Poll: What is your asking price?

[Paragon Fury]

So I was rewatching the Witchblade anime for fun this weekend and in the second episode the main character - Masane Amaha - who is perpetually unemployed gets offered a job by the CEO of the main corporation in the story, Reiji, a job where she would have to be at the beck and call of the CEO and corporation to aid them in their weapons tests and reclaiming lost/stolen weapons, at the rate of a salaried employee.

Masane snaps back and refuses, saying she refuses to be a "kept woman" - and decides to be a contract/mercenary employee, where she only gets paid per job, depending on the job at hand.

On the walk out she makes a snarky remark to the CEO's secretary and asks how Reiji thinks she would work for so little money. The secretary then replies that she didn't know what she was bargaining over...that she was going to be put on payroll for a salaried scientist working for the company, whose salaries start at a minimum of $100,000 (in the US version of the anime) per year. What follows is probably one of the best I HAVE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE reactions ever.

But it got me to think...what is mine/your asking price?

How much would someone have to offer you in order to get you do something you don't want to do, or wouldn't like? And not something small either - something bigger, like on the scale of Masane's "kept woman" remark.

Personally? I don't know. I've never been in a situation where I've even had to consider something like this.

 

[Saelune]

Well, it depends on the thing. But I have a price for most things. Unless its super gross.

That said, I am someone who would rather do something I enjoy doing as a career that pays little, than something I dont that pays alot. I wouldnt accept that job for 100,000, but thats cause its dangerous, and Id die quickly Id bet.

 

[balladbird]

There are people in this world who watch the Witchblade anime...for fun? O.O

...no accounting for taste, I reckon.

Definitely depends on the thing, but in general I reckon I can be bribed with the right number of children's trading cards.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Couldn't resist mate. Also it needs to be an option in the poll.

 

[FalloutJack]

Or I shall fill all of television and internet displays with reruns of My Three Sons!

Gentlemen, you have heard my demands. Goodbye...

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Money has never really been a great interest to me; it's necessary, surely, but not to the extent of which I would make it my primary goal in life.

I'd be fine with $100,000 as a salary, and that'd be still be a ton of money that I'd never really touch. However, if it's tied to some shady or unpleasant task, it would be because I would need the money for something bigger than myself. In that case, I'd start going into the millions region.

 

[Recusant]

It depends. Something I simply dislike? Enough that I wouldn't have to do it for long. Something I find evil/morally objectionable? You couldn't afford that.

 

[Bobular]

If its something I dislike to that degree I'd have to insist on getting payed per job as well, that way I'd know I'd be able to leave when I want to. I've quit jobs because I was unhappy in them and whilst I can put up with a lot if the money is good I still have a limit.

These days I work for myself but make a tiny fraction of what I used to make but the difference is I'm happier here with less money than I ever was working jobs I hated (though more money whilst still being happy would be good).

 

[sageoftruth]

I'm already pretty stable in terms of finances, so unless they can promise self-actualization or fulfillment, they won't get my services.

 

[happyninja42]

Depends on what they want me to do. I have some activities I just won't do, no matter how much you pay me.

But I would say, that someone who was willing to pay me an amount that would equal twice what my yearly expenses are, would probably have my attention.

I find your question less of an issue though, as I don't have much of an issue with the idea of working for other people. If it's an agreed upon arrangement, what is the big issue? Our entire society/economy is based on the idea of services for money(resources). I see no difference in working for one person as opposed to some company/government. Especially if they are making a point to pay me very very well for my services. I would stipulate up front what I would/wouldn't do for that pay. And if we agreed up on it, and they never tried to push me into doing something I refused to do, then what is the issue? It's basically just an attache/personal assistant, and I'm fine with that.

If you are asking how much would it take for me to do something I wouldn't do, probably no amount. But I've never been presented with that actual scenario so it's hard to say really. But thinking now, about having to do things that I wouldn't do, and thinking about doing them for money....no. I know the things I wouldn't do, and they are pretty rooted in my personal morality. I don't see myself tossing those aside just for financial gain.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Well, as a 20 something with a liberal arts degree and a job at a sales agency that I don't love but also don't find so horrible I have to leave immediately, I'd say that for $100,000+ plus I could do a lot of things I wasn't super into. I mean right now I'm salaried and making 44k, but if I decided to stick with this organizaiton I could work my way onto the commission plan and be making six figures. That being said, I am considering looking for a new job or going back to school. Right now, $44,000 just isn't enough for me to feel like I'm not wasting my time.

TLDR all the person stuff: You offer me $100,000 and I'll seriously consider the proposition.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

$0

Work is for chumps. I make my money work for me.

Given that I'd rather go to university and write essays than work in an office, classroom, or even outdoors ... I'm going to say the price tag is going to be higher than when I was working at the Department ...so no less than 75k after tax.

I might go to work if someone offered me 80k after tax full time. But if the after hours stuff included went longer than 55 hours I'd quit. Also ... there seens to be a massive jump from a few thousand to 100,000 so I'll just go 100,000.

 

[Scarim Coral]

It depends on what they want me to do. If it's some morally wrong like rape or kill then I outright refused. Granted if it was to lie, something sleazy or something to put up with temporary like watching the new Fifty Shade of Grey then I would do it.

 

[Paragon Fury]

There are people in this world who watch the Witchblade anime...for fun? O.O

...no accounting for taste, I reckon.

Definitely depends on the thing, but in general I reckon I can be bribed with the right number of children's trading cards.

What?

It's got good animation, the plot is pretty decent, the relationships are nice, that ending is heart-rending....

And yes. Tits. So sue me.

 

[Loislane]

Right now, $44,000 just isn't enough for me to feel like I'm not wasting my time.

44k is not really that bad at all imo

 

[Remus]

Depends on the level of "DON'T WANT". If it's something particularly disgusting, like that scene in "Bravo Two Zero" where Sean's character is forced to unclog sewage with his hands, just give me a knife and let me end it. No amount of money is enough and in a prison situation, a serrated edge would get me right out.

For something potentially illegal, not including murder or rape, a cool million, taxes paid, laundered through a reliable corporation and a mindwipe drug to disavow any responsibility for the actions taken.

I've been offered a not small amount of disgusting jobs and quit when my turn came around. It doesn't matter how many layers I'm wearing, I'm not handling other people's excrement for $8.00/hr or any amount. NOPE NOPE NOPE.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Whether or not I enjoy what I'm doing for a job isn't really an issue at this point since I've basically resigned myself to the fact that no matter what I do as a job, I'm not going to really like it. That being said though, I would guess my price would be pretty low...comparatively low...Give me a living wage and I'll do the job, so long as I'm capable of doing the job...or not...I guess...Give me $45,000 a year. That should be enough for an apartment and a couple of cats.