Dollars & Sense

Loyalty vs longevity. There was a time when these two words were synonymous. Not any more. Longevity is pretty much history. That is, if you ever want to make more money and stay ahead of inflation.

Wherever I'm at, I'm loyal. My boss puts food on my table, keeps a roof over my head, and the lights on. I stay until there's a reason to no longer be loyal. It also tends to conflict with longevity.

If you want to advance and/or make more money, you have to move on, or up. Moving up shows loyalty. Moving on shows just the opposite. So it really depends if you're loyal or not. Then again, if you like your position as I do, and don't want to move up or on, what do you do? Add more to your plate. Someone leaves, take one of their responsibilities. Expand your position into other areas. Now that's loyalty.

Moving up doesn't necessarily mean loyalty either. That is usually just being upwardly-mobile. They usually move on anyway, for the same reason.

My first job in corporate america was as a runner for the Pacific Stock Exchange, 1980. I started at $700.00 a month. After one year, I received a raise to $790.00. A month later, another runner started at $775.00. The starting rate for that position's salary had been adjusted for inflation that year. But I don't get a piece of it, as I'm already there. I worked a year to make $15.00 more than this guy. See what I mean.

So, basically, you have to move on every few years just to keep pace with the living wage. Imagine staying in a job for 20 years, and someone just starting, makes the same as you. How would you feel? So much for loyalty.

Then again, I wouldn't call that loyalty. I'd call that stupidity. Someone who does that is happy just getting by. They don't want to advance. They've become complacent. And...they're miserable all the time. And when the cuts come, do you think the company is going to be loyal to you? Not.

Hey, more power to you. Just don't talk to me about it, cuz I don't want to hear it.

I've got work to do.