Some Stats from the Wired Article

[J.Quondam]

Because honestly if you're not receiving regular compensation increases it usually means you company doesn't value you enough to do so.

Perhaps "usually"... but not always. Which exactly is why such questions need to be asked regularly, and why demands to fix things need to be made whenever those answers aren't good.
It's okay for workers to value themselves, too. They are allowed some dignity and fairness. It's not only about what just the employer wants. It's a two-way street, after all.
There's nothing wrong with workers standing up for themselves, ideally with the support of others.
That can be hard to do, of course; but it's not a hard concept to understand.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I seriously considered applying for a job at WotC to realize a dream of working on D&D. Even looked at what it would take to move my family to Seattle. Then I realized that my income would be absolutely slashed and there's nearly zero job security. No thanks.

(They probably wouldn't have hired me anyway!)

 

[R_J_K75]

Or negotiate for better pay and conditions.

Yeah that usually comes under the part where I said accepting the job. Once youve accepted the job in a unionless position you are at the mercy of HR and upper management regarding compensation and working conitions. Id be suprised if they unionize so at that point you stick with the job youre at or move along

Strange thing to say? I take that as an insult to my mentallity.

 

[R_J_K75]

I seriously considered applying for a job at WotC to realize a dream of working on D&D. Even looked at what it would take to move my family to Seattle. Then I realized that my income would be absolutely slashed and there's nearly zero job security. No thanks.

(They probably wouldn't have hired me anyway!)

At least you did your research first.

 

[bedir than]

Id be suprised if they unionize so at that point you stick with the job youre at or move along

They're actually doing it

 

[Umbran]

You apply for a job, go to an interview, take said job at an agreed salary then turn around and complain your under-paid? If you feel you're underappreciated and not receiving pay raises or other perks...QUIT.

At the time of interview, you don't know what the work environment and expectations will really be. We all hope that the reality doesn't deviate too much from the interview's image of it. But sometimes the reality is not as rosy as it was suggested. Or, perhaps things have changed over time.

Your advice then is to just quit, as if that is no big deal. That seems to ignore many realities of being without employment. Being without a paying job kind of sucks, and quitting can leave you out of work for long periods. "Just quit," is not great advice when it may quickly lead to homelessness, for example.

Rather than incur those realities, many find collective negotiation to be a useful tool to improve their situation.

 

[thirdkingdom]

At the time of interview, you don't know what the work environment and expectations will really be. We all hope that the reality doesn't deviate too much from the interview's image of it. But sometimes it doesn't.

Your advice then is to just quit, as if that is no big deal. That seems to ignore many realities of being without employment. Being without a paying job kind of sucks, and quitting can leave you out of work for long periods. "Just quit," is not great advice when it may quickly lead to homelessness, for example.

Rather than incur those realities, many find negotiation to be a useful tool to improve their situation.

Plus, pretty much all of the benefits that workers enjoy (miniscule though they are in the US) have (in some cases literally) been written in blood by those who fought for them. Forty-day work week? No child labor? Safe working conditions? Minimum wage? All of these were fought for, and in many cases (see, for instance, the Pinkertons and West Virginia miners) companies, often in collusion with the government, killed those trying to improve their lot in life.

EDIT: And I say this as a business owner with ten employees.

 

[Zaukrie]

"negotiate better pay"....as if the company doesn't have standard pay rates that can barely vary due to legal, HR, and regulatory reasons.....I'm not sure some people posting here have worked for big companies, or tried to negotiate salary.....

 

[Umbran]

"negotiate better pay"....as if the company doesn't have standard pay rates that can barely vary due to legal, HR, and regulatory reasons.....I'm not sure some people posting here have worked for big companies, or tried to negotiate salary.....

If Paizo is like, 50 people, it isn't a "big company". Its HR may be one person. This is a game company, not covered by much regulation, and probably doesn't have standard pay rates that are enforced within the place.

Indeed, standard pay rates, HR policies, and the like are historically a result of union efforts.

 

[Zaukrie]

If Paizo is like, 50 people, it isn't a "big company". Its HR may be one person. This is a game company, not covered by much regulation, and probably doesn't have standard pay rates that are enforced within the place.

Indeed, standard pay rates, HR policies, and the like are historically a result of union efforts.

I'm aware of that......but they likely have standard pay rates....which was my point. Not sure how that is confusing.