That's because the civilian counterparts have actual real jobs in which they can be fired relatively easily if they do not perform or produce good results.

These docs and lawyers ... if they think they can hack it in the private sector...and, as such, make much more money ... then why wouldn't they?

Either (a) they like a no stress, stable job ... or (b) perhaps they don't think they could hack it.

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But you're right, you'll make more money as the CEO of even a small company than you would as a cabinet secretary.

As well, the person in the private sector should. He/she is the one managing an actual business, meeting payroll, living with risk, dealing with profit/loss, etc. Much more stress. Much more risk.

With higher risk ... should come higher reward.

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Posted by DCRebel

An office somewhere

Member since Aug 2009

17644 posts

Posted on 4/4/14 at 9:43 am to navy

quote:
Either (a) they like a no stress, stable job ... or (b) perhaps they don't think they could hack it.

I think that's a pretty ridiculous dichotomy.

What about federal benefits, which are particularly good (especially their retirement plans)? What about possible promotion potential? What about early retirement (which plenty of people do only to come out of retirement and work for the private sector). What if they just really like where they work - as in the location itself as well as their coworkers? What if some of them actually want to serve their government and find it personally fulfilling?

There are plenty of good reasons to keep a federal job. You can't just simply assume that that federal employees are either too weak or too incompetent to take a private sector job.

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Posted by Ace Midnight

Between sanity and madness

Member since Dec 2006

89622 posts

Posted on 4/4/14 at 9:47 am to navy

quote:
That's because the civilian counterparts have actual real jobs in which they can be fired relatively easily if they do not perform or produce good results.

Senior partners at law firms cannot be "fired" relatively easily - as that term is widely understood.

quote:
These docs and lawyers ... if they think they can hack it in the private sector...and, as such, make much more money ... then why wouldn't they?

Either (a) they like a no stress, stable job ... or (b) perhaps they don't think they could hack it.

Of course they must like the environment and/or be better suited for it.

My broader point was, "The average federal employee is making $X!" - usually followed by gasps of shock and disbelief - when you dig deeper and find out - "Oh. It's a bunch of lawyers and accountants who are doing well, but not really at 'market price', that is pulling up this average - so, it is really the government getting a good bit of that highly skilled labor at a discount, not a shocking overpayment of file clerks" - kind of moment.

That's all I'm saying.

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With higher risk ... should come higher reward.

I don't disagree with that Navy, in theory. However, our men/women in uniform incur the highest levels of risk, and are some of the lowest paid people in federal service.