Current Events > Why do people say fast food workers dont _deserve_ a living wage?

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's one thing to think it's not economically viable but seeing the word "deserve" scares the shit out of me.

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It's an entry level job meant for high schoolers.

After all, they happen to be closed during school hours.

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The concept of a meritocracy is pretty fucked up, especially when combined with capitalism.

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Deserve scares me in the other direction as well.

A job should be worth as much as it's worth. That's my super in-depth take

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Unsugarized_Foo posted...

Deserve scares me in the other direction as well.

A job should be worth as much as it's worth. That's my super in-depth take

I think that your job isn't worth being paid at all, and that all people worldwide who do that job should do it for free. If anything, they should pay money to do it.

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Unsugarized_Foo posted...

Deserve scares me in the other direction as well.

A job should be worth as much as it's worth. That's my super in-depth take

The minimum worth of a job is a living wage

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MutantJohn posted...

The minimum worth of a job is a living wage

Even if it's just picking up dog poop out the yard for an hour a week?

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Will_VIIII posted...

It's an entry level job meant for high schoolers.

Doesnt matter. They deserve minimum wage, and minimum wage (at full time hours) needs to be a livable wage.

Unsugarized_Foo posted...

Even if it's just picking up dog poop out the yard for an hour a week?

if its an hour a week then its worth 1/40th of a livable wage

Will_VIIII posted...

After all, they happen to be closed during school hours.

Where does this occur?

"You're a worthless fucking loser who should be thankful you have a paying job at all! Now please deliver me a flawless, tasty meal and go above and beyond to cater to my every whim. Wait, why is the line so long? Where are all the employees? All jobs need doing!"

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Will_VIIII posted...

It's an entry level job meant for high schoolers.

After all, they happen to be closed during school hours.

it's not the 60s anymore m8

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Will_VIIII posted...

It's an entry level job meant for high schoolers.

stupid as fuck post right here.

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Kloe_Rinz posted...

if its an hour a week then its worth 1/40th of a livable wage

Yes, this.

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SSJCAT posted...

stupid as fuck post right here.

Ya missed part two of my post

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You guys, I'm mocking that talking point...

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Remember when Americans actually cared about the prosperity of their countrymen instead of just trying to keep them down in perpetuity?

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Will_VIIII posted...

You guys, I'm mocking that talking point...

We're v. easily triggered

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Kloe_Rinz posted...

if its an hour a week then its worth 1/40th of a livable wage

Ahh, so it's more about time spent than value created

I wonder if they could set it up companies to have living wages in jobs that create less value to be a charitable tax credit equal to the delta of the living wage and value created

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Unsugarized_Foo posted...

Ahh, so it's more about time spent than value created

I wonder if they could set it up companies to have living wages in jobs that create less value to be a charitable tax credit equal to the delta of the living wage and value created

Wow

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MutantJohn posted...

Remember when Americans actually cared about the prosperity of their countrymen instead of just trying to keep them down in perpetuity?

fuck literally everybody but me
- modern americans

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Unsugarized_Foo posted...

Ahh, so it's more about time spent than value created

I wonder if they could set it up companies to have living wages in jobs that create less value to be a charitable tax credit equal to the delta of the living wage and value created

So what about all those jobs that create x value, but employees are paid a lesser value than that? How much value are you okay with companies extracting?

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TwoDoorPC posted...

it's not the 60s anymore m8

you're right! they let women and black people work there now too! so progressive...

you did notice that the OP was sarcasm right?

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gunplagirl posted...

So what about all those jobs that create x value, but employees are paid a lesser value than that? How much value are you okay with companies extracting?

Whatever at that point. Id be more worried about jobs disappearing, replaced with robots, or go overseas

I'm sure theres enough holes in the idea to drive a truck through it with out a scratch

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It basically stems from "old think" that fast food is a job that teenagers have to make some pocket money while they're still in high school.

The flaw in that is that it isn't the 1960's anymore, and many more adults are working in the fast food industry.

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bigblu89 posted...

It basically stems from "old think" that fast food is a job that teenagers have to make some pocket money while they're still in high school.

Average age of a fast food worker is 27 years old I believe.

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gunplagirl posted...

I think that your job isn't worth being paid at all, and that all people worldwide who do that job should do it for free. If anything, they should pay money to do it.

Yes, and you have a right to think that way. It is of course irrelevant to actual pay, if you are not the one signing the pay check.


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littlebro07 posted...

fuck literally everybody but me
- modern americans

lets be honest here, that's humanity in general.

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I think it's cute that most conservatives think fast food workers aren't paid more because the business just doesn't make enough to afford the wage increase.

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I want people to be motivated to shoot for the stars. This is why I think they should have neither the money nor the time to better themselves to dig out of the terrible-paying jobs

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Not all jobs are equal in required skill, effort, importance, or consistancy of work. You can spend all day polishing the office door knobs, it doesn't mean you did mich or really worked that hard. Fast food level jobs are seen as highly computerized removing most mental challenge, leaving social skills that aren't always followed, futher capable of being automated out, and have periods where you actually aren't busy.

The view of the businessman is "really, this is the most you want to do with your life" and see living wages as incentive to stay stagnant instead of looking to career improvement. Those adults working there are wage slaves doing nothing worth much with their lives but fight to keep jobs they'd like to see join stagecoach repairmen in the annals of history. They need to exist some as they are places to learn work ethic and responsibility where there won't be serious consequences for fucking up, but people shouldn't look to stay there as opposed to climbing the ladder, learning a trade with more value, or starting a business.

