I've had many jobs. I can't even remember some of the jobs I've had. One year I had 7 W-4's come in the mail, plus I had some under the table tutoring gigs that I didn't account for.
There have been times where I would get paid and all my money went straight to bills and I'd barely have anything left over for food/gas/whatever. I'd think to myself "I'm worth more than what they are paying me."
I was wrong.
If you are getting paid minimum wage you are worth minimum wage. End of story.
From a business standpoint, you are only worth how much you are worth to the company. If you are one of the few that can do a particular job then you are worth more; if a monkey can do your job then obviously you will get paid minimum wage.
I've heard a lot of people saying they are much more important to their company and that what they get paid is BS, etc. This is just ego talking. Lets face it, if we quit our jobs, most likely the companies that we work for will not implode.
I think we should take a long hard look at ourselves and see if we are just sitting around and blaming the economy/government for our current situations, or if we can do something for ourselves. I'm sorry your liberal arts degree isn't helping you get a job right now, but is that really the economy's fault?
Do you ever say "I'm worth more"? What should determine your paycheck—skill level, experience, time at the company?
Image Source
Comments (124)
I agree that a lot of people tend to blame the economy for too much of their problems. For minimum wage jobs, I think they can argue that the wage is too low for everyone (as in, not enough to live on), but it's hard to make the case that you, as a specific worker, are worth more.
I agree with the general sentiment, but I have some nitpicks.
First, there's a difference in doing a job and doing it well. I think it's fair to say that those who do a job well deserve more. In some cases, one employee will be getting paid less than another despite doing a better job. In this case "I'm worth more" seems to fit.
Also, I don't think the statement is always synonymous with "this job should pay me more." If William Shakespeare had a job milking cows and thought he was worth more, I'd be inclined to agree. He's obviously not worth more than someone else to that farm or whatever, but he has a skill set that should be getting paid more than cow-milkers do. In this case, he needs to find himself a new job.
@sarah - I definitely agree with this sentiment.
And I would just like to say: A monkey can do minimum wage jobs? Wow, we're lucky we get paid at all, then! Or that, at least, we get money and not bananas. :p
I know I'm worth more, but just because I say it, think it, and even mean it, doesn't make it true for the rest of the world. It's entirely my opinion just as anyone else who thinks so, it's theirs. If you want more than minimum wage, if you think you deserve more...
Prove it. Earn it. Show your employer you can go above and beyond, bring them good business, promote and represent their business in a positive light, and make your boss (doesn't have to be an entire company, maybe just one section or one location or whatnot) realize you are an important asset and your skills shouldn't be taken for granted. If you really are a great worker, no, the company won't implode, but they sure will miss what you could bring to the table if you quit.
I work at a job where by default, people are paid minimum wage at the start and I get evaluated every year, and every year for the past three, my pay has jumped over the minimum wage jump. Maybe not by leaps and bounds, but it says to me that my bosses know I and the skills I can present at work are worth more.
I beg to differ. My husband left a failing business to do the exact same job at a shop across the street and now makes $3 an hour more doing the exact same job. Yes, he was NOT being paid what he was worth and was gotten rid of because the company didn't want to pay him what he was worth. Our phone was ringing within five minutes of him walking in the door because co-workers didn't believe he had been laid off for two weeks. Best thing that ever happened to us. He was offered his current job the next week and not instead of having his benefits cut again and barely working fourty hours a week he's getting a benefits increase and working 57 hours a week (with the $3 an hour pay increase).
"If you are getting paid minimum wage, then you are worth minimum wage." - A true lesson in economics. The market will always purchase something at the minimum that it sells itself. There's always the ultimatum that you need to throw at your boss every now and then, someone is offering more money, or I need more money and I'll either start looking, or you can pay me more. It takes some growing up to be able to approach the world like this, and take responsibility for your own future. If only we can teach this lesson sooner.
@sarah - The thing with minimum wage jobs is that they aren't for people to live on. Sure, you can do this to get by while you're going to school and living with your parents, or having supplementary income with some part time gig just for extra spending money. These are not careers. It isn't skilled labor. The biggest impacts of raising minimum wage are inflation, and increasing the base salaries for high school students ... so that they can buy the new Miley Cyrus album, Twilight posters, some fancy new phone to update their twitter while in homeroom, and all sorts of silly teen junk.
A MINIMUM WAGE JOB IN THIS ECONOMY IS BETTER THAN NO JOB I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE ARE BITCHING ABOUT NOT HAVING A JOB... YOU TAKE WHAT YOU CAN GET RIGHT NOW... OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO NOT WORK RIGHT?!
AND YOU CAN'T JUST GO OFF SAYING YOU'RE WORTH MORE YOU GOTTA PROVE TO THE BIG GUYS THAT YOU'RE AN ASSET TO THEIR COMPANY! OTHERWISE YOU'RE JUST STUCK WITH NOWHERE TO GO
I have definitely said that I was worth more than what they gave me credit for at my last job. My boss did next to nothing but made about $150,000 a year. I did all of the work - and then when I asked which samples she wanted tested next, I would get bitched at. It was ridiculous.
I look at the same thing a bit differently than how you stated it: It isnt how much you are worth, but how much the job is worth. If you are worth more than the job - find a new job that is worth as much as you are!
There are two sides to what you're saying. If you are writing about folks who whine that they aren't making enough money instead of looking for a higher paying job or improving themselves, I agree with you.
There is however, another side to this - unethical corporations who think nothing about outsourcing their jobs and hiring dirt cheap foreign "skilled" labor as well as bringing them here through H1B-Visas to get out out paying American workers a decent wage.
