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Topic: How could wages in Bitcoin work? - page 3. (Read 3191 times)

full member
Activity: 200
Merit: 104
Software design and user experience.
February 04, 2013, 09:55:33 AM
#13
If you don't know how much the price will change in terms of BTC in the next X days, but have some estimations for the next Y days, then you simply negotiate a price within this timeframe. With an option to renegotiate later.

Another option: use USD (or EUR, or $AAPL or whatever) as a reference point if both parties agree. You can say "I'll pay you next month amount in BTC equal to X USD according to the average price on Mt. Gox".
legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1086
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
February 04, 2013, 09:15:12 AM
#12
Try thinking *tasks* not *jobs*.
edd
donator
Activity: 1414
Merit: 1002
February 04, 2013, 09:03:52 AM
#11
Mageant, I can't think of any reason that would prevent employers from hiring employees with the understanding that their salary is subject to change annually or semi-annually based on the fluctuations in the currency exchange rate.
legendary
Activity: 1708
Merit: 1020
February 04, 2013, 09:00:50 AM
#10
Good question. Bind wage to gold price / real estate prices? Whichever it will be it will be earning less will be psychologically hard to digest.
legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1086
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
February 04, 2013, 08:53:38 AM
#9
In the interim I think a traditional fiat salary which is converted at payday partially or fully into BTC and paid to the employee is probably more realistic.

Right on - and already under development. Smiley
legendary
Activity: 1232
Merit: 1001
February 04, 2013, 08:52:24 AM
#8
Yes, but why should workers negotiate at all? If they refuse to negotiate then nothing changes and they get to keep their high wages.

In the reverse scenario (workers needing higher wages because of inflation) the workers can go on strike and thus push the employers to the negotiation table.

The employers in the Bitcoin scenario would have to shut down the business or fire the employees to have a similar effect, both of which don't seem very viable options.

I'm sure you can add this in contracts like 3% less each year and than they negotiate to get less less  Tongue

This is already the case for other areas. In the Industry where I work, our customers usually make 5 - 10 Year contracts with us. And its already in our standard contracts that our part price is reduced by 5% each year, due to cheaper production.
donator
Activity: 1218
Merit: 1079
Gerald Davis
February 04, 2013, 08:51:30 AM
#7
Well first of all this is all theoretical because Bitcoin is far too volatile for wages to be paid however hypothetically imagine a future where adoption is very high.  The BTC money supply is worth tens of billions a year and the purchasing power of 1 BTC is rising by a small but relatively consistent rate of say 5% annually.

An employer could offer an employee an annual salary of 5 BTC for the first year with a contract that the salary decrease by 5% per year with the potential of a partial offset for merit raises.  Even better would be a sort of third party CPI type number used to calculate the buying power.  The salary would be reduced by that metric instead of a fixed 5%.

In the interim I think a traditional fiat salary which is converted at payday partially or fully into BTC and paid to the employee is probably more realistic.

legendary
Activity: 1145
Merit: 1001
February 04, 2013, 08:47:28 AM
#6
This would only be important if there would be a hyperdeflation, like wages in a hyperinfaltion.

With normal inflation you get a fixed amount and for big industries the labor unions each year negotiate how much more (1 - 3% for example) the workers get.

Only difference would be, with Bitcoin they would negotiate how much less you get.

If the company's revenue is all in bitcoins, it would be easy for wages to be in bitcoins. If conversion to another currency is required, then that currency would be the wage base.

Assuming we have a deflationary scenario, which seems likely if use of Bitcoins continues to become more widespread, then the company's Bitcoin revenue would be continually decreasing (as prices go down). This wouldn't be problem for external costs (such as materials or buying stock) but for internal costs, such as wages it would be if the wages are fixed.
legendary
Activity: 1145
Merit: 1001
February 04, 2013, 08:45:34 AM
#5
This would only be important if there would be a hyperdeflation, like wages in a hyperinfaltion.

With normal inflation you get a fixed amount and for big industries the labor unions each year negotiate how much more (1 - 3% for example) the workers get.

Only difference would be, with Bitcoin they would negotiate how much less you get.

Yes, but why should workers negotiate at all? If they refuse to negotiate then nothing changes and they get to keep their high wages.

In the reverse scenario (workers needing higher wages because of inflation) the workers can go on strike and thus push the employers to the negotiation table.

The employers in the Bitcoin scenario would have to shut down the business or fire the employees to have a similar effect, both of which don't seem very viable options.
hero member
Activity: 518
Merit: 500
February 04, 2013, 08:44:03 AM
#4
This would only be important if there would be a hyperdeflation, like wages in a hyperinfaltion.

With normal inflation you get a fixed amount and for big industries the labor unions each year negotiate how much more (1 - 3% for example) the workers get.

Only difference would be, with Bitcoin they would negotiate how much less you get.

If the company's revenue is all in bitcoins, it would be easy for wages to be in bitcoins. If conversion to another currency is required, then that currency would be the wage base.
legendary
Activity: 1232
Merit: 1001
February 04, 2013, 08:35:52 AM
#3
This would only be important if there would be a hyperdeflation, like wages in a hyperinfaltion.

With normal inflation you get a fixed amount and for big industries the labor unions each year negotiate how much more (1 - 3% for example) the workers get.

Only difference would be, with Bitcoin they would negotiate how much less you get.
legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1086
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
February 04, 2013, 08:35:38 AM
#2
It *can* work like this:

http://ciyam.org/open

(site is still being developed but not far from complete - get ready to earn BTC for tasks in a professionally organised way)
legendary
Activity: 1145
Merit: 1001
February 04, 2013, 08:26:45 AM
#1
Let's say Bitcoin is a success and continues to grow thus the Bitcoin price continues to rise, generally.

How could employers pay wages in Bitcoin?

He couldn't really make a contract with a fixed wage because it could quickly become too expensive for his business, could he?

I suppose he could pay wages in Bitcoin on calculated on a Dollar-basis. But I how could that work a pure-Bitcoin economy? You would need some kind of price index instead.
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