(1) Distribution according to work is the distribution subject in the primary stage of socialism, but it is not the only distribution principle in society. It is only the basic distribution principle of socialist public ownership economy, and there are other modes of distribution in socialist public ownership economy.
(2) The principle that equal amount of labor can obtain equal amount of consumer goods cannot be realized according to unified standards within the scope of public ownership economy of the whole society. At present, public-owned enterprises are independent commodity producers and operators, and they have their own economic interests. Therefore, it is impossible to realize distribution according to work according to unified standards within the scope of public ownership economy of the whole society. Only according to the effective joint labor provided by each enterprise to the society can it be distributed among enterprises. Then each enterprise will allocate workers according to the principle of equal pay for equal work. In this case, the personal income of workers depends not only on their own labor contribution, but also on the production and operation results of their enterprises.
(3) Distribution according to work cannot be measured by the labor time of each worker, but only by the amount of labor reflected by the tortuous value of commodity exchange. Marx imagined that under the condition that the relationship between commodity and money disappears, the labor of laborers is directly manifested as social labor, and the distribution according to work is directly measured by the labor time of laborers. However, under the condition of socialist market economy, the individual labor of laborers cannot be directly manifested as social labor, and laborers can only provide labor to the society through their own enterprises. The collective labor of each enterprise is only part of the labor, and the nature of social labor can only be realized and transformed through the market exchange of commodities.
(4) Distribution according to work must be realized by commodity currency. The distribution according to work envisaged by Marx at that time was realized through labor vouchers. However, in the socialist market economy, distribution according to work can only be achieved through the relationship between goods and money. Workers first get paid in the form of monetary wages, and then use monetary wages to buy personal consumer goods in the commodity market. In this way, the final realization of distribution according to work is also affected by commodity prices and commodity supply.
In a word, as the main form of personal income distribution in the primary stage of socialism, the realization of distribution according to work is closely related to ownership relations and the laws of market economy. The scope, form and degree of its function are not only restricted by the maturity of public ownership, but also restricted by market mechanism and law.