“High salaries” essay In many countries, a small number of people earn extremely high salaries. Some people believe that this is good for the country, but others think that governments should not allow salaries above a certain level. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. People have different views about whether governments should introduce a maximum wage. While in
some ways it may seem reasonable to allow people to earn as much as companies are willing to pay, I
personally believe that employee remuneration should be capped at a certain level.
There are various reasons why it might be considered beneficial to allow people to be paid extremely high
salaries. If companies offer excellent pay packages, they can attract the most talented people in their
fields to work for them. For example, technology companies like Google are able to employ the best
programmers because of the huge sums that they are willing to pay. Furthermore, these well-paid
employees are likely to be highly motivated to work hard and therefore drive their businesses
successfully. In theory, this should result in a thriving economy and increased tax revenues, which means
that paying high salaries benefits everyone.
However, I agree with those who argue that there should be a maximum wage. By introducing a limit on
earnings, the pay-gap between bosses and employees can be reduced. Currently, the difference between
normal and top salaries is huge, and this can demotivate workers who feel that the situation is unfair.
With lower executive salaries, it might become feasible to introduce higher minimum wages, and
everybody would be better off. One possible consequence of greater equality could be that poverty and
crime rates fall because the general population will experience an improved standard of living.
In conclusion, it seems to me that it would be better, on balance, for governments to set a limit on the
wages of the highest earners in society.
(274 words, band 9)