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After reading a lot of the posts in this thread it looks like the work ethic has died which doesn't bode well for the future. Far too many people think the world owes them a living.
a job owes a person a 'living wage' - that much can be said at least.
A job owes a person whatever is agreed upon in the job contract. If the person wants a living wage, they should negotiate that in the contract. There's nothing wrong with wanting a living wage, but don't complain if you chose not to include it in the employment contract.
Money is nothing if you're not feeling good about what you do for a living. You need money to survive but in the end, working every day and not being appreciated is worse. That'll eat at you inside and you'll end up quitting. I'd still give it my all no matter what they pay me but now after all the years of working mostly for minimum wage, I'm glad I can do something that I feel uselful and needed in. I finally found my niche.
Ages ago I was hired at a Texaco gasstation and they promised me $6.50 to start, they only gave me $6 in my first paycheck and when I questioned it I was told the guy who hired me was no longer there and he'd made a mistake. So that ticked me off because of the promise they didn't keep, more so than the 50 cents...I ended up doubling my wage while there so in the end it was OK. It's was just the point of this guy in HR doing this and expecting me to give 110%...
You may get a promotion or added responsibility, but a raise? Many businesses will just keep piling on more work without giving you a penny.
So no, I wouldn't work extra hard, but I would do a decent job. If they want me to work harder or take on more, they can compensate me.
So it is on you to be the kind of employee who an employer would give more money to if you look for a new job and threaten to quit. I would never give someone more money in the hopes that they suddenly start working harder. A person needs to put the effort in to prove they deserve the raise before they actually get it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenneth-Kaunda
a job owes a person a 'living wage' - that much can be said at least.
How do you define a 'living wage'? I would say that minimum wage in the US today is easily a 'living wage'.
Here is the budget I would use (note: I have kept track of my spending month-to-month down to the dollar for years now, and this is how I lived for a few years. I wasn't living on minimum wage, but I wanted to buy my own home before my 24th birthday, so take this budget and add a substantial amount to savings and you have exactly what I did). Keep in mind that I live in a major city as well. This is based on a minimum wage of $7.25/hr
If I were making minimum wage, I would obviously work two jobs. I would try to work about 65 hrs/week. That is enough so you can still have time to relax/hang out a few nights every week.
65hrs/week, 50 weeks/year: $23,562/yr
Monthly after tax: $1,557
Rent: $300 (crappy apartment shared with two roommates)
Utilities: $150
Bus Pass: $95
Food: $300 (at home and eating out)
Cell Phone: $50
Internet: $75
Health Insurance: $120
Misc. Spending: $120
Savings: $347
Again - this was my ACTUAL budget that I dug up from my financial records. $7.25/hr is absolutely a livable wage.
Adjusting this to the OP's question of $8/hr, that would raise savings to $550/mo, which is a pretty great savings rate. Kenny - $8/hr is more than a livable wage.
So it is on you to be the kind of employee who an employer would give more money to if you look for a new job and threaten to quit. I would never give someone more money in the hopes that they suddenly start working harder. A person needs to put the effort in to prove they deserve the raise before they actually get it.
How do you define a 'living wage'? I would say that minimum wage in the US today is easily a 'living wage'.
Here is the budget I would use (note: I have kept track of my spending month-to-month down to the dollar for years now, and this is how I lived for a few years. I wasn't living on minimum wage, but I wanted to buy my own home before my 24th birthday, so take this budget and add a substantial amount to savings and you have exactly what I did). Keep in mind that I live in a major city as well. This is based on a minimum wage of $7.25/hr
If I were making minimum wage, I would obviously work two jobs. I would try to work about 65 hrs/week. That is enough so you can still have time to relax/hang out a few nights every week.
