I'm also like: why would you give the execs more productivity for no additional pay? The puritanical love of work and individualistic competitiveness in the US is so counterproductive to any sort of gains in livelihood for the average person.
You postulated this in another reply to me so I'll say here, why would I seek to make end users happy and work myself to the bone when leadership reaps the awards?
Even with salary negotiation there is almost no commensurate compensation you get under any employer that matches the value you bring to the company. That's how it's designed of course, by taking a base wage you trade off the risk of your income stream suddenly failing.
I am at that point now where that risk does not seem so scary anymore, which is odd to me. I never thought I'd consider taking the risk before. And I am learning that founders are usually driven by the feeling that I have.
Things are getting better, but HR still routinely preaches that you should never share your salary with anyone else. A lot of times they infer you will be fired for it.
Salary negotiations are sort of constrained to cost of annual living increases, or promotions. outside of that, you are not expected to ever talk about salary. ever.
Like, I don't mind paying taxes and social contributions, but I'm at a point now where I have to dip into my savings on the regular to match the monthly expenses and there hasn't been anything going in there for years.
I think the swing to the right is due to nation-state propaganda organs being defunded or replaced worldwide. People are naturally change averse, so either conservative or reactionary. Without the constant 'nudges', you're getting to see people's prickly natures coming out more.
History shows that it isn’t.