As a former business owner and long time supervisor, this funny math came into play each and every time a cost of living raise or any kind of raise was given to employees.
For example, if a year or period of time was measured to contain a 4.5% inflation, then the obvious thing to do (if you had the money) was to give a 4.5% raise or cost of living increase.
Duh! It was rare that a total riot did not break out in the plant because some people got a bigger raise than others because their wages and job title had a higher rate of pay. Herein lies the dumb dilemma! How to quell the complaints and educate the fools that could not conceive of how percentages work!
Do you give everyone the same increase, say $10.00,(the higher paid people would feel screwed), or do you give raises depending on how much they were offended.
I tried to explain how percentages worked, but to no avail. I finally decided to stop giving raises and let them quit, if they could not accept it. I then stopped negociating wages and payed everyone the same if hourly, and different on salary. The comapany required that all salaried persons keep their wages secret, subject to termination.
It worked!
Sort of.(not really)..............................................................................................................