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There’s a story in the bible that goes something like this. There was a man who God had blessed with a large property, fertile soil and a good crop each year. During the picking season he would go down to the dole office at 9:00am and say to the half dozen men there, “Come work for me and I’ll pay you $20 for the day”. Being unemployed and with little hope of getting any other work they went with him.
By lunch time the boss realised the job wasn’t progressing as fast as he had hoped and as he was being paid under contract he had to deliver. He went back into town and walked down the main street. He saw another six men and said to them, “Come work in my field. I’ll pay you $20.” And they did. Come afternoon smoko, the boss realised that if he wanted to meet his contractual obligations he had better find some more workers. So he went back into town and checked out the bars. He found another six men and told them, “Come and work for me. I’ll pay you $20 for two hours work.” They went with him.
By sundown, the crop was picked and packed. The boss was happy. He would fulfil his contract and get the bonus he wanted. He went to the workers and told them to line up to get paid. They did. Working backwards from the last half dozen to the first he paid each man the $20 he had promised. “Hey,” said the first group. “We’ve been here all day. We’ve worked though the heat of the day. We’ve put in a full eight hours and yet you pay us the same as the blokes you put on at afternoon smoko. What’s going on here?” “For that,” said the Boss, “you can thank the new Fair Pay Commission and the AWA you agreed to. God has blessed me so I’m paying you according to his will.”
In fundamentalist Christian circles this story is told as an example of a generous boss. The bible story ends with the boss admonishing the men he employed first telling them, basically, “its my money and I’ll pay whatever I like.” In the traditional interpretation the story is reconstructed as a story of generosity. The boss employs all the men at the same rate, as agreed and pays those who work only two hours the same as those he employed for eight. So, according to the story, it’s tough luck for those who did the eight and good luck for those who did the two.
What I’ve never heard discussed in all the sermons I’ve sat through in which this story is retold as an encouragement for all to work for whatever the boss deems to pay, is the fact that this bloke is a crap boss and an even crappier business person. I suppose this boss thinks he’s pretty smart. He filled his contract, got his bonus and will now spend his cash on consumer goods. Next year he’ll plant his crop, wait (again) to the last minute, and rush about looking for workers. What do you think the workers will have been doing over the last twelve months?
They will have been chatting amongst themselves, talking about the work they’ve done and who they liked and didn’t like working for. When this boss’s name comes up there will be some ribbing as the late starters cop a serve for not offering to work pro-rata. “Never again,” this band of casuals promise. “Never again.”
But, as usually happens with this boss, twelve months pass and its picking season again. This crap boss goes back into town and offers to hire the first six people he comes across. “Alas,” they say, “we’re already booked and we’re just waiting for our ride.” Time and time again the boss approaches workers but they all say they are committed elsewhere.
Time is dragging on. What to do? He remembers an old colleague in the next town and calls him up. “Sure”, says his friend, “I’ll send over some workers. But it will cost you transport, lunch for each of them and a commission for me.” The boss does a quick calculation and reckons that it’s worth the extra so he agrees.
The next year this appalling business man has still not learned his lesson. Again he can find no one to pick his crop and again he calls his friend, only this time the stakes are much different. “Sure I’ll help you out,” says his colleague. “Only this time I want shares in your business and a seat on the board. I also want full control of the labour hire regime.” The boss considers it and agrees that 50% of something is better than 50% of nothing.
By the next year, with his new partner in control of the labour hire, the boss is sitting around wondering what he can do during the picking season. All the labourers are hired, they look happy and seem to be working well. He asks his new partner what has changed. His business partner explains it like this.
“Workers need to feel secure. They need to feel valued. You’ll note how each one has a personally embroidered shirt with their name under the company logo – I do hope you don’t mind that I changed it? Rather than have them competing for work, you know, trying to run down their wages, I thought it might be better to let them sort out a wage based on my ability to pay. I told them, the more productive you are, the more profit I make. The more profit I make the more I can afford to pay you. The more I pay you and the more profitable I am the better we can grow the business.” “Wow,” said the boss. “You did all this in 12 months? I’m astounded.”
“Well”, said his partner, “it has its advantages. But it also has its downside. It soon became apparent to the workers on the floor who wasn’t pulling their weight and, well, frankly, the non-contributors have been sorted. You know, they’re not here any more.” “So you mean the workers sort of self select?” Said the boss. “That’s right said his partner. “We even have the sons of some of those who started last year coming in. It’s a real boon to my business. Now, about your role, I’ve been thinking.”
“God has blessed me with good business acumen. I also have good people skills. The new system seems to working rather well. The workers are all self organised and pretty well manage themselves. They work all year round now as I’ve introduced some new crops and opened up some new markets. So, I’m afraid I have some bad news.” “Oh, said the boss, “I do hope your health is OK.”
“Yes, quite,” said his partner. “The news is that you are now surplus to our requirements. I, well to be blunt, just can’t afford to hang on to you. I need productive workers and, well, I still haven’t quite worked out what you do here. Don’t worry, you’ll be well looked after. I’m sure God has a plan for you.” And with that, the boss was no longer employed. His business was taken over and his unproductive habits were rewarded as they should have been.
A few years later, after spending his retirement funds on parties, trips overseas and a new house, he was sitting, broke and depressed, at a bar watching the afternoon go by when a well dressed man approached him and said, “would you like to earn $20 for two hours work?”
Ah, it must be God’s will.