S. F. bookstore closes. Why? Minimum wages.

[reckless]

The comfort level in workers shouldn't be overlooked but will probably be denied -- especially by the sacrosanct, quite replaceable worker class.

Throughout history, the thinking of all those mean, rich, business owners towards their workers was this:

1--don't pay them too much or else they'll get soft, fat and lazy;

2--don't pay them too little or they'll leave en masse, which is costly; or commit company espionage; or literally destroy product and good will, or finally, god forbid, there is the risk of possible unionization when workers are paid too little.

The business owners know how to run the businesses they're in. They also know their work force equally well too, more so than the workers knows the business they work in or even know themselves.

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by Clocker

Those at the bottom are not capable of making their own decisions and don't know what is good for them. So Big Brother has to step in to help them, to protect them from the rich, evil bastages that they work for, and to make sure that they are paid a living wage.

In reality, minimum wage workers are generally able to function on their own. And the idea of a huge class of starving families is absurd. According to Pew Research, over half of minimum wage earners are 16-24 years old. And 64% of them are part time workers. Also, about 2/3 of minimum wage workers are making more than that within a year, either through raises or moving on to better jobs.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank...-minimum-wage/

A trip to Walmart will quickly dispel the idea that there are not people out there working part-time for the minimum wage who are trying survive on what they earn there. There are not many students working at any the Walmarts around here. They are staffed by people well into their 30s or older. Those employees are not there because there because they want to be. They are there because they have no other options. You go to Target or any other large chain retailer and you will see the same thing. Sure they might get a small raise after they been there a while, but they top out very quickly. And there is no place for them to go that pays more. They might make supervisor after a time(still probably part-time), but they can not go any higher without a degree. The days of starting at the bottom and working your way up are over, if they ever existed at all.
Places like Pew are always putting out numbers, but if you open your eyes and take look around you, you will see how wrong their conclusions are.

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by reckless

The comfort level in workers shouldn't be overlooked but will probably be denied -- especially by the sacrosanct, quite replaceable worker class.

Throughout history, the thinking of all those mean, rich, business owners towards their workers was this:

1--don't pay them too much or else they'll get soft, fat and lazy;

2--don't pay them too little or they'll leave en masse, which is costly; or commit company espionage; or literally destroy product and good will, or finally, god forbid, there is the risk of possible unionization when workers are paid too little.

The business owners know how to run the businesses they're in. They also know their work force equally well too, more so than the workers knows the business they work in or even know themselves.

I will give this, employees don't know the whole picture. Even a lot of low level managers don't know either. They just know their little piece of the turf.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by tucker6

you actually believe that crap?? bad employees can and are exclusive of bad managers. Bad managers can and are exclusive of bad bosses. Holy mackerel!!

Of course I believe that "crap".

Yes...there are employees who refuse to conform to the demands of the particular job...but a good manager doesn't keep them employed for long. What exactly does a manager "manage"...if not his employees? And if a manager is "bad"...then he himself should quickly find himself without a job. I know business-owners who seldom show up at their own stores, because they wildly overestimate the competence of their managers. It's a fatal mistake in today's ultra-competitive business world.

When a fast-food place consistently screws up my order...I don't only blame the preparer of that order. I, myself, have worked with customers for over 30 years...and I know better. What my customers see in my employees is the reflection of my managers...who, in turn, are a reflection of me.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Of course I believe that "crap".

Yes...there are employees who refuse to conform to the demands of the particular job...but a good manager doesn't keep them employed for long. What exactly does a manager "manage"...if not his employees? And if a manager is "bad"...then he himself should quickly find himself without a job. I know business-owners who seldom show up at their own stores, because they wildly overestimate the competence of their managers. It's a fatal mistake in today's ultra-competitive business world.

When a fast-food place consistently screws up my order...I don't only blame the preparer of that order. I, myself, have worked with customers for over 30 years...and I know better. What my customers see in my employees is the reflection of my managers...who, in turn, are a reflection of me.

Of course you are correct in the overall view of things. Good management really cures a lot of ills.

From an employee's perspective, I think just about everybody has had to work at a job where they were under the control of a bad manager. A good employee has some pride and tries to overcome bad management and still do a good job. That is why some bad managers are able to survive at their jobs for longer than they should. That and having a union job where merit is a foreign word.