We're not talking about factory workers making cheap widgets, it's about high skilled workers such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants,etc.., all with advanced degrees willing to work for a fraction of what the going rate is over here.
Then these greedy companies use their foreign cheap labor to undercut the companies here that are still hiring Americans which starts a domino reaction of companies outsourcing their work just to stay competitive.
If this is allowed to continue, what we will have is a race to the bottom where Americans are forced to compete with other countries that have no or loosely enforced labor laws where highly skilled workers are paid basically minimum wages.
While this may give a company short term profits, it will see the decline of America's and their own prosperity as more and more people get paid less and less and can no longer afford to buy the products being sold.
There can be times where you CAN be worth MORE than you are working for. There are bills to be paid and one needs to eat. In times of scarce jobs, you will have to take what's available. If a doctor was laid off, and no jobs are available at that time but pizza delivery, if he has to take that job for the time being to pay bills, he is certainly worth more than what that job pays.
Americans companies should NOT be allowed to hire cheap foreign labor from countries that treat their workers like slaves and then be allowed to freely compete restriction-free with companies that hire US citizens.
I basically agree with this, for the most part. I get so tired of people complaining, even those in my own family. "The economy" excuse can only go so far. Sometimes, a well paying job is just expected but not earned and the employee just complains about "not making enough".
I disagree that people who worked at McDonald is worth minimum wage especially a busy one that I use to work at... The company is just cheap and wants to earn more $$ so they pay their employee minimum wage. The McD that we worked at earns in a day about $6k!! and the total employee that works there is around 40. Okay... not all 40 people are gonna work there in a day but let's just say all 40 works in one day, full-time. That's 40 x 6.75(minimum wage at the time) equals 270$ x 8 hours = $2160 paid to the employee. take $6k a day and subtract by 2160 = 3840 left over multiply that by 30 days. That's $115,200 a month.. even after taxes and buying all those patties and fries... still the owner earns about $50k a month doing almost nothing. THE STORE WAS FUCKEN BUSY!! EVEN AT CLOSING HOURS!! RIDICULOUS!!!
Now I am working at the hospital getting paid $20 an hour with benefits!!! and I'm doing half the job I did at McD and the customers are hella nicer than customers you have to deal with in McD. McD workers are not worth minimum wage atleast the one that I worked at... but that's just how the system works. Some people are worth more, but they just don't have the luck to get a better job.
i only thought i was worth more than minimum wage once...though it was the only job i've had so far where i was getting paid minimum wage. but we were understaffed and i got almost no training (though i'd never worked retail when i started) and we were still working not just after the mall closed, but more than 2 hours after and were the only ones left in the mall. even the cleaning crews had gone home before us. and most nights when this happened, we STILL weren't finished but were forced to clock out anyway. not sure why, and i wasn't about to complain. they also ONLY had me working weekends and the days surrounding it, even though i was free almost all day every day.
we all were overworked and the older employees were all lazy. i may have been inexperienced but i was working too hard to just earn $7.25.
@Saelee2009@xanga - i could never work in the food industry. i really admire people who can, especially the ones who do it well. i know that i never could do that. i had a convo about this about a week ago actually; it's unfortunate that the people working hard to give me my food are paid so little considering how much work they're actually doing.
@sumtymesiwonder@xanga - yea... working hard for minimum wage. I talk to my friends and they consider McD a slave job... but it was fun when all of my friends work there just the work is crazy! when it was busy hours. actually that store was always busy.
hey. dont knock liberal arts. i came from a liberal arts college and love my job and my pay.
This doesn't apply to me because I write my own paycheck to the tune of $20-$30 per hour.
@Saelee2009@xanga - Man, if I owned a successful franchise I would hire less employees and pay them double. Thats a strategy that a lot of people use though - more employees with lower wages and fewer hours, ends up a lot cheaper. The owner can pay Johnny $7 an hour because hes "ok", but then he can pay someone else less, and work out the staff averages to suit him.
i just think that minimum wage should be higher, and places that get away with paying their employees less than minimum wage shouldn't be able to. i've never made more than minimum wage, and i would be perfectly okay with that if i didn't have so many friends who got paid more for doing less.
some people may very well bitch me out for saying this, but the wages lifeguards get paid are bullshit.I have a job that's based on commission. If people aren't coming in the door, I'm making minimum wage. It is because of the economy. People aren't spending extra money on themselves like they used to. And yeah, I do think I'm worth more than that. As much as I love doing hair, it's not paying the bills.
I disagree with some of this. It is true that some people don't get paid what they deserve. I work at a daycare where my boss only cares about money, not the kids or employees. We get paid $8/hour to watch 10-18 kids, depending on the age and what kids are there that day. That's $0.50 over minimum wage here. TO WATCH CHILDREN.
But I don't look for a new job 1) because I live in a college town and am lucky to have this job and 2) because I love working with the kids and I love my class. But the stress of a job like this for such low pay? I think everyone at my work deserves more than $8/hour.
With the definition of minimum wage, straight commission sales should be outlawed. Commission should be a bonus for closing the sales pitch. Only a fool would wait sixty days for contract payment. If you knock on doors it's for the company; why do it for nothing? Energy marketeers are fooled into believing they can make a living at this new concept of price protection - it's insurance. Just my opinion,anyways.
Journalism/Business/Communications/Political Science/Psychology/etc. majors everywhere now hate you. Hahaha!
life's a bitch.
i do make more than minimum wage, but not that much more. it's actually an ok amount for what i do (cashier). what annoys me is the guy who's worked there less time than me makes only 25 cents less than me per hour because he bitched and they gave him a raise.
A monkey could do my job, but I still make over double minimum wage. =/