will you work for minimum wage?

[Dancing Fire]

my wife will be working for $7.25 an hr. unless a budget is reached soon by the State.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/02/califo ... index.html

 

[Trekkie]

At least then you'll finally know what she earns...

 

[Arkteia]

Once, when I went on my favorite subject and asked my older son how come Canadian schools were 2nd best in the world and US schools occupied 46th place, he said, "Mom, everything is about private sector. Public sector has always been neglected".

And this is a shame.

 

[mayerling]

No, I don't think I would.

 

[artdecogirl]

Good question DF, I Would if I had to, whatever pays the bills right?

 

[y2kitty]

I would not work my current job for minimum wage. It requires skills, compassion, and effort that have taken years to develop and I don't think I would do it for minimum wage. I am not opposed to minimum wage work though - if I lost my job I'd be the first one in line to try and get hired at some place like In N Out or Chipotle.

 

[radiantquest]

If it was minimum wage or nothing I most certainly would. I would not be willing to work my current job for minimum wage.

 

[missy]

If it was minimum wage or nothing I most certainly would. I would not be willing to work my current job for minimum wage.

Ditto. I am not too proud to take any job that would help my family make ends meet. However, I would not work at my current job for minimum wage as it requires skill and experience and way too much mental and physical energy.

 

[dianne]

I recently did this for a part-time job. Well, it was $7.50 but it was retail, standing on your feet the entire time, and let me tell you the $$ do not add up when you get your paycheck. Sheesh...it hardly seemed worth the gas to drive there....on second thought, it hardly seemed worth the shower and getting dressed to go there! Part of the problem was I didn't get many hours at all...I mean, I didn't even make enough in a month to get my hair done.

But to answer your question....Yes, if that was the only job I could find I would definitely work for minimum wage. Bills still need to be paid.

 

[elrohwen]

If it was the only job I could get and I needed to support a family, sure. In my case, I found that unemployment paid far better than a minimum wage job, so I didn't bother finding one during my period of unemployment.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Would I work my current job, no, would I work a retail job, yes. I worked in Macy's for years while I was in college and I actually made about $10 an hour and I always had fun. I kind of miss the simplicity of retail.

 

[studyer83]

If I needed the money and there were not other options, sure.
This article in the NY Times raises a similar/related issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/business/economy/07generation.html

I'm amazed the kid let himself be a NY Times story. If I were looking to hire him and found this, I would hesitate.

California is running out of money. Many have received generous benefits from the state for years. Now they must cut back, in many painful places. The cuts cannot be perfectly targeted at those who received the benefits, of course. But they have to happen. I'm sure everyone knows a "better" place for the states to begin cutting, but at the end of the day they just have to slash.

DF, this is not aimed at you or your wife at all -- I couldn't imagine how stressful it would be to have my salary slashed!! Just saying that this is one of the unfortunate consequences of living way beyond our means. Maybe the most painful cuts will help us all remember this in the years to come. Not that all people NEEDED this reminder, of course.

 

[mayerling]

Oh, I kind of thought the question was asking whether I'd stay at my current job for minimum wage...
I guess if it was a question of no job vs. minimum wage job I'd take whatever I could get.

 

[JSM]

f I needed the money and there were not other options, sure.
This article in the NY Times raises a similar/related issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/busin ... ation.html

Arg, he turned down a job for $40k? I have a MS and 5 years experience and I am FAR from $40k. It's hard to live but you know what? I am employed and I can pay the bills, and I'm not living with Mom and Dad.

I really enjoy my job but I am definitely underpaid. I would work it for minimum wage if I had to, because I'm not too proud, and bills have to be paid for somehow. Once/if the economy recovers I could go to the private sector and probably triple my salary, but for now, I work hard at the job I have, because, let's be honest, if I don't, someone else will (and gladly).

 

[Porridge]

Yes I have and I would. Right now I'm spending about 20% of my working hours working for free (volunteering) so I can get the experience I need. There is no other way right now, and I'm lucky I can temporarily live at home so I have the means to get that experience. I will have to leave the country soon to get on the career ladder in the area I want to get into. Meantime being in limbo sucks, the economy sucks, lack of opportunities (paid ones) sucks. Blah.

 

[oddoneout]

I'm sure many people do what they have to to survive. If that means working minimum wage than they'll do it.

 

[Dancing Fire]

If I needed the money and there were not other options, sure.
This article in the NY Times raises a similar/related issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/business/economy/07generation.html

I'm amazed the kid let himself be a NY Times story. If I were looking to hire him and found this, I would hesitate.

California is running out of money. Many have received generous benefits from the state for years. Now they must cut back, in many painful places. The cuts cannot be perfectly targeted at those who received the benefits, of course. But they have to happen. I'm sure everyone knows a "better" place for the states to begin cutting, but at the end of the day they just have to slash.

