Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes I did do the math. In fact that's why I raised the question here. This was the topic of a news article I read and when I did the math it made me wonder if this is really a matter of concern for a lot of people? Many articles have pointed out that when the minimum wage goes up that some companies cut hours of employees (presumably ruining the lives of said employees).
I knew the potential loss of full time benefits could be a factor in these worries but I wasn't sure if I was missing other factors. I was able to learn of a couple more through reading the comments here but overall it seems like most people don't consider the risk of cutting hours in itself to be a significant deterrent to raising the minimum wage, even if benefits may also be lost.
Whether or not the minimum wage should be raised because of other contributing factors is another matter entirely. I appreciate your and everyone's votes and comments.
The reasons you’re getting a straight I’ll take x money per hour is because you did not ask all the pertaining questions. You only asked which pay you would take x or y at z hours. The benefits/package/multilayer issue you now bring in the equation null any past answers
Your question should of asked would you take a job paying x at y hours or ya at xa hours knowing that you will lose benefits such as retirement, medical/ health etc.
If your question was structured as such then I personally would take the lesser pay and longer hours if it means I keep my benefits. Having my employer paying my benefits or a majority of it and having a retirement is worth more than a $10 a week additional income.
One of many aspects in the debate about raising the minimum wage is that doing so could hurt workers whose hours may be cut when a higher hourly wage is in place.
Just focusing on this aspect of this multi-layered issue, would you personally be willing to sacrifice hours in exchange for a higher hourly rate, or would you opt for the security of knowing that you have a full time job? What are your thoughts on the matter?
Take the higher paying part time position and keep looking. Good luck!
OK, so being a part-time employee, you won't get benefits, but the most valuable thing on life is TIME...having the free time to do what you want! Once time has passed, you can't get it back.
So yes, I'd rather work 20 hrs a week & have that extra 20 hours to do what I want, work a 2nd job if I need to, have that flexibility, etc. rather than work 40 hrs a week.
Of course I'd rather earn more while working fewer hours. I'd pick up a 2nd job with that amount of free time.
However, the problem with raising minimum wage is that there will be fewer jobs. Companies will find ways to automate those simple tasks. Self-checkout, anyone?
They are going to automate whether pay goes up or not, don’t kid yourself.
OK, so being a part-time employee, you won't get benefits, but the most valuable thing on life is TIME...having the free time to do what you want! Once time has passed, you can't get it back.
So yes, I'd rather work 20 hrs a week & have that extra 20 hours to do what I want, work a 2nd job if I need to, have that flexibility, etc. rather than work 40 hrs a week.
The benefits don’t matter all that much. $20 a week more is enough to get subsidized insurance on the exchange for a young person with low wages. You’d also have time to do extra work, Grub Hub etc it go to school. Most low wage employers have crap benefits with high employee portion anyway. Half the 40 hour a week employees probably can’t even afford their portion of it at $7.25 an hour.
The minimum wage debate is WAAAAAY more complicated than what this whole thread is chatting about.
While I understand the idea of minimum wage, the reasoning of the pols in raising it is flawed, here's why:
1.) They say that you can't raise a family on the current minimum wage, which is true. BUT, what they have not talked about was that these jobs were not meant to be "family sustainable", they were jobs that should be filled by part-time workers, like students, retirees, etc.. The fact that many of the manufacturing jobs, that did not require a lot of education, or skill-set are gone. These were the jobs people raised families on, not in the "service industry"
2.) You cannot, and will not grow an economy by having shoe shiners shining the shoes of other shoe shiners. Let that statement sink in for a minute.
3.) The very people that are clamoring for the increases, will not be able to even buy the burgers they are producing, as the prices HAVE to go up accordingly. I know no one wants to say it, BUT, companies (yes even McDonalds, and WalMart) deserve to make a profit!!).
4.) This will only put the full court press on automation. Not just because of the increased costs to the businesses, BUT because it now makes even more sense to automate, not only has the labor costs gone up (along with the SS/disability, and worker's comp costs!!), but also because machines do not call in sick, do not have a "slip and fall" comp case, and produces at a consistent pace. No superbowl or holiday hangovers to deal with, or the potential of them having a bad day and saying something stupid to a customer.
