加薪僅能帶來短時滿足感 Why the happiness of a pay rise is shortlived

A pay rise only leads to short-term satisfaction before the rut sets in again, according to a new study. With a rise comes a re-evaluation of status and you soon begin to start comparing your levels of pay to colleague’s again.

最新研究顯示，加薪給人帶來的滿足感非常短暫，不久就一切如舊了。員工加薪後，會重新評估自己的狀態，不久就又開始和同事比較薪酬了。

However workers who are happy with their pay are less likely to have work and family conflicts, according to researchers.

但研究人員也表示，對自己薪酬滿意的員工能更好地平衡工作與家庭的關係。

Scientists say how much a worker actually earns is just as important as how satisfied they are with their pay in determining their happiness.

科學家表示，在決定員工的幸福感方面，員工真實的薪酬和員工對薪酬的滿意度同樣重要。

Professor Amit Kramer, of the University of Illinois, said: 'Pay, as you might expect, is a relative thing.

伊利諾伊大學的阿密特-克雷默教授說：“可能和你想的一樣，薪酬是個相對的事物。”

'I think most people would agree that a certain level of pay that allows you to meet your needs is critical. However, beyond that level, relative pay becomes an issue and with it, perception of pay or pay satisfaction.'

“能滿足你生活需要的一定水平的薪酬很重要。我想大多數人會認同這一點。但除了這一標準外，相對薪酬就顯得很重要了，還有對薪酬或薪酬滿意度的感知。”

But once workers achieve a sufficient level of pay, they shift their focus from what their pay allows them to do to other focal points - such as how much their colleagues earn.

一旦員工的薪酬足夠多，他們就開始把關注點從薪酬能讓他們做些什麼轉移到其他方面了，比如其他同事賺多少錢。

Professor Kramer explained: 'It becomes ‘my pay’ compared to others; ‘my pay’ compared to the effort I invest; ‘my pay’ compared to the things I give up and miss in life for the opportunity cost of working.

雷默教授解釋說：“這就會轉變成，我的薪酬和其他人相比怎麼樣；和我的投入相比怎麼樣；和我在生活中爲工作的機會成本所放棄的相比怎麼樣。”

And the study reveals the effect of a pay rise on pay satisfaction only has a moderate relationship that does not last very long.

研究還顯示，加薪與薪酬滿足感之間僅存在相對關係，而且不會持續太久。

As an example, when employees change jobs, they re-evaluate their pay and are more likely to change their pay satisfaction, not necessarily because they get a raise, but because of the social aspect of pay.

比如，員工跳槽後會重新評價自己的薪酬，他們的薪酬滿足感更有可能改變，這不是因爲他們加薪了，而是因爲薪酬的社會效應。

And even workers who earn a lot have high levels of family-work conflict because they also perceive inequality among colleagues.

高薪酬的員工也會感到工作和家庭之間衝突很大，因爲他們也會覺得員工之間存在不平等。

Professor Kramer said: 'If employees perceive work as a sacrifice they have to make, then the work environment itself is not ideal.'

克雷默教授說：“如果員工覺得工作是一種必須的犧牲，那這種工作環境很不理想。”

He believes employers should understand the sacrifices their workers make and offer different work arrangements and policies to compensate.

他認爲僱主應該理解員工做出的這種犧牲，並提供不同的工作安排和政策來給予補償。