DF, this is not aimed at you or your wife at all -- I couldn't imagine how stressful it would be to have my salary slashed!! Just saying that this is one of the unfortunate consequences of living way beyond our means. Maybe the most painful cuts will help us all remember this in the years to come. Not that all people NEEDED this reminder, of course.

i'd agree with you !! our state waste so much money especially in the Ca. State prison system. 3 meals a day with full health benefit for prisoners on death row.

 

[lilyfoot]

I would work my current job, or whatever other job, for minimum wage, if that is what I would have to do in order to pay my bills.

Would I be happy about it? No, I wouldn't. But I would be at work everyday with a smile on my face.

 

[Dancing Fire]

At least then you'll finally know what she earns...

all Ca. State workers will net about $800 after all the deductions.

 

[BeachRunner]

I would take a PT job doing something I enjoy at min. wage, sure.

 

[PinkTower]

Yes, I would work for minimum wage if forced. I hope it does not come to that, but there seems to be no good news in sight. Right now, I am teaching for a third year with no pay increase, and no retirement benefits whatsoever. They were taken away last year. Even the retail clerks now in the department stores all seem to be college graduates.

 

[zoebartlett]

I hate how low minimum wage is, but if it was a choice between that or nothing, I'd probably do it.

I don't understand how the government can think that it's a fair wage to give employees.

 

[RhubarbPie]

I wouldn't do my current job for minimum wage. I have a master's degree and I didn't get it to get paid min. wage. I would perhaps do some menial desk job that didn't require a lot of work for min. wage. I don't think there is too much I would do for minimum wage though. While I was getting my master's degree I worked for a theater selling tickets. But it wasn't quite minimum wage, plus we got nightly bonuses (like 10 dollars for the first person who sells a subscription) and we also got commission on everything we sold. So it was fine and it was part time and in the evening which was great because I was in school.

 

[PinkTower]

I wouldn't do my current job for minimum wage. I have a master's degree and I didn't get it to get paid min. wage. I would perhaps do some menial desk job that didn't require a lot of work for min. wage. I don't think there is too much I would do for minimum wage though. While I was getting my master's degree I worked for a theater selling tickets. But it wasn't quite minimum wage, plus we got nightly bonuses (like 10 dollars for the first person who sells a subscription) and we also got commission on everything we sold. So it was fine and it was part time and in the evening which was great because I was in school.

I am getting a new classroom asst. this fall. She has a Master's, and was working at the movie theatre selling tickets. She will now be making $12.50/hour, no benefits, but it is a step up from selling movie tickets with a Master's. The teacher down the hall is also getting a new assistant w/a Master's degree.

 

[RhubarbPie]

I wouldn't do my current job for minimum wage. I have a master's degree and I didn't get it to get paid min. wage. I would perhaps do some menial desk job that didn't require a lot of work for min. wage. I don't think there is too much I would do for minimum wage though. While I was getting my master's degree I worked for a theater selling tickets. But it wasn't quite minimum wage, plus we got nightly bonuses (like 10 dollars for the first person who sells a subscription) and we also got commission on everything we sold. So it was fine and it was part time and in the evening which was great because I was in school.

I am getting a new classroom asst. this fall. She has a Master's, and was working at the movie theatre selling tickets. She will now be making $12.50/hour, no benefits, but it is a step up from selling movie tickets with a Master's. The teacher down the hall is also getting a new assistant w/a Master's degree.

Yikes - that sounds really rough. I'm actually also a teacher (but I am faculty at a university and I have a very specific area of expertise). I didn't work at a movie theater, but a theater for plays, etc. I didn't mind that job as it was just a desk job and convenient for my school schedule (all I did was talk on the phone - it didn't require a whole lot of brain power). But while I was doing that, I didn't have a master's degree, I was still in school. I'm not sure what classroom assistants do, but if they are teachers, I think it stinks that they will only be making 12.50 an hour.

 

[Octavia]

I never say never, but I've spent enough time, money, and energy on my degrees that I hope it won't come to working for minimum wage. But, as others have said, if it was the only way to keep a roof over my head and food on the table, I'd do whatever was necessary.

 

[Indylady]

Yes.

 

[ChloeTheGreat]

I do work for minimum wage (plus tips). I'm a recent college graduate still looking for a REAL job. (I'm 22 now and I've had the same minimum wage job since high school.)
But I also live in an area where the cost of living is pretty low compared to other areas of the country, especially California.

 

[Imdanny]

Did we ever think we would see a state (states) collapsing in the United States of America? Yeah, something's wrong, and it's not the supposed 'greed' of public employees.

 

[Luckyeshe]

Yes, I would if that is what it takes to support my family. I'd get 2 jobs and if both had to be minimum wage, so be it. I actually did that when I was in college...I had 3 part time jobs all at the same time. Granted, I probably wouldn't want to do it again, but I have to do what I need to do to stay afloat, so be it.