Jumpy-Natural4868 OP t1_j6mqzkh wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:01 PM

Reply to comment by Corny_Toot in BNY Mellon takes unusual step in overhauling its 401(k) plan by Jumpy-Natural4868

I'm not sure higher pay means you do less sneaky shit, honestly.

I know it's not directly comparable, but there's a study that looked at people stealing office supplies from work, and it's the higher paid people who did that.

I also think it's an access thing -- if you have easy access, you'll be more tempted to do it, no matter what you're paid.

And in terms of altruism, data shows that people who make less money, on average, contribute a higher % of their income to charity than higher wage earners.

Corny_Toot t1_j6my1q4 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:00 PM

So, I'm coming from it from the perspective of the lower end of the ranks here. Staff that might not have enough vacation time accrued for this mandatory policy, for example. If they're made whole, I believe there would be a lower risk. That also includes more than pay for sure. That's providing them respect and solid feedback. Making them feel seen, if you get what I'm saying.

It kind of reminds me of loss prevention practices for retail, honestly. Usually, the most effective thing you can do to prevent theft is just saying hello to people. So in this case, it's more being a good manager and touching base with your staff frequently enough that they feel seen, but not too much that they feel smothered.

I think you're right about access, just having access to that information is a risk factor. Everyone's motivation is different. But pay is a crucial factor in reducing risk. It might not help against someone that's already greedy, but it could prevent someone that's just desperate from making a mistake.