Do people need to be Incentivised to work?

steddyeddy · 11-12-2015 01:05PM #1

You see it again and again on some threads. Some posters use the term "incentivise people to work" in relation to social welfare ect.

This is something alien to me as I have to be happy to work. Even being on holidays for long periods of time drives me mad. I think most people are unhappy if they have no purpose in life. Why do some people assume that huge numbers of people would not work if they just got wages for nothing?

Jim Bob Scratcher · 11-12-2015 01:07PM

Dole thread ? Haven't had one of them in awhile :rolleyes:

Son Of A Vidic · 11-12-2015 01:08PM

Money always helps.

SEPT 23 1989 · 11-12-2015 01:09PM

In certain situations it would cost you money to come off the dole and lose all benefits to take a low paying job

The_Valeyard · 11-12-2015 01:09PM

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Money always helps.

Money to help me survive and pay bills, motivates me.

Tiddlypeeps · 11-12-2015 01:11PM

At the height of the boom we had one of the most generous welfare systems in Europe and almost full employment.

BattleCorp · 11-12-2015 01:12PM

I've two mortgages. That's all the incentive I need to keep working.

smash · 11-12-2015 01:12PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

You see it again and again on some threads. Some posters use the term "incentivise people to work" in relation to social welfare ect.

A percentage of people on social welfare are happy not to work. They don't see it as a necessity because they get everything from the state so in this regard there are literally no incentives for them to work.

Samaris · 11-12-2015 01:12PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

You see it again and again on some threads. Some posters use the term "incentivise people to work" in relation to social welfare ect.

This is something alien to me as I have to be happy to work. Even being on holidays for long periods of time drives me mad. I think most people are unhappy if they have no purpose in life. Why do some people assume that huge numbers of people would not work if they just got wages for nothing?

Okay, I know where this thread will go. It'll go on about bashing lazy dolers and people who've never worked a day in their lives.

So here's my story. A year ago, I came back to Ireland. I have two good qualifications (excellent qualifications in fact), and in England I was working three jobs concurrently (yeah, it made for some interesting juggling - day, evening and weekend if anyone's wondering). Various things collided and we came back here. And I could not get work. I thought I had something lined up when I came back, but it fell through. In terms of my qualifications, I'm in the catch-22 position of I have all the theoretical knowledge of a graduate (and post-grad at that), but I don't have the practical experience that employers want.

I have a long-term illness, probably two actually but the effects can be hard to tell apart. I'm not disabled and although it was suggested I apply for disability, I don't think it would be healthy for me. And yeah, I'm miserable out of work. My routine is lousy, I fight for motivation when I get turned down or get no replies. And it actually hurts when I see in thread after thread that people think people like me are scum.

I'm fighting my corner, but it's a slow battle, against depression and against the dread lethargy of no set routine, limited human interaction and rejections along with the lovely feeling of worthlessness. I study to try keep myself going and apply for jobs, but it's not enough. I need a purpose in life, as you said. But the longer you're out of work, the harder it becomes to get back into it. It's a nasty spiral and it leads nowhere good.

Kev W · 11-12-2015 01:14PM

smash wrote: »

A percentage of people on social welfare are happy not to work. They don't see it as a necessity because they get everything from the state so in this regard there are literally no incentives for them to work.

Can you be more specific? "A percentage" can mean 99%, just one individual or any point in between.

Captain Chaos · 11-12-2015 01:16PM

Kev W wrote: »

"A percentage" can mean 99%, just one individual or any point in between.

Exactly, that's why the term was used because no one knows the number.

smash · 11-12-2015 01:17PM

Kev W wrote: »

Can you be more specific? "A percentage" can mean 99%, just one individual or any point in between.

No I can't be more specific because if you give any figure or even mention the words majority or minority you'll have some dickhead who'll object and moan and whine and go on about the 'vulnerable' in society and other such rubbish.

King George VI · 11-12-2015 01:19PM

I agree with you, OP in that I don't like having nothing to do. I like going to work and I enjoy my job. On top of that I'm on a decent wage so it doesn't make sense for me to be on the rock and roll.

BUT, some people are better off on the dole than they would be working at what's most likely to be the best job they can get: a low paying job. They get 188 or whatever it is per week for doing absolutely nothing. Coupled with all the extras like rent allowance/child benefit etc that's available to a lot of people. Not counting benefit cheats (fuck those guys amirite?) but in regards to the people getting loads on welfare through legitimate means. Some people clear more than I earn on the welfare. Why would they give up all that to work 40 hours per week in a low paying job and have to pay tax on it?

When you break it down it comes down to no work - free time - free money. Sounds good.

Kev W · 11-12-2015 01:20PM

smash wrote: »

No I can't be more specific because if you give any figure or even mention the words majority or minority you'll have some dickhead who'll object and moan and whine and go on about the 'vulnerable' in society and other such rubbish.

So you actually do have a figure, or at least an indicator of majority/minority you just don't want to share it because people might say mean things to you?

Tiddlypeeps · 11-12-2015 01:20PM

smash wrote: »

No I can't be more specific because if you give any figure or even mention the words majority or minority you'll have some dickhead who'll object and moan and whine and go on about the 'vulnerable' in society and other such rubbish.

So what your saying is you can't even remotely back up what you are saying and all you really want to do is soap box?

Kev W · 11-12-2015 01:21PM

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

So what your saying is you can't even remotely back up what you are saying and all you really want to do is soap box?

