her neglected children were going to be removed). This really doesn't happen in the city or in the sort of law you are talking about. Although my BIL who is a criminal defence lawyer on a legal aid type salary does face these sort of demands and is called out to police stations at 3am. No overtime for him either.

Not asking you to justify your salary but there are plenty out there working just as hard with just as little say over their working hours and taking just as much or more responsibility but they simply work in industries that don't pay the same sort of rewards as yours and mine.

oops, cross post. "you are wrong on that" does not refer to you being a good lawyer . I'm sure you are.

I am also contractually obliged to do the hours necessary to fulfill my duties but I don't. I used to do but I now feel that my employers have not get their side of the bargain - decent pay rises (ie not less than inflation), training opportunities, that side of things - so why should I go the extra mile? Especially since I am due to the TUPE'd in 3 months anyway. So unless it is exceptional circumstances I am out of the door at 4.30 pm sharp (I do arrive at 8 btw). I am on call tomorrow all night and it is my birthday so I am not totally irresponsible.

IorekByrnison - what idea??? I'm not suggesting anything just saying that the market usually has a way of sorting out salaries. I.e. publishing and nursing are badly paid because there's an awful lot of bright females who want to do it. If those professions weren't attracting good applicants, no doubt salaries would rise.

Disagree that higher pay always = more stress than low paid work, there are plenty of high pressure/hard work/shit pay (or any combination of these) jobs about from what I can see.

I also disagree that high salaries are paid because highly paid jobs are harder work, that's so untrue imo. Getting up early and working at a desk for 10 hours a day isn't really that hard now, is it? (and I earn plenty and work hard-ish but wouldn't dare to say my job was harder than that of a midwife say, because my job is just sitting at a desk managing people and money)

As a former higher rate tax payer who now works part-time, I did not begrude paying taxes because I knew that compared to my lower paid siblings, I was still better off than them despite losing so much of my gross income to tax.

I think OP opening statement was unreasonable. However, I understand her fustrations and imho, she needs to seriously re-evaluate her life. Having a disabled DH does not mean that you have to work over 100 hours a week to compensate for his lack of income unless you are doing so to avoid being at home.

You say he had an accident so I am assuming that you received some sort of financial compensation? In addition, why are you not claiming the disability benefits for your DH? After all, I'm sure you accept child benefits?

You say that your parents care for your DH and children and if I have read it correctly, they live with you - I'm assuming they are retired so won't they be receiving pensions? If they are not retired, won't they receive benefits too?

I think you need to change your mindset from "woe is me" to "what can I do to make my life easier".

Also I would just like to say that in most cases, people choose to work excessive hours - I use to do it and convinced myself it was obligatory and compulsory. Rubbish. I was a slave to the work place and thankfully, becoming a mother made me realised that life was about living, not working.

Finally, as a tithe payer to your church, you will know that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a man to enter the kingdom of God. Also, it should not be loss on you that the first of the 10 commandments states "You shall have no other gods before Me". Consumerism and the shallow worship of money/material goods is a blight on modern society. That is why I have trouble reconciling you being a tithe payer and bemoaning your social as well as moral responsibility.

Hear hear, Spokette.

chocolatedot, what you said was "But surely if jobs in other sectors are equally demanding, stressful and challenging as those in the city, then people doing those jobs would decide that they may as well work in the city and at least get paid a fat salary to compensate for thei enormous personal sacrifice. "

Which suggests to me that you see gaining the maximum financial reward as the only reason to do a demanding, stressful and challenging job. Thank god not everyone thinks like this.

Unbridled market forces do not work in the interest of society (as has become particularly apparent in the past six months). They work in the interest of those who know how to manipulate them.

Because people don't work like this chocolatedot.

Not everyone is capable of working in the city (no head for numbers for example). Equally not everyone could be a doctor or a nurse (squeamish, not good with people).

My sister is a lawyer and loves it. I couldn't do her job - would hate to work with people as much as she has to (criminal defence barrister). I am in finance and she would hate it (finds it boring - I find it fascinating).

Also, if we were to follow your reasoning, we'd all go off and be high class hookers (well paid, choose your own hours, no need to take work home etc etc)

I thought it was well documented that real, debilitating stress occured most in middle management. They suffer debilitating stress that has an adverse effect on their health. They are often at the mercy of an unreasonable boss or bosses, have somebody else checking their work and feel a total lack of control. Whereas investment bankers feel stress when the FTSE plummets and those banking sector shares are suddenly worth worth 11% less than their purchase price. It's an oh shit - that probably means my team will only get a £50K bonus now, not the £100K I was hoping.

Agree Swedes. In fact I've seen reports like this that say that low/middle strata jobs suffer the most stress and are the most likely to suffer stress related illnesses including heart attacks and strokes - call centre workers etc.

For the second time today, I agree with SWC. I am required to work the hours to fulfill my job. That happens to take me around 60 hours a week. That is my obligation. If I were to work as a police officer I would be paid for my overtime. I am not paid for my overtime. So I think I deserve my salary.

Margo, I've agreed with everything you've said on this thread!

When I come to power I shall make you chancellor, if you've no other plans that week?

There is a big difference between being paid a salary and earning it.

From my limited experience with highly paid city workers, most of the ones that I know, do not earn their over-inflated salaries. If they had to really work for a living, many of them would collapse after 5 minutes from exhaustion.

"For the second time today, I agree with SWC. I am required to work the hours to fulfill my job. That happens to take me around 60 hours a week. That is my obligation. If I were to work as a police officer I would be paid for my overtime. I am not paid for my overtime. So I think I deserve my salary."

If you were a police officer you might be paid for your overtime Quattro, but not in lots of other jobs.

In my sector I also have to work the hours required to fulfill my job as an obligation. This includes unlimited numbers of nights and weekends. All with no overtime and no time off in lieu.

Salaries in my area are not hight - the standard starting salary for a graduate is £18,000. The salary for a full-time managerial post is about £30,000. A 60 hour week is not uncommon.

I've chosen to go part time since having DS for the very reason that the lifestyle is not compatible with having children.

Just because you work long hours, doesn't necessarily mean you earn good money.

oh theyoungvisiter, I was hoping you would! When do I start?

Well I haven't yet sorted out my coup Margo, but I'll keep you posted.

(It will be a bloodless seizing of power btw, followed by a largely benign dictatorship, so don't worry)