

Hourly employees happier than salaried workers? - cwan
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/sp-heh121009.php

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ryanelkins
This is kind of a lame article although the topic itself is a bit interesting.
I am actually paid hourly - as a full time developer (not a consultant). It
was nice when we were being asked to work late as we at least were being paid
for out time (although we didn't get paid overtime - the hourly rate was the
same regardless of how many hours we worked).

It's a little less interesting when you're not working overtime and you have
to make sure you get your 40 hours in. In my previous jobs (which were all
salaried) things just seemed a little more relaxed - if you needed to take off
early or were a little late getting in it was never a big deal (as long as you
didn't make a habit of it). Now it feels more like I keep an eye on every
minute.

It definitely makes me more aware of the whole time = money thing but I'm not
so sure that means I'm happier... more neurotic about time perhaps.

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bmj
If you are in the right situation, salaried work can be much more relaxing.
And as my boss likes to point out, flexibility works both ways--if I am
sometimes expected to put in extra hours for a project, my employer should be
willing to cut me some slack when I need it, too.

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ams6110
Except that often doesn't happen. I'm being paid hourly right now and I do
find it has some advantages: I hardly ever am asked to work more than 40 hours
a week because I would have to be paid overtime; If I need to leave work early
there's no guilty feeling of needing to "make up the time"; I'm never "on
call" at night or on weekends for support--the salaried folks get that joy.

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bmj
Agreed. Not every situation is like that, and I reckon this is the first time
in my career I truly have this sort of flexibility. No one tracks my time at
my desk--the only metric is the quality and timeliness of my work.

I should note, too, that I am never "on call" (well, that's not true--I was on
call once).

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ellyagg
"Hourly employees happier than salaried" is not equivalent to (nor implied by)
"[p]eople paid by the hour exhibit a stronger relationship between income and
happiness" so I'm left to wonder which it is.

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goodside
It's the latter. I'd kindly request that cwan or a moderator change the
headline to something less misleading.

~~~
cwan
Sorry, the ability to edit the headings disappears I think about 2 hours after
submission. I posted this because it is an interesting relationship to explore
(both the in the form EurekaAlerts has titled it and in the form of the study
itself) though in re-reading it, I agree the title is inaccurate.

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mishmax
I can definitely say I'm happier when being paid for freelancing. When I see
that cheque I know it's a result of the sweat and time I put in a project.

Salary on the other hand is just cash being transferred to my bank account. I
never physically see it, no one hands it to me. It's just a number in my bank
account that I don't check often.

I bet I'd be happier if my boss handed me a cheque every two weeks instead of
doing bank transfer. It's an emotional "I have to see it to feel it" thing.

~~~
philwelch
Can't you just cancel your direct deposit and have that giddy check-in-hand
feeling when your paycheck comes in the mail?

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jbr
Here's a link to the actual paper (free):
<http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/35/12/1602.pdf>

