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About this quote

What does it mean?
The author observes that employees work just enough to keep their jobs and earn just enough to stay.
In plain terms
People work the minimum required to not get fired and get paid enough to not quit.
What can you take from it?
Workers often balance effort and compensation to maintain stability.

Where it applies

  • Workplace discussions
  • Economic analysis
  • Labor relations

Putting it to work

  • Understanding employee motivation
  • Designing wage structures

Questions to consider

  • What keeps employees motivated?
  • Is this level of effort sufficient?

Another view

This generalization ignores workers driven by passion or ambition.

More from George Carlin

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