141 replies to this topic

[Squirrel]

I've never met someone who's working at minimum wage and making a career of it, but maybe I just don't get out that much.

You must not. I know a few that do it mainly because where they live that is the best option for them.

[LiQuiD]

You rip what you saw.

Accountant or carpenter?

This is awesome.

[Cyberjag]

You must not. I know a few that do it mainly because where they live that is the best option for them.

Seriously make a career of it? No aspirations to move to management, or to take on any additional responsibilities or learn new skills to get them out of the lowest wage possible?

That amazes me.

[Squirrel]

Yes stuck at that position for the rest of there life. Unless they want to pick up and move somewhere else or go to another retailer.

[Cyberjag]

No COLA adjustments either? You're telling me that people are choosing to spend decades in a position where they never have hope of getting a raise, never have an opportunity to get ahead? Or do they have both, but choose not to take them?

[Squirrel]

They get raises but not anything great. Anywhere from 15-25c a hour. I cant see how you can see this happening? They do it because they dont want to move from where they have grown up at. They get by but they dont have all the expendable income me and you have.

[Cyberjag]

Well, even at 5% annually they're still doubling their income every 14-15 years. I know that double suck is still suck, but it's not minimum wage.

And frankly, if someone sits in the same minimum wage job collecting basic raises and reliably showing up for work every day for a few years, at that point the only thing holding them back from getting something even marginally better is their own self.

My yard guy works at Wal-Mart. He's been there since high school, and he's in his 40s now. He's not making minimum wage or anywhere close to it, but people who work for him do. And he has a tractor and makes extra money cutting lawns, but he could support himself on what Wal-Mart pays. Granted, his wife works too, so they have a decent household income. This guy has no education, and while I like him he's probably not well-read or particularly innovative either. But he doesn't mind working, and he does a good job. And that's really all it takes to get ahead.

I wonder how some of the people who like to sit and wait to be taken care of would have fared back when you had to grow your own food or starve.

[ARSEN]

LOL! there are millions of people that depend on these jobs to feed their kids, what a bunch of suckers, they should totally be investment bankers instead! LOL!

Jobs like Walmart, yes. Jobs like starbucks, no. We had a regional convention for starbucks every year and about 85% of all people there (about 2,000 people) were young college students.

[Anybodyhome]

Regardless of what the job is, where it is or why people choose to work at that job or how much they do or don't make- there are just some days that should be off.

Anyone here ever live in a blue law state? Years ago I was stationed in Maine for nearly 2 years and the small town I lived in was all but shut down on Sunday- no grocery stores, no fast-food joints, virtually nothing was open on Sunday. The town and the county were closed due to laws on the books. If we needed to get stuff to watch a football game, we had to drive 40 miles or so across the New Hampshire state line to shop for the essentials.

[Inimicus]

Regardless of what the job is, where it is or why people choose to work at that job or how much they do or don't make- there are just some days that should be off.

As much as I can get behind that sentiment, I cant really bring myself to agree that we are better off when every business closes on a given day.

[Cyberjag]

If we needed to get stuff to watch a football game, we had to drive 40 miles or so across the New Hampshire state line to shop for the essentials.

Sounds like a real business opportunity to me...

[Kurb]

Lots of people looking jobs.
Protest away.

[ARSEN]

I don't hear teenage kids in China whining at nike and apple manufacturing plants after working 120 hour work week and making about $20.

[pstall]

Somebody metioned blue law. I rem those. But going back to that would bea win for something *cough* conservative.

Btw. Chic fil a says hello. Sundays off no matter what.

A low paying job or sucky hours should be just enough of a motivation to aspire for bigger and better things.
If you have not increased your skill set and sbux or wal mart is the best you can do what else do you want? There may be times that is the best you can do.

While we are at. Let's just work 30 hours a week. Why stop there? How bout just 1 day? This will give people more time to go back to school and learn more so they too can use all that knowledge for just one day.
If you have really bad allergies don't take a job in landscaping.

[Anybodyhome]

Somebody metioned blue law. I rem those. But going back to that would bea win for something *cough* conservative.

While we are at. Let's just work 30 hours a week. Why stop there? How bout just 1 day? This will give people more time to go back to school and learn more so they too can use all that knowledge for just one day.

Certainly- most European countries work 4-day weeks (4- 10 hour shifts) and get anywhere from 3-6 weeks vacation per year...paid.

Oh yeah, they also have socialized medicine and are, for the most part, technologically and financially far more secure than we are right now. Manufacturing they are light years ahead of this country and maybe all of that has something to do with the way they treat their workers.....