Getting Paid

Does anyone else hate that the majority of work places pay their employees monthly? Just about the only recommendation for working for temping agencies is that you're paid weekly. It feels like a near-constant income; before you've had the chance to spend most of it over the weekend, it's just a few days until you're due another wad of the good stuff. Thursdays at midnight, to be specific, so if you're the sort to burn the candle at both ends, your Thursday in Reflex or Risa will get a boost to the tune of a week's pay at the time Cinderella turns into a shoe (I never remember how the story goes.)

There are some money matters we really don't mind popping up once a month. In fact, we'd rather they came far less frequently, or not at all. Phone bills, insurance payments, our mortgage, credit card payments and Amazon's amazing DVD rental service. But I bet we'd all like it a lot more if our salaries were split into four and paid every weekend, so we could keep a closer eye on what, if anything, we're worth.

Starting a new job is the worst, especially for University graduates. We leave Uni with something like £1,500 maxed on the overdraft, another grand on credit cards and, oh, a 10K student loan. The process of applying for the job, going for the interview, starting it and then getting paid for it can amount to something like six weeks. How is anyone supposed to live in the meantime?

It's the reason loads of us are forced into mind-numbing temping roles, filing, processing forms and lined up in call centres like inmates of Rebibbia, doing work we couldn't care less about. Cash is what we need, and we need it fast.

I wonder just how much harder it would be to start paying workers weekly, or even fortnightly (apply to McDonalds NOW if you like the sound of that.) I imagine it would be added pressure on banks and on the accounts departments in your firm, though if I could be bothered to properly assess just what the implications were, I'd have known better than to write this blog.