On the money with Gavin Hinks
Would you cut your hours to save your colleague’s job?
A survey published this week reveals that almost 60% of tax professionals
would, while just over half of City professionals would also make the sacrifice.
The interesting thing is that the pitch from recruiters GRS for their
research is that ‘only’ 52% would go part time to help their workmates. Only?
Did they expect more?
The surprising thing for me is that so many were willing to countenance the
resulting cut in pay. I could imagine 52% being a low figure among trade
unionists or state sector workers, but City professionals?
Forgive me, aren’t these the people who are supposed to live and die by the
mantra of radical competition, even on an individualised basis? Aren’t they the
ones who preach the ultimate Darwinian philosophy of survival of the fittest?
They embody rampant, secular, selfish individualism, apparently. So to hear that
slightly more than half of them are willing to take a collective view, to look
out for the bloke sitting next to them, comes as something of a shock.
Apparently it’s not every man for himself down there at Moorgate and St
Paul’s and on Threadneedle Street. They care about each other.
Or, they care about what people think of them. When the interviewer asks a
question about being willing to give up income to save a colleague, City
professionals want to be seen as human and altruistic and say, yes of course
they would help, knowing they could not be so certain were the moment of truth
really to come along.
Though I may not like their views, I think I am more impressed by the honesty
of those willing to admit they would refuse to make a sacrifice and change their
hours.
At least you know where you stand with them.
Gavin Hinks is editor of Accountancy Age and blogs at
insider.accountancyage.com