65hrs/week, 50 weeks/year: $23,562/yr
Monthly after tax: $1,557
Rent: $300 (crappy apartment shared with two roommates)
Utilities: $150
Bus Pass: $95
Food: $300 (at home and eating out)
Cell Phone: $50
Internet: $75
Health Insurance: $120
Misc. Spending: $120
Savings: $347
Again - this was my ACTUAL budget that I dug up from my financial records. $7.25/hr is absolutely a livable wage.
Adjusting this to the OP's question of $8/hr, that would raise savings to $550/mo, which is a pretty great savings rate. Kenny - $8/hr is more than a livable wage.
The fact that you had to work 2 jobs to achieve that makes it not a living wage. But it's good that you did it and worked hard to achieve what you wanted, it's just that you had to work 2 jobs to do it.
For a stay at home mom returning to work it is NOT. Nor it is sufficient for someone with kids in general. Minimum wages are good for students, and nobody else. Our rent is $1700 and that's cheap! and we're not in some fancy anything, just a regular same looking beige subdivision. We have $0.19 cents left to last 2 weeks for 6 people. Not Hispanics, but white, hard working people, and we're not receiving any state benefits either, nor do we have any health insurance, or can afford any.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hnsq
So it is on you to be the kind of employee who an employer would give more money to if you look for a new job and threaten to quit. I would never give someone more money in the hopes that they suddenly start working harder. A person needs to put the effort in to prove they deserve the raise before they actually get it.
How do you define a 'living wage'? I would say that minimum wage in the US today is easily a 'living wage'.
Here is the budget I would use (note: I have kept track of my spending month-to-month down to the dollar for years now, and this is how I lived for a few years. I wasn't living on minimum wage, but I wanted to buy my own home before my 24th birthday, so take this budget and add a substantial amount to savings and you have exactly what I did). Keep in mind that I live in a major city as well. This is based on a minimum wage of $7.25/hr
If I were making minimum wage, I would obviously work two jobs. I would try to work about 65 hrs/week. That is enough so you can still have time to relax/hang out a few nights every week.
65hrs/week, 50 weeks/year: $23,562/yr
Monthly after tax: $1,557
Rent: $300 (crappy apartment shared with two roommates)
Utilities: $150
Bus Pass: $95
Food: $300 (at home and eating out)
Cell Phone: $50
Internet: $75
Health Insurance: $120
Misc. Spending: $120
Savings: $347
Again - this was my ACTUAL budget that I dug up from my financial records. $7.25/hr is absolutely a livable wage.
Adjusting this to the OP's question of $8/hr, that would raise savings to $550/mo, which is a pretty great savings rate. Kenny - $8/hr is more than a livable wage.
A job doesn't owe you anything other than what was agreed upon when taking the job. You have a very distorted idea of basic economics.
Well your idea of economics is to keep ppl in the poor house! Your idea is nothing more than promotion of slavery mentality, and not economics. "I" WORK for you...therefore if you want me to work for you, you have to pay me, (and provide me health insurance I can afford on the wage you're paying me, along with my utilities, food, gas etc) or if you don't want to give me health insurance, then pay me enough so I can buy it myself!) and pay me with regards of the difficulty of my work, and not insult me with shameful wages that make everything unfordable for me including food. I work to make you rich, BUT that doesn't give you the right to minimize my work, and pay me ridiculous non livable wages.
Well your idea of economics is to keep ppl in the poor house! Your idea is nothing more than promotion of slavery mentality, and not economics. "I" WORK for you...therefore if you want me to work for you, you have to pay me, (and provide me health insurance I can afford on the wage you're paying me, along with my utilities, food, gas etc) or if you don't want to give me health insurance, then pay me enough so I can buy it myself!) and pay me with regards of the difficulty of my work, and not insult me with shameful wages that make everything unfordable for me including food. I work to make you rich, BUT that doesn't give you the right to minimize my work, and pay me ridiculous non livable wages.
Wow, talk about the entitlement mentality. You have a lot to learn about the real world.
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But it's good that you did it and worked hard to achieve what you wanted, it's just that you had to work 2 jobs to do it.