On the one hand, that mindset is very idealized. On the other, I can't argue that if you want to put minimum effort into your career, maybe you shojld only get minimum reward. The world doesn't need a growing number of people slining birger when we have infrastructure that needs repairing.

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Will_VIIII posted...

It's an entry level job meant for high schoolers.

After all, they happen to be closed during school hours.

Are you aware of how many places this applies to or are you just memeing
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lightwarrior78 posted...

Not all jobs are equal in required skill, effort, importance, or consistancy of work. You can spend all day polishing the office door knobs, it doesn't mean you did mich or really worked that hard. Fast food level jobs are seen as highly computerized removing most mental challenge, leaving social skills that aren't always followed, futher capable of being automated out, and have periods where you actually aren't busy

"Polishing office doorknobs"

Man, do you guys make up whatever job in your mind to justify not paying someone a liveable wage?

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No one deserves to have anything given to them. You can say we as a society should do X or Y because its nice and we have the capability of doing so but when people say people deserve something or have he right to something that requires the action of others its such a b.s. argument.

I dont think fast food should be given a so called "living wage" by force of law but if a fast food company will offer it of their own accord then fine. Or if you dislike how a company pays/treats their works then stop doing business with them. If all the people who whine about "living wages" would stop doing business with the companies that dont offer such then said companies would see major losses and br forced to reconsider. That is how you change things, not expecting some clueless idiots who are in bed with lobbyists make up new laws that screw over basically everyone.

Now that all said, I think itd be good if communities worked together in various ways to make sure no member of the community was without basic necessities. So if someone cannot afford shelter, food or clothing then yes the community should help out.

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One_Day_Remains posted...

Are you aware of how many places this applies to or are you just memeing

I'm mocking boomers and MAGAs who use this talking point

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Skype posted...

"Polishing office doorknobs"

Man, do you guys make up whatever job in your mind to justify not paying someone a liveable wage?

It is important to take in all extremes and nuance when defining terms though. Even though it is ridiculous, these areas are where everyone spends their time

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Will_VIIII posted...

I'm mocking boomers and MAGAs who use this talking point

you forgot to sarcasm tag, you could beat people over the head with implied sarcasm here and they'd take it literally so you've got to tag it.

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Will_VIIII posted...

I'm mocking boomers and MAGAs who use this talking point

I figured as much. Had to make sure tho
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what if we made it cheaper for people to live (i.e., rent control) rather than increasing wages over and over as much as we need to because of landlords being able to charge w/e the fuck they want because people NEED a place to live

monkmith posted...

you forgot to sarcasm tag, you could beat people over the head with implied sarcasm here and they'd take it literally so you've got to tag it.

Nah, he did alright. It was a perfect post.

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It'd be a lot easier for people to support living wages if anyone actually bothered to rigorously define living wage, but that would require actually determining what you get to have versus not have as a minimum standard and the people most fervently in support of these wages are the least likely to be willing to put in that hard, thankless work and expose themselves to that kind of criticism.

It's a lot easier to argue over some nebulous concept than whether a living wage includes a smartphone and cable TV, how many kids get supported by a living wage, whether public transport is the default assumption versus car ownership, what level of insurance is minimum for a living wage, whether eating out counts towards a living wage or whether it's basic foodstuffs, etc. While a living wage is going to be regionally specific in terms of actual totals, the "package" of items that add up to that total won't necessarily be outside of maybe transport.

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Right off the bat the topic is already discredited for use of the term 'living wage' as it is not defined.

More and more places will switch to order kiosks and robots anyway so the question is moot.

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Not sure on economic viability because I don't do business management but my common sense tells me that if someone is willing to work 160 hours a month and actually do a GOOD job (not talk on the phone most of the day) they deserve to be paid enough to live a comfortable life. Period.

Not a glamorous life, but enough to own a clean 800-1200 sqft house and reliable transportation and start a family with someone. Enough extra cash to go out and have fun in their spare time.

They shouldn't get more than minimum wage because that shit isn't hard to do at all. Can it be stressful? Sure it can.

It doesn't take a lot of skill to do and that's why it's a job for mostly teenagers and college students. Its extra money to have and do fun things with.

Want to start or support a family or have a nice place to live? Go get a job that is worth more than minimum wage.

Fast food workers think they have it bad? Waiters and waitresses don't even make minimum wage because they get tips from customers. They deserve more than minimum wage for all the bullshit they put up with.

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Mr_Karate_II posted...

They shouldn't get more than minimum wage because that shit isn't hard to do at all. Can it be stressful? Sure it can.

It doesn't take a lot of skill to do and that's why it's a job for mostly teenagers and college students. Its extra money to have and do fun things with.

Want to start or support a family or have a nice place to live? Go get a job that is worth more than minimum wage.

Fast food workers think they have it bad? Waiters and waitresses don't even make minimum wage because they get tips from customers. They deserve more than minimum wage for all the bullshit they put up with.

I really appreciate how these places are closed during high school hours and during hours minors aren't allowed to work.

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Skype posted...

"Polishing office doorknobs"

Man, do you guys make up whatever job in your mind to justify not paying someone a liveable wage?

Ridiculous metaphors are the only ways conservatives can make a "point". Remember how legalizing gay marriage would lead to everyone marrying their couches?

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hockeybub89 posted...

"You're a worthless fucking loser who should be thankful you have a paying job at all! Now please deliver me a flawless, tasty meal and go above and beyond to cater to my every whim. Wait, why is the line so long? Where are all the employees? All jobs need doing!"

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Nobody knows what "living wage" even means.

Mr_Karate_II posted...

It doesn't take a lot of skill to do and that's why it's a job for mostly teenagers and college students.

Except it's not mostly teenagers and college students, as has been pointed out repeatedly