Question
Some people feel that certain workers like nurses, doctors and teachers are undervalued and should
be paid more, especially when other people like film actors or company bosses are paid huge sums
of money that are out of proportion to the importance of the work that they do.
How far do you agree?
What criteria should be used to decide how much people are paid?
Answer
In today’s society, some people are paid much more than others. At one end of the scale, there are
low-paid workers, like teachers and nurses, and at the opposite end there are people whose salaries
are very high, such as film stars and company bosses. Many people would argue that this is unfair,
and I would agree with them.
For a start, it seems that many hard-working people are not adequately rewarded for their efforts. In
the United States, the minimum wage for some workers is around $7 per hour, according to the
Department of Labor. Although the people who do this work spend all their time and energy, they
are not fairly rewarded because it is very difficult to survive on such a low wage. There are few
opportunities for advancement, and their wage is not dependent upon the work that they do.
In contrast, some people are highly rewarded for their work. People like professional athletes and
film stars receive salaries that are disproportionate to the work that they do. While it is undeniable
that they are skilled and that their efforts reap large benefits, can we really say that they work
harder than a teacher, a nurse, or a cleaner? According to Forbes magazine, Floyd Mayweather – the
professional boxer – earned $105 million for 72 minutes of work this year. It seems that this is unfair
when most people struggle to earn enough money to pay rent or buy food, despite working much
more.
Because of these obvious differences, we need to consider how to distribute salaries more evenly.
For a start, minimum wage should be set at a level that provides a comfortable living. Then, we
should cap the salaries of people who are overpaid, because quite frankly no one needs so much
money. Last year, the president of a company in the United States reduced his own salary to
increase his workers’ wages by $3 per hour. This produces a happier and more successful company.
In conclusion, the current system is unfair because it does not reward effort equally. Some people
work hard and receive little, while others are given vast sums of money because their work is
popular. We need to consider ways to address this issue because it seems counter-productive.
Note
I have used a five-paragraph structure here in order to show how it can sometimes improve an
essay. Certainly, four paragraphs would have been acceptable but I felt that the first question
required two paragraphs to adequately discuss, and then the second question clearly needed an
additional paragraph.
