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Great point by the other poster that working for less than minimum wage is in itself illegal - and is enabling unethical, law-breaking employers to further their own ambitions at the expense of both individuals and the country. If the employer isn't following the law on wage, it's a fair assumption that they're not going to be following the law on other things, too. Workers have rights and some safety nets to protect them, and people who prey on desperate people by offering less than the legal minimum wage are parasites.
If you were to say "would you work for minimum wage," then yes, and I have.
Absolutely not. I would try and get a better source of income. Anyone who would be that cheap as an employer deserves to be robbed and/or kidnapped for ransom.
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
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If after exhausting all of my resources, I would prefer to take a $5 per hour job versus starvation. I'm grateful that I have never been forced to make that choice.
The alternative is to supply your own food and become part of the black market economy. There is a quote "when people have nothing to lose, they lose it". The solution is to take what you can find to survive, or go after those who have taken it from you. Working or being an indentured servant for compensation that cannot support you is not a viable option. Perhaps a few in similar desperation can locate and target those who are well off and partake of their resources. Example would be taking over an agribusiness farm and getting food. "Eat the rich".
Yeah, sure I would. At least it's something. As someone else pointed out, anyone above a certain age has been there and done that. I think my first wage was $2.65/hr . It's been awhile, so maybe I'm not remembering correctly.
I'm not so sure, however, that working for $5 an hour will lead to success in our present day society. It's money, sure, but success? I'd doubt it. We could find some wage earners at the bottom of the totem pole right now and ask them how successful they feel. I'd assume most probably aren't feeling so successful.
If you figure someone who gets minumum wage still has deductions, they get *less* than that seven dollars. And likely its part time. So they have travel to and from, for not a full day, perhaps the need for a car to get to work or at least gas, and possibly other costs. When you add it up they probably make five or less. You can't live on that even if you work full time.
Its also true that if you take a job like that, and someone is looking at your resume, it does look like you were really desperate and perhaps not the sort of employee they need.
Full time brings you to near disability pay and there are lots of people who can't afford to get an apartment and barely a room on that and then you have to eat...
If I had ABSOLUTELY NO INCOME coming in I would definitely have to take $5.00hr
It's either that or end up in the homeless shelter I take the $5.00hr with pleasure.
You still might, but you could go out and eat a better dinner. If you couldn't afford an apartment you might get a room, but then people expect to be paid so that better be a full time five dollar an hour job and not the 700 dollar going rate a few years ago for rooms. You could splurge on a motel room once in a while to get some space but not for a whole month.
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightbird47
Its also true that if you take a job like that, and someone is looking at your resume, it does look like you were really desperate and perhaps not the sort of employee they need.
This is precisely why I'd try to exhaust all of my options and resources prior to taking a job that pays so low - I don't want to hurt my future job prospects. I would only take one if it came down to a choice between accepting the job or starving.
The best advice I can give folks who are currently working is to try and save up money to last you 6 months or more in case you find yourself out of work. In the event that you lose your job, treat the job search as you would a full-time job and you may find yourself having better results. This is one of the biggest mistakes of job seekers is that they are not aggressively seeking out work and are not devoting enough hours to their job search.
Depends on whether or not it was the best option at the time. For example, if you were working in a completely different field and are trying to get rehired in that same industry, the truth is that some employers might think less of you if your work history includes a sudden stint at a minimum-wage position.
This is because the employers assume you must have been very poor at financial management, not saved any money, had a gambling problem, and so on. And hence, you were unable to fund yourself during your job search.
That's harsh, but it's also reality when we're talking about the people who often end up looking over resumes.
Flip side here: a resume can work against a job applicant looking for a minimum wage job if his/her previous work history paid $$$.
Read that oftentimes resumes are sometimes 'fudged' make the individual look better. Technically illegal but, oh well if one is facing destitution.
Side note here: I work on straight commission and as of late; some days at work earn the equivalent of less than even $5 an hour extrapolated over an 8 clock hour day-----------down from an avg of $15 per.
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I take the $5.00hr with pleasure.
