Homo Viator

The discussion on manager salaries has been a mass media favorite for quite some time in Germany, but now leading politicians take this discussion to the political level. Since most people in Germany agree that top managers earn too much money, politicians make use of this issue to please voters. Some go as far as to call for a maximum wage that companies would be allowed to pay to their top employees. Those proposals are of course of pure populist nature. A maximum wage would not even be complimentary with our constitution. Since everybody knows that politicians in Germany cannot effectively influence the salaries of top earners, I really ask myself why we have such a discussion in the first place. Yes, politicians do not only have a legislative mandate. They also have a responsibility to give thought-provoking impulses to the society at large. But shouldn`t our society have bigger worries than to snoop around and criticize certain managers for their yearly paycheck?

I do not understand the craze at all. It is true that some managers earn several thousand times the amount that their employees make and that this sounds rather weird. But think about it the other way: They still make much less than some boozed up rock star or the lame sport hero that exactly those people, who criticize the salaries of top managers, admire so much. Now think about the responsibility and the societal impact that a CEO of a company like Siemens has. Siemens has more than 400.000 employees, which means that it directly feeds approximately 800.000 people. Probably more, as Siemens employees are good German citizens with big families. Indirectly, counting in all suppliers and business buyers, indirectly Siemens probably feeds around 1.5million people. Doesn`t the guy, who works on ensuring the continious and growing food supply to 1.5million people, deserve a ultra-high salary?

There is lots I would like to write about on this issue, as it is one that I get very excited about. Envy, mixed up with populist discussions makes me rather angry. Wow, what a rhyme! But I am too tired today and not really in the modd of writing, so just two more things on the side: In Italy, society and media do not criticize the salaraies of top managers, but the 10.000EUR salaries of parlamentarians instead. Now that is a twisted logic. In my opinion politicians in Europe earn way to little. In my last job I saw the schedules of some heavy weight ministers and I tell you that they truly work their ass of, for as little as 10.000EUR a month. A German TV showmaster earns in a day what our chancellor earns in a year!

And lastly, sorry for this rather unstructured post, but I am really not in the mood to write today: Transpareny. Employees across Germany call for transparency, saying that they deserve to know what their top managers earn. I find that to be the most absurd proposal ever. I ask myself whether those employees would be willing to post a sign on THEIR doors, a sign that would state what THEY make a month. Maybe they should start with that. This would probably show them the effectiveness of their proposal. By doing this, they would realize that such transparency would result in envy and back stabbing even at the lower ranks. One secretary would end up questioning and criticizing another, who makes 100 EUR more a month. It just makes no sense. Employees do not need to know what their bosses earn and they do not have a right to know it. Only the owners of the company, the shareholders, have a right to know it. Ufffff, did not enjoy writing that post.