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Why some bosses deserve less compensation than their employees

Most bosses have a higher salary as their employees. But there are exceptions to the rule.

In sportsFor example, a star player often earn more than their coach. And in Film industry, A-list actors Take home bigger paychecks than the director.

So when does it make sense? Employees earn more as your boss? If they teach highly valued and specialized skills, he writes my colleague Natalie McCormick. That includes Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who earns around $20 million more per year than his coach Andy Reid. And that includes Nick O’Kanethe former commodities head of Australian bank Macquarie, who earned around $28 million more as the CEO over a period of two years.

But not all cases of wrong compensation There must be staggering sums involved. In the Tech worldemployees with highly specialized skills often earn more than their bosses. And star salespeople who work on commission often receive larger paychecks than their managers after a blockbuster year. Temporary workers can also be an exception to the rule – a technician brought in to fix a security vulnerability, for example, is often well compensated for their efforts. And in some cases, employees receive higher salaries than their direct supervisors due to successful salary negotiations.

Of course, things can get complicated when an employee earns more than their boss. Some managers may find it strange that their employees earn more than they do, and the employee may feel like they are immune to the rules that everyone else has to follow. “But bosses shouldn’t close their minds to the idea that an employee is making more than them,” says Ron Seifert, senior client partner at an executive search firm Korn Ferrytold Assets.

“I would say that a thoughtful and effective leader looks at this and is completely pleased with someone’s exceptional performance and gives them an outsized reward because it benefits the company,” he says. “It makes the leader look smart over time for having someone who performs so exceptionally well.”

Further information about the case can be found above Employee compensation here.

Azure Gilman
azure.gilman@fortune.com

Today’s edition was curated by Emma Burleigh.

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