14th April 2011, 02:05 PM
I admire your efforts, but I would add a word of caution.
I tried to do something very similar to this survey (but without the pretty maps) with my 'Outwage' blog a few years back. I think at the height of that 'project' I had wage data on something like 150 companies (including most of the Irish contractors at the time). The reason I stopped updating the blog (although I have continued to collect the data) was that when the IFA and BAJR introduced the 'relative benefits' factor to their pay scales i.e do you have paid holiday, sick leave, pension, other benefits, it became virtually impossible to compare unit against unit (or like with like)....Also an increasing number of the better paid jobs were not releasing specific wage details, but were offering applicants 'personal' pay scales.
My feeling was that apart from the initial 'shock factor' of revealing how poorly paid some archaeologists were, the exercise was actually damaging some employers (and employees) who had pretty good life style/work balance even where the advertised/reported wage levels were at the lower end of the UK pay scale.....and as happiness is often relative rather than soley financially driven, I didn't want Outwage to be seen as part of the problem rather than part of the solution...
I tried to do something very similar to this survey (but without the pretty maps) with my 'Outwage' blog a few years back. I think at the height of that 'project' I had wage data on something like 150 companies (including most of the Irish contractors at the time). The reason I stopped updating the blog (although I have continued to collect the data) was that when the IFA and BAJR introduced the 'relative benefits' factor to their pay scales i.e do you have paid holiday, sick leave, pension, other benefits, it became virtually impossible to compare unit against unit (or like with like)....Also an increasing number of the better paid jobs were not releasing specific wage details, but were offering applicants 'personal' pay scales.
My feeling was that apart from the initial 'shock factor' of revealing how poorly paid some archaeologists were, the exercise was actually damaging some employers (and employees) who had pretty good life style/work balance even where the advertised/reported wage levels were at the lower end of the UK pay scale.....and as happiness is often relative rather than soley financially driven, I didn't want Outwage to be seen as part of the problem rather than part of the solution...
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...