The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

Does anyone remember a building site worker called Max Quartermain?

I often wondered what happened to him? He was a building worker and eventually named 'Superhod' due to carrying a larger than usual builders' hod, this allowed him to carry more when working on the building sites so he earned more.

His story is one of hard work and taking the odd chance but that, in his case, has reaped the rewards. His work / life balance it seems has not suffered in any way either, perhaps a good example to today's 'live to work' rather than 'work to live' people.

The link below gives his story, don't be alarmed as it needs to be scrolled horizontally rather than vertically to read:

https://www.pressreader.com

What are your views on hard work, has that paid off in your life or is that not the case?

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

I think it depends what the job is, doesn't matter how much or how little I do in my job I get same amount of money. Doing it well means I get a quiet life with no one on my back but monatarialy no difference.

Also comes a point if I were to do more hours I would get a lot less as benefits we claim at the moment would stop. So I have to be careful not to be too eager.

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

Never been true for me. I have sadly always been in minimum wage employment and thus, no matter how hard I worked was never rewarded for my diligence. Other than my minimum wage.

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

I did OK grafting as employed and self employed.Having said that it wan't until Sue and I had our own business that allowed us to retire comfortably.

Being employed does give a steady income but that is all, just enough to cover expenses.
Baz you being fairly new to the forum would not have seen my/our work ethic to get our first house. lets just put it this way.
I was earning around £15/20 a week but supplimented that with other jobs

In 18 months we had save £1500 for a deposit for our first house, that should give some indication of the effort we put in. No weekends off -no holidays - no luxuries like evenings out to the cinema or meals. One aim and one aim only was to own our own house

Even when we bought a business many years later on we nearly went under, had to wait for clients money to come in on a day to day basis. Just made us more determined to pull through and make it

grafting? yes I know all about that

Did we take any risks? YES big time

We moved from Surrey to the West Midlands, took over a boarding kennels and cattery, completely new area to us and owning and running our own business we knew little about

Yes one huge risk believe me but we wanted to improve on what we had. It took about 7 years to really get things right in the way of repairs and getting established in our own right.

My best tip is work for yourself and put your hard work into your own pocket not someone elses. if you don't try you will never find out

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

I am shocked by that comment. In other words, it is preferable not to work too hard but to allow someone else (i.e. the tax payer) to work and subsidise the family income.


I realise my post may annoy, but because the bit in bold was so blatant I felt I needed to make some comment.

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

I graft everyday, even at this age, the money to some degree is immaterial, the fact I still can never fails to amaze me, I will stop when the body does.

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

Same here, then I got married, had kids & when they were older back to minimum wage again, even though by then it was more than the original.

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

It's difficult really if I do more hours while my husband is having chemo and unable to work we lose housing benefit. As it is I can't do more as I have to look after him and am disabled myself although I don't claim anything on my disability I chose to keep working even if it is less than I would get on benefit. It won't always be like this hopefully if he beats the cancer we will both be working again and not claiming anything that is always our goal.
It's never nice being on benefit for instance he was having his chemo administered monday in hospital when someone from the benefit office went in to check he was sick enough to be on benefit. Inhumane I call that.

I really wouldn't want anyone to live my life as it is painful and undignified. If I could do more I would but I can't as I struggle now, and being homeless wouldn't exactly help that situation.

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

Very well put, Julie, and I do empathise with you and your situation. But you come across as a very proud and strong lady, and I admire you for that. Similarly, I have told my younger sister how proud I am of her, seeing as she now fights her health problems alone. Her partner, before his death in 2011, was very good to her, getting her to hospital when she was ill. She had a kidney transplant 14 years ago but also has a bad heart. They want to operate on that, but don’t want to compromise the kidney.

She works on a minimum wage for Sainsbury’s. And works because she has to.

Re: The work ethic – hard work pays or not?

That must be hard Jazzi it's something I fear, one of us being left to manage after the other is gone, It's an unenviable position and TBH if people all had to live in some of these situations I am not sure they'd be quite so quick to complain that others get benefit when they don't. It's an odd world these days with people being envious of those who have less than them.