SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

Just look at them and smile. for (me!) sandra, tvgp

since my divorce; or more accurately, since the termination of spousal support, over 7 years ago, I have held a variety of

what word shall I use here?   -well, I was a cashier at Amelia's deli (now closed) in downtown Pleasanton; a primarily packaging person, for Creative Imaging Photography Studio, although if I were to bullet point everything I did the list would be long, and I don't have the time write now..

I poured wine in the tasting room at Ruby Hill  -and more recently, at Tenuta.  I was a front desk/hospitality person & shuttle driver for Courtyard Marriott in Livermore..

I am currently a cashier/sales/merchandising at Ricks Picks a couple days a week, and cashier.. also, with a long bullet point list of other responsibilities at Alden Lane    -and have almost always simultaneously had volunteer work co-going-on with paid work.

so,  low paying to no paying work.  I am well acquainted with both low and no paying work.

and the very first thing I want to say for the permanent record is this:

there is absolutely, in my experience, no correlation between work load and pay load.   -I'm not sure how

not sure what the behind the scenes pay structure trees look like, only that, there is one, and in each place you have people making the most; and people making the least, and someone has determined who makes what

and why?    what are they basing their decisions on  -exactly?

I would love to have access to this information to better understand how these things get determined

TRANSPARENCY    

but without this information or understanding, and with only my direct experience as one of the low paid employees in any given place of work

I am constantly amazed at the ratio of work and responsibility to pay.

amazed being a euphemism of course.

anyway..    in this current climate,  fall of 2016, rumors

which have been confirmed, are spreading, that MINIMUM WAGE will soon be increased from

what is it now?  not sure..  $10/hr

but it is to be raised I believe to $15.    

and, oh! all the boo-hoo-hoo, whaaaa, whaaa, whaa..     from the top down..

well when it crosses my ear, and lands on my heart   -based on my personal experience

I'm like..     its about time!    way over-due, and..

how many opportunities for voluntary increases from upper management based on merit and level of responsibility have taken place   -as they should have?

/Jesus never condemns only convicts;  -remember that

anyway..

the cost of living vs. wages gap, as I have written about already is

GARGANTUAN

and in many cases,  -not all, but many..

you have people with plenty of money to live on; grocery shop with, vacation with, gift shop, medical/dental/vision,  entertainment, multiple investments..   on and on

against..    trying to keep food on the table and gas in the car

so I have very little empathy/compassion for how hard it is going to be for some businesses to stay open once the minimum wage increases

oh yes, of course, I hate to see smaller and family owned businesses lose to large corporations; and for chains to have the monopoly and gobble up..   etc, etc,

but..

I smiled at the irony recently

how, sometimes   -not always

and some people   -not all people

but some people

some people look upon low paid employees with judgmental hearts and minds..

like,  -had you made better decisions..

if you worked hard enough..

-your financial woes are YOUR financial woes and not my responsibility..

if you had a better education..

if you don't like it; leave..


well, low paid employees, who are in fact a VITAL PART of any and every business ive ever worked in for the past

since I was 15 years old, ive been working..

and,

so,

now,   -low paid employees, who already carry a burden, are having this extra burden laid on them

/but remain impervious!  "remain impervious!"


' the very fact we are required by law to pay you more!  this will be the end of my business!

we'll have to close..      and how do you like that?

you costly low paid employees you!"


and what I REALLY FOUND INTERESTING recently, was the conversations floating through the air that talk about now..

"and if YOU

/YOU = lowest paid employee

"and if YOU get a raise..    then everyone else above you must get a raise, because.."


and ive been thinkin' the most about that one...   because Why?

because, no matter what, this position must pay a certain % more than that position no matter what?

what is this based on?    

what if a business were to increase the lowest paid positions, and not increase pay for the higher up positions

My Good God?!?


I mean, the implications....


so..     I am a big supporter of the increase in minimum wage.   and when low paid employees are on the receiving end of human judgements about low wages being their own damn fault



if you don't like it; leave.  if you don't like it; change it yourself..


well; when business owners complain and worry their business might close when the increase becomes a law..



just look at them and smile.


the amount of work; type of work; demands of some of these low paying positions which are always a vital part of the whole and success of any given company/business

well,

it is my personal experience that none of them should even be low paying in the first place.



***

someone, please give me access to the pay structures...
how are these decisions made?   what is the gap between lowest/highest paid?   how is that justified?  what is the thinking?   how is budget determined?

I am not a corporate owner; I am not a business owner; I am not an economist

I speak from the perspective of a low paid employee who has, and does an awful lotta work, strong work ethic; above & beyond..

***

In Jesus only knows name,   -amen!

posted by SHE @ 8:55 AM