What's Your Preference: Salary or Wages?

spychiatrist on 15/01/2021 - 23:40
Last edited 17/01/2021 - 07:55 by 1 other user

Given the choice, would you rather be paid annualised salary or hourly wages?

Salary Pros: Annual leave, sick leave, paid public holiday
Salary Cons: If you work long hours you're still paid the same. If you work on a weekend or public holiday, you don't get paid extra

Wages Pros: Work long hours, get paid more. Get paid working weekends
Wages Cons: No leave. No work, no pay

If you want to be paid hourly (but flat rate), how do you ensure the $ is close to an annualised salary?

EDIT:
At this workplace, there are 3 options:

  1. Annualised salary, but no overtime paid if you work longer as it is built in the rate as allowance for reasonable overtime. Is this ok?

  2. Wages (blue collar), get paid overtime, double bubble. Public holidays paid

  3. Flat rate, everything built in you hourly wage but you get paid more the longer you work (I believe this is what head hunters, recruitment agencies offer)

From the comments, looks like one can be flat rate and permanent employee, which means leave entitlement. This is the best case scenario and preferred.

Poll Options

  • 206
    Salary
  • 88
    Wages
Financial

Comments

  • Atma on 16/01/2021 - 21:41

    why no wage with annual leave etc. option?

    • Mrokire on 16/01/2021 - 23:00

      i make more than our manager, because of overtime and weekend work.

      • squall3031 on 17/01/2021 - 00:11

        Managers are useless. Team leaders help employees more. Sometimes I feel it's the team leaders that should receive more pay than the manager.

  • nephilim on 16/01/2021 - 21:44

    I got a promotion to salary. literally got no extra benefits except leave bonus
    Time in lieu is just stupid and annoying

    • hasher22 on 17/01/2021 - 13:39
      +2

      I hate salary myself too but some people do benefit out of salary.

      Salary is a way to dodge paying employees overtime, in my view. There are some great companies which tell employees to leave on time but when "reasonable" overtime is built into your salary, then the company expects you to work 12 hours a day…. it doesn't compensate.

      When I was working in a call centre, I was getting paid a wage and was working OT and penalty rates: night and weekends, getting good money at the time, clearing around 55k per year, whereas others would clear 40k. I was asked to be a team leader and I said: Sure, but you will pay me a wage, not a salary. They said they can't do that…. I refused the job because team leaders would work long hours and weekends for the same pay. And the difference wasn't even that much, was a 2k difference.

      Why would I give up a job that I can leave on time, no stress with employees and upper management, on wage with penalties, not forced to do OT and give it up for a stressful, meaningless team leader job for only 2k more but is salary!?

  • baldur on 16/01/2021 - 22:23
    +3

    Op has no idea what is what. The question and options are extremely misleading and wrong.

  • happyhammer on 16/01/2021 - 22:58
    +1

    In white collar work I think hourly casual is best, providing you have a long term contract with minimum hours and security.
    You get a much better hourly rate, great pay for overtime (which can be common) and you can work from home if you're not feeling well so don't lose out there.
    I've done both, but much prefer the flexibility, salary and control over my hours than being a salaried employee.

  • squall3031 on 17/01/2021 - 00:09

    I used to receive wages for 7 years until i was made permanent and receive salary.

    The best thing about receiving salary is I don't have to worry about money as it always goes to the bank account every fortnight. One thing I dislike is just the performance development bullcrap that I need to do every year. It's absolutely rubbish and no one reads that shit in HR after I completed it.

    The best thing about receiving wages was I didn't need to be fully committed to the work and didn't need to do performance development crap. I went in, worked for several hours and out and received income every week. I didn't mind not working during holiday seasons even though it meant less money but at least I had more free time for myself.

    There was one time as soon as I was made permanent, I felt that receiving wages was better…well, I still think a part of me wants to go back to working as a casual. Committing to work permanent full time and seeing lazy colleagues drains my life.

  • cashless on 17/01/2021 - 11:16

    Cash

  • May4th on 17/01/2021 - 12:09

    OP i think you mean permanent full/part-time vs casual employment.

    From the comments, looks like one can be flat rate and permanent employee, which means leave entitlement. This is the best case scenario and preferred.

    No.. and no that's not what the comments say..

  • El cheepo on 17/01/2021 - 12:49

    If over time is regular: permanent on wages (not casual)
    You’ll still be paid sick leave LSL etc.

    If you have the choice between a flat hourly rate and hourly rate with penalties, it will depend on what you plan on doing.

    If you plan on mainly doing your 9-5 (or what ever) a higher flat rate works in your favour even if you do the odd weekend or hour or two OT.

    Don’t be lured into full time casual at a higher rate because you won’t get any leave/sick pay etc.

    Your entitlement differences:
    Full time/ permanent: full entitlements
    Casual: bugger all.

  • AustriaBargain on 17/01/2021 - 14:26
    -1

    I've been reading some Roman history and it looks like slaves in influential houses actually had a higher quality of life than the average Australian. Heated flooring, fresh mountain spring water aqueducted to the house, you could still earn money and go see the games at the coliseum, and if your master was from a rich and influential house then you'll probably be offered the chance to learn a valuable trade like it was no problem at all. Under the right circumstances I'd be willing to give slavery a shot, I think.

    • baldur on 17/01/2021 - 15:32

      good point but this analogy applies to today's third world countries, not Australia.

  • dfg555 on 17/01/2021 - 15:51
    +1

    i just want money :)

  • No ONE on 17/01/2021 - 19:06

    Hey OP:
    You are confused what salary and wages mean.
    Wages =/= casual job as you imply.

    Salary = annual fixed pay over the pay period
    Wages = based on hours worked, same benefits (leave) as salary (as long as you are not contractor/casual employee)

  • dufflover on 17/01/2021 - 21:33

    I think OP has just learnt from this thread probably got screwed over in their wage negotiations for a new job :P

    Did you at least keep your Dental Plan?

  • Fobsessive on 17/01/2021 - 21:49

    When doing 1.5x the full-time salary hours, wages sound attractive

  • ECE on 17/01/2021 - 22:03

    Both 😷

  • IM-Cheap on 18/01/2021 - 00:39

    Salary - No overtime but we have flexible work hours and unreasonable overtime or weekends worked is traded for time off later down the track.

  • The-Kremlin on 18/01/2021 - 05:43
    +1

    Neither. Make your own money, it's a lot more rewarding.

  • od810 on 18/01/2021 - 09:48

    When i worked as contractor, my calculation was always:

    Annual Package = Daily rate * 5 * 46/(1.2 or 1.3)

    the extra 20-30% is accounted for the fact that I might need to look for new contracts every few months and potential down time. 46 weeks = 52 weeks - 2 weeks public holiday - 4 weeks annual leave.

  • juzza87 on 18/01/2021 - 10:51

    Flat rate = Waged, but within Waged there's permanent, fixed term and casual.

    Casual usually gets a higher rate but no paid leave/sick days.

  • minniethemoocher on 18/01/2021 - 17:42

    If you are lucky enough to have a job with paid overtime such as as a trade, you can earn significantly more earning wages than earning a salary. That is assuming you are working for a wage as an employee.

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