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by s73ver_ 3187 days ago
"Many of our businesses are the most profitable in the world."

As an employee, who's not invited to share in those profits, why do I care? Why would I rather have that, than have more stability and more vacation time like they do in Europe?
1 comments
KGIII 3187 days ago
Your salary and benefits are your share of the profits.
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s73ver_ 3187 days ago
Not really. And that doesn't address my question. Why do I care that our businesses are more profitable if I don't get any of the benefits of it? What do I get for that "more profitable"? Do I get to work less? Do I get more vacation? Do I get more stability? Do I get more pay? The answer to all of these is no. So what do I get?
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KGIII 3187 days ago
You don't have to care, though you might be grateful that they are profitable and thus able to pay your salary. Given that you're on HN, you're probably paid quite well and better than you would be in other countries.

So, it's in your best interest that they continue to be profitable. Your benefit is contined employment and the benefits that go along with that.

If you want to get more from a business profiting more, your best choice would be to buy shares of that business through the stock market. Even those that don't pay dividends can increase in value and increase your wealth along with it.

You are, of course, perfectly entitled to not care one iota. You don't need my permission to do that.

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s73ver_ 3187 days ago
"You don't have to care, though you might be grateful that they are profitable and thus able to pay your salary."

Companies in Europe are profitable, too.

"So, it's in your best interest that they continue to be profitable."

I wasn't asking why I should care that they're profitable. I was asking why I should care why they're more profitable.

"You are, of course, perfectly entitled to not care one iota. You don't need my permission to do that."

So your answer to my original question of why I should care that companies in the US are more profitable while offering crappier benefits to employees than European companies is that I really shouldn't; and that it's a raw deal for everyone else.

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