5.) It isn't as easy as telling the company to "just give up some of their profit"!! You see there are all sorts of costs that go into owning that restaurant, or storefront most of these jobs take place in. Now, I'm not going to give a lesson here on the actual "cost of doing business", BUT what I will do is tell you it is WAAAAAY bigger than what they are paying you.
6.) No matter what happens, these businesses have to work to a certain profit margin, OR there is no reason for them to be in business. Think about that, either they are going to cut costs, raise prices, or go away (in which case, NO ONE wins!!)
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, and NO I am not some kind of people hater. I am just a guy who worked hard, who started out sweeping a shop floor, and cleaning the toilets, to becoming a company President. I did not go to college, I just worked harder than others I came up against. We raised our 2 Sons to be the same way. I told them I didn't care if they were loading a truck, sweeping a floor, or flipping hamburgers, ... figure out how to be a better worker than the one next to you. I told them if everyone else is struggling to put out 30 burgers an hour, you need to figure out how to put out 31, 32, or more. That's how you get rewarded in life. I didn't make much money, as a matter of fact I worked two jobs to support my young Family (1 F/T, then loaded trucks P/T at night in a warehouse)!!
I know I probably bent some people's noses with this post, BUT, that was not my intent. My intent was to hopefully have just 1 person take something away from what I am saying that helps them do better, and make a better life for them self and/or their Family.
One of many aspects in the debate about raising the minimum wage is that doing so could hurt workers whose hours may be cut when a higher hourly wage is in place.
Just focusing on this aspect of this multi-layered issue, would you personally be willing to sacrifice hours in exchange for a higher hourly rate, or would you opt for the security of knowing that you have a full time job? What are your thoughts on the matter?
The problem is that raising the minimum wage causes inflation in goods and services. The basics like housing, transportation, insurances, and utilities will go up accordingly and will be the same percentage as minimum wage. People making the new minimum wage will be just as broke as before, and that's without factoring in poor financial habits in general.
Do people who make minimum wage benefit a little? Yes, though only in the very short term. The people who really get hurt are the people who make slightly above minimum wage who will now be not much farther ahead than those working the new (higher) minimum wage.
Imagine making 60% above minimum wage as a shift supervisor (for example), but once the new laws take effect that person only makes 10% above minimum wage while the spread between them and the people they supervise is drastically narrowed. You're almost erasing years of that person's development and killing their morale.
Raising the minimum wage is a cute little political talking point, but the actual economic reality is that it does nothing for the poor, is more likely to hurt low-wage workers by keeping them out of the workforce entirely, and only serves to raise the costs of goods and services for everyone. It's too bad that suckers keep falling for it.
Most people working low wage jobs would be better served accumulating ever more complex job skills, taking on ever increasing responsibilities, and by simply having the will-power and ambition to seek better for themselves.
Get some education, certificates, specialized skills (stocking shelves or slapping food together are not specialized skills), or learn to network.
The benefits don’t matter all that much. $20 a week more is enough to get subsidized insurance on the exchange for a young person with low wages. You’d also have time to do extra work, Grub Hub etc it go to school. Most low wage employers have crap benefits with high employee portion anyway. Half the 40 hour a week employees probably can’t even afford their portion of it at $7.25 an hour.
Yes, all the more reason to do the PT , higher-paying job!
Isolating all aspects to the simple question you posed, it's a no-brainer. The 20 hour job pays more than the 40 hour job. Not to mention it gives you 20 more hours to do others things, one of which may be to work another job.
But other aspects cannot be ignored and it is seldom as simple as the question you posed.
I agree. It is never as simple as higher pay vs. lower pay. What are the duties and circumstances surrounding each job? Would the $15/hour job involve me working in a coal mine and exposing myself to potentially fatal coal dust particles and dying a horrible death from lung cancer or asbestosis, while the $7.25/hour job involves sitting at a desk answering phones for a self storage unit? I would take the lower wage job for sure.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
