Very well. I look forward to your response!
It has become all the rage, (at least in the US), to complain about corporate CEO's and their ilk. It amazes me. Really. I noticed the comment about "working two or three hours" and had to laugh. Of course, I also noticed the equal pay for equal hours bit. *ugh*
To begin with, the CEO of any large corporation is not some guy that has randomly landed the position. He is not some "lucky stiff" that hit the lottery and managed to get the top spot by sheer accident. In order to even get to the level of CEO in a large corporation, one must have a certain level of education, training, experience and a proven track record in management. In short, they earn it. A CEO does not start his day at nine in the morning and quit at noon! The average, yes average CEO, works on a 24 hour basis. Of course, he does sleep, although I cannot imagine how, but business at that level never stops. CEO's work even when they are home. Even when they are sitting on the can!!! I am not making this up. They are on the phone or on a plane or in a car or in a meetings or doing something ALL day and into the night, everyday, including weekends! And let's not even get into the issue of dealing with CONSTANT problems and issues; personnel problems, breakdowns, economic problems, law changes, shareholders..! To suggest that they should be paid for equal hours is just silly. No company could afford it!!
The average working man only sees a brief moment in the life of a CEO, usually when that guy is dealing with some catastrophe. Or when he is leaving his high-stress positon and is (rightfully) getting a large pay-out to leave. These men are TEN cuts above the average guy. They are visionaries, planners, thinkers, creators, decision makers and incredible leaders. The level of stress and amount of responsibility they deal with is beyond comprehension.
It is oh so chic to point the finger at the guy making the "big bucks". Is there abuse? Certainly. That happens at every level. But the fact is, people are paid to "screw in the tail light" and others are paid to make sure they do it. Still others are paid to order enough tail lights while still others deliver them. Somewhere, there is even a guy designing a better tail light! Business is multi-level. Without the people at the top, the people at the bottom would not get that coveted pay check at all! Is there a better way? Possibly. THAT is just ONE reason why CEO's get paid what the do. To find a better way. To create it, plan it, design it, implement it and accept its success or failure. How many average workers are even capable of that kind of accomplishment ? There are many that think they can but are not able to actually do it. Talk is cheap, as they say. Those that actually can do it rise from day-worker "up the ladder", as it were. They earn it. There's that word again. Earn. Funny how that word is rarely used when a CEO is caught in the bright lights of TV cameras while trying to explain why some guy fifty levels below him did something stupid and cost the company millions and now the CEO has to answer for it!! That's right! It is his responsibility, even though he never even met the moron.
As far as I am concerned, people just do not get it. A CEO is far more than some figurehead. They get paid (comparatively) a LOT of money and they deserve every dime. If there are people in the world that feel they could do the job better, my only comment would be to get the education and EARN the job!
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