The NYTimes reports (here) on unusual employment incentives being offered by hospitals and clinics in the Czech Republic:
When Petra Kalivodova, a 31-year-old nurse, was considering whether to renew her contract at a private health clinic here, special perks helped clinch the deal: free German lessons, five weeks of vacation, and a range of plastic-surgery options, including complimentary silicone-enhanced breasts.
“I would rather have plastic surgery than a free car,”said Ms. Kalivodova, who opted for cosmetic breast surgery that would normally cost €2,600, or about $3,500, as well as liposuction on her thighs and stomach. These were physical enhancements, she said, that she could not afford on her €1,000 a month salary.
“I feel better when I look in the mirror,”she added.”We were always taught that if a nurse is nice, intelligent, loves her work and looks attractive, then patients will recover faster.”
Wow! I can’t quite imagine a cross-over of this type of incentive to the U.S. law school system, but consider the possibilities. Instead of recruiting faculty with details about course loads, research support and scholarly community, talk would shift to the size of each faculty member’s discretionary spending account for “aesthetic procedures.” Our rhinoplasty is great! We have Botox shots at every colloquium! These? They’re not real. They’re from the discretionary Dean’s Budget!
-Bridget Crawford
