Prophetic or what? This cartoon, from page 3 of the book, could easily apply to the recent controversy about the remuneration excesses of executives of failed companies who earned excessive salaries, pensions and bonuses in spite of performance that would have seen lower level employees fired. However, while it would great to claim such prescient capabilities, it was simply intended to be a provocative way of pointing out that it is impossible for companies to sustain their competitive edge as long as they pursue unfair two-tier payment structures.

It was therefore prophetic only to the extent it recognised the need for a change in organisational remuneration. If people are truly an organisation’s greatest asset as is so often claimed, they have to be what provides its competitive advantage. Consequently, it is increasingly imperative to win and sustain their commitment. This is why employee engagement is an increasingly important topic. Yet, as declining employee engagement statistics clearly indicate, it will be impossible to ever engage employees to the extent necessary to secure the competitive advantage necessary for the long term sustainability of the organisation as long as people feel inferior or that they are part of a two-tier payment structure.

The collapse of the big financial services companies has precipitated a need to re-evaluate pay structures and created an ideal opportunity to redress such practices. Whatever the eventual outcome, the ideas expressed in this book offer a better way forward for those that are serious about rectifying such inequities and looking to make their businesses more sustainable, and without the great swings between good times and bad.