One example of a way that compensation influenced my behavior in a professional environment was my decision to maintain my county job, rather than transition to a lower paying position. As a university student, I have very little time to dedicate any non-academic endeavors. Unfortunately, this limited time is very often dedicated to earning an income. As a student, I have always been financially independent. I moved out of my parents home at 18 years old and have been financially independent since then. As a student, working minimum wage barista jobs proved to be quite difficult. I was constantly picking up extra shifts just to make rent and frequently tapping into my savings to pay bills and loans.
This was until I accepted a position with the Benton County Health department. I was able to work regular hours and was earning an hourly rate higher than minimum wage. The stability and comfort associated with this position was certainly a perk, but the rest day-to-day interactions proved to be quite challenging.
After about 6 months at this job, I began to explore other options. The only jobs available paid minimum wage and could not guarantee hours. For this reason, I decided to stick with my position at the county. The monetary rewards (week 8 lecture) of stable base pay and guaranteed hours as well as the fact that I was considered a non-exempt employee (Exemption FlowChart) were the only motivators keeping me in this position. If I were able to maintain financial stability, working in a more positive and engaging environment, I would have done so in a heartbeat, even if it meant that my compensation would be slightly less.
FLSA Exemption Flow ChartActions, Society for HR Management.
Week 8 Course Lectures
Got any book recommendations?