While moaning about soapboxing from others, don't forget.

Dave_The_Sheep · 11-12-2015 01:21PM

A purpose in life doesn't necessarily mean work. It can mean a time consuming hobby. Caring for a loved one. Volunteering with a local organisation, or one not so local.

If you, OP, go mad when you're on holidays for too long - then you need to get a hobby, or try something new. Or maybe it's just that work is what does it for you. Fair enough. Everyone isn't the same. If I got wages (good enough wages) for nothing, of course I wouldn't work - unless I worked at something I loved doing, which I don't.

There's the crux of it: If you genuinely love what you do for a living, then of course you don't need to be incentivised.

BattleCorp · 11-12-2015 01:23PM

Tiddlypeeps wrote: »

So what your saying is you can't even remotely back up what you are saying and all you really want to do is soap box?

One of my cousins out of a group of 10 has no interest in work. He thinks we are stupid for working when he lazes around on the dole, drinking the week away.

So, anecdotally, that's 10% of my close relations that don't want to work.

Is that figure any good to you?

smash · 11-12-2015 01:23PM

Kev W wrote: »

So you actually do have a figure, or at least an indicator of majority/minority you just don't want to share it because people might say mean things to you?

Do I have a figure? No
Do I know if its a majority number? No
Do I know if its a minority number? No

Are there these kinds of people out there? Yes, so therefore there is a percentage.

Are you the dickhead who's about to "object and moan and whine and go on about the 'vulnerable' in society and other such rubbish" I don't know. Up to you...

Edit: response can also be used for Tiddlypeeps

Maximus Alexander · 11-12-2015 01:24PM

The majority of people don't work because they like it. They do it for the incentive... their salary. Since money can buy pretty much anything else, I'm not sure what other incentive you could offer.

They say that money can't buy love, so, I suppose, you could try paying people in love?

Kev W · 11-12-2015 01:26PM

smash wrote: »

Do I have a figure? No
Do I know if its a majority number? No
Do I know if its a minority number? No

Are there these kinds of people out there? Yes, so therefore there is a percentage.

Are you the dickhead who's about to "object and moan and whine and go on about the 'vulnerable' in society and other such rubbish" I don't know. Up to you...

Edit: response can also be used for Tiddlypeeps

But how relevant is it if you don't know how many are doing it?

Kev W · 11-12-2015 01:27PM

BattleCorp wrote: »

One of my cousins out of a group of 10 has no interest in work. He thinks we are stupid for working when he lazes around on the dole, drinking the week away.

So, anecdotally, that's 10% of my close relations that don't want to work.

Is that figure any good to you?

No. It's too small a sample size to be statistically relevant.

smash · 11-12-2015 01:27PM

Kev W wrote: »

But how relevant is it if you don't know how many are doing it?

It's relevant because it's true. There are people out there who don't need to work because they're happy to live on subsidies. It doesn't matter how many do it, what matters is that there are people who do it.

Knasher · 11-12-2015 01:29PM

I do wonder, if you are somebody who has been unemployed for a while. You've been on a waiting list for housing for a while too, gotten your benefits sorted and are kinda just ticking over. Wouldn't it be easy to see getting a job as a massive gamble, if it doesn't work out then you loose your income, you probably don't have much in savings, and it might take a while to get back on benefits. I'd imagine you probably loose your place on housing lists, and have to start from scratch again.

I've been fortunate enough to never be on benefits, so I don't know a lot about it though. But if it works the way I think, I could definitely understand if it were seen as a disincentive to work.

Kev W · 11-12-2015 01:32PM

smash wrote: »

It's relevant because it's true. There are people out there who don't need to work because they're happy to live on subsidies. It doesn't matter how many do it, what matters is that there are people who do it.

Why does it matter?

Tiddlypeeps · 11-12-2015 01:32PM

smash wrote: »

Do I have a figure? No
Do I know if its a majority number? No
Do I know if its a minority number? No

Are there these kinds of people out there? Yes, so therefore there is a percentage.

Are you the dickhead who's about to "object and moan and whine and go on about the 'vulnerable' in society and other such rubbish" I don't know. Up to you...

Edit: response can also be used for Tiddlypeeps

Why are you even on a discussion board? You are unwilling to discuss your view other than stating it and before anyone has even contested it you are stating that anyone who disagrees with you is a dickhead.

You very clearly don't want to discuss the topic so why bother posting at all?

steddyeddy · 11-12-2015 01:33PM

smash wrote: »

A percentage of people on social welfare are happy not to work. They don't see it as a necessity because they get everything from the state so in this regard there are literally no incentives for them to work.

But that cannot be the norm. I don't think it's normal psychology.

donegaLroad · 11-12-2015 01:36PM

it depends..

if your survival depended on it, then that would be a good incentive.

If the material needs of your family depended on it, that would not be a good incentive.

The Backwards Man · 11-12-2015 01:38PM

If you're lucky enough to be getting paid for doing something you enjoy, no more incentive is needed.

BattleCorp · 11-12-2015 01:43PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

If you're lucky enough to be getting paid for doing something you enjoy, no more incentive is needed.

I think there's a very big percentage of people who do their job because they have to, rather than because they enjoy it.

Mesrine65 · 11-12-2015 01:45PM

Do people need to be Incentivised to work?

Yes...a fair days work for a fair days pay & a little dignity & respect in the workplace wouldn't go amiss.

Do people need to be Incentivised to work?

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