Using global shocks as a laboratory to study executive pay

It is often claimed that executives reap rewards from favourable market tailwinds they did nothing to create. This column uses two decades of Danish data to argue that this ‘pay for luck’ critique requires more nuance. While CEOs do receive higher pay when global conditions are favourable, the authors find that boards reward the effort required to capitalise on those favourable conditions as well as to mitigate losses in the face of negative shocks. The findings suggest that globalisation doesn't just increase pay – it fundamentally changes why and how CEOs are compensated. READ MORE

Amazon analyst feels 'trapped' after tripled salary

A post by a 26‑year‑old Amazon analyst on professional networking platform Grapevine has triggered a wide discussion around career growth, burnout, and the invisible pressures that come with higher pay, after the employee said tripling their salary had made life feel “worse”, not better.

In the post, the analyst wrote that despite earning more than anticipated and switching jobs to accelerate growth, the demands of work and family responsibilities had left him feeling “completely trapped”. READ MORE

10 high-paying careers where women make up the majority of workers—most pay more than $100,000

While progress toward gender parity remains slow, several career paths offer above-average representation of women as well as high pay, according to a report from Resume Genius published Mar. 3.

Resume Genius, an online career platform and resume builder, identified the top 10 careers with high median salaries and projected job growth in which women make up 50% or more of workers, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. READ MORE

Is it really enough? The salary most Americans believe is needed to stop worrying about money

In a nation where living expenses keep rising and savings rates remain stubbornly low, Americans are increasingly being asked a simple yet revealing question: How much income would you need to stop worrying about money?

Recent surveys and financial research show that, despite wide differences in lifestyle and location, many Americans believe there's a specific salary threshold that would put them at ease when it comes to their finances. READ MORE

The Future of Payroll: How Crypto and Stablecoins Are Changing Salaries

Crypto is not just a buzzword anymore; it's changing how we think about everything, even salaries. More startups are looking at crypto payroll solutions, but the volatility of currencies like Solana makes you wonder if this is a good idea. This post is about how stablecoins are stepping in to help create a more stable payroll system, where employees aren't left hanging when prices go haywire. READ MORE

How Does Your Salary Compare to Others in Your Industry? Find Out Where You Stand

Many people think their pay is “average,” but when you stack your salary next to people with a similar title, even in other industries, you might be in for a surprise.

Most employers set salaries based on industry trends, job title, region, and the specific skills needed. Knowing exactly where you stand, and why, is the first step to boosting your pay. Let’s see what the numbers say in 2025. READ MORE

For most people, a bigger salary can make you happier—just not at your job

Money really can buy you happiness — just not at the office, finds new Wharton research.

That’s specifically true for U.S. adults earning up to $200,000 per year, according to an analysis published Thursday by Matt Killingsworth, a senior fellow at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Among that demographic, higher earners are happier in their day-to-day lives, but they’re not any happier at work than people with lower incomes, the analysis says. READ MORE

Elon Musk won’t get his $55 billion pay package after all

Elon Musk isn’t going to get that $55 billion pay package after all, a Delaware Chancery Court judge has ruled.

Tesla shareholders approved the package in 2018, which gave Musk incentive to hit specific milestones, including a market valuation of $650 billion, which was more than 10 times the valuation at the time. The trial hinged on a specific question: did Musk mislead the shareholders when he gave them the plan? READ MORE

Beyond the paycheck: The key to building a thriving workplace goes beyond salaries

Today’s news is filled with stories highlighting salary figures, from sky-high CEO compensation packages to boards trying to hide CEO pay increases during periods of austerity, to governments interfering with collective bargaining over wage increases and unions securing pay hikes.

Some provinces, including Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia, are also mandated to release annual sunshine lists of public sector workers who earn above $100,000 — all of which might suggest that higher pay equates to more productive, healthy and safe workplaces. But is this a correct assumption? What if the opposite is true? READ MORE

To Stem Turnover, Employers Favor Higher Salaries and Remote Work

What are businesses doing to retain finance and accounting staff and make job offers more appealing to candidates when they have open positions?

Both can be a challenge. In the spring CFO Survey from Duke University and the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, three-quarters of CFOs responding said the talent shortage was impacting revenue, and about half indicated it was constraining both revenue and full-capacity operations. READ MORE

It’s time to debunk these 2 myths about pay raises

After you receive that next big raise at work, or reach a certain economic level, you may think you’ll achieve contentment, happiness, or peace. The reality, though, is that such levels may very well be false summits that provide illusory benefits and ultimately, lead to just the next goal to reach in an ever-upward tilting treadmill. More, it turns out, may not be better; and there are different ways to achieve greater levels of contentment and happiness, regardless of your financial resources.  READ MORE

Pay Transparency Laws Are All The Rage

Pay transparency laws are catching fire in legislative bodies around the country.  As we have previously reported, these laws, which target pay equity, have gone into effect in a number of jurisdictions, such as Colorado and New York City in recent years. 

New York State is one of the latest to pass such a bill (on June 2, 2022) that requires private employers in the state to publish salary or wage ranges in all job postings.  The bill, which has been passed by the state legislature and awaits the signature of Governor Kathy Hochul, will become effective 270 days after it is signed.  READ MORE

Most US Employers Plan To Hike Pay and Address Pay Equity in 2022

If there was ever a time for employers to offer financial incentives to workers, it’s now, with millions of workers voluntarily leaving the workforce, the U.S. facing a massive labor shortage and American consumers grappling with the highest inflation rate in decades.

The vast majority of employers plan to respond by hiking their base pay rates this year, with many offering larger-than-normal raises, according to a new survey from Payscale. READ MORE

Companies speed up salary hikes, front load stock vesting

When Amazon announced changes last month to attract and retain talent, analysts tended to focus on the big jump in its base salary, from $160,000 to $350,000. But in another change, the company reportedly is also speeding up its stock vesting, which would enable some employees to access the value of their equity holdings much earlier, including in some cases under a monthly vesting schedule. Prior to the change, vesting was back-end-loaded, at a rate of 5% after the first year, 15% after the second and 20% every six months over the next two years. READ MORE

Never Respond First in a Negotiation

One of the most challenging spots in any negotiation is when you get asked the question: What do you want to get paid? This is a highly uncomfortable position to be in, especially when you recognize that the first rule of negotiation is that the first person who talks loses. The last thing you want to do is to say a number that's too high, or worse, too low that you get stuck with. So, if you get asked this question, what can you do to help ensure that you don't leave money on the table?

The good news is that there is an effective strategy for dealing with this. READ MORE

Nonprofit Salaries And The Leadership Gap

Recently, I was having a friendly conversation with someone at a professional event when he asked me what I did for a living. When I told him I was the executive director of a nonprofit organization, his demeanor changed.

“I hate the word nonprofit,” he said. “I always get anxious when I hear it because I know someone’s making a profit.” Although he was quite a nice guy, his manner was a little defensive. READ MORE

FTC eyes rule to claw back money from companies that lie about gig worker earnings

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which enforces consumer protection rules, voted on Thursday to embark on regulations that would allow it to win back money from companies that are deceptive about the earnings that workers can make.

The FTC has previously gone after companies such as Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) in 2017 and Amazon.com Inc last year but has been prevented from tackling recent similar cases because of a Supreme Court ruling in April 2021 that said the agency had inappropriately used its rule-making powers to claw back ill-gotten gains. READ MORE