We want our damn respect, too!
Why LeBron James’ request resonates with all of us
LeBron James, according to 99% of mankind, is either the greatest basketball player of all time or the second greatest. Even his haters will agree: he is really good!
After winning his fourth NBA championship he said he wanted his respect. Why? Without getting too much into basketball, the man has been playing the championship game for more than half of his career, and as a 35-year old and best player in the league, there are still people diminishing his accomplishments, mostly, in an attempt to keep Michael Jordan at the top of basketball Olympus.
My point is: if LeBron James can’t be respected, what the heck do we, mortals, do?
I’m 38 years old. I’ve got two undergraduate degrees. Two graduate degrees. I’m not afraid of rebooting. I had two very different careers. I’ve been an intern at 23, 32, and 36.
At my last job, I was being paid slightly more than an intern and it was time to renew my contract. I asked for a raise, nothing crazy. Enough to pay rent and survive. Nope.
I quit. Just before the pandemic hit. So it has been a struggle to find another job. I don’t regret it though. Everyone will tell you that it is easier to find another job while employed. True. But this was about respect.
Without getting too specific, I joined the company when my position was required to make a key contribution. I was no LeBron, but I managed to do my job successfully. I get that I don’t have the same experience in my current field because of the career switch I made. But those years have to count for something. I was still working, still navigating issues in the workplace. Working with a team. Dealing with management. Again, 38 years old. And I couldn’t get enough for rent and cost of living, with two Bachelor’s and two Master’s under my belt. The pandemic was not a thing yet. I deserved more.
Sure, COVID-19 has not helped since then. At the end of August, a Bloomberg report put the job cut figure by global corporations at 200,000 in a span of weeks. More than 400,000 airline workers “had been fired, furloughed or told they may lose their jobs in the future”. So, it’s been tough for everyone.
Among those who have kept their jobs, at least 4 million workers in the private sector have had their pay cut, according to data from a University of Chicago analysis. More than 6 million have been forced to work part-time. And let’s be honest: in a lot of cases, this means fewer hours to do more work for less money. Temporary pay cuts are looking less temporary by the day. You don’t even have to look for data. Ask around and you will find friends in this situation.
Being thankful for having a job while others struggle is an honourable sentiment. But remember that for companies getting the same work output with decreased salaries is great business. You know that this is being used as cost-cutting tool by some employers. At some point, we will have to draw the line and fight for better compensation.
With the current scenario, I don’t expect job hunting to be easy. But I’d hoped for a few more interviews at least. I love learning, I’m easy to work with and I’m loyal. “I can handle things! I’m smart!”. Fredo wanted respect.
I want my damn respect, too.
