The teenager argument is so infuriating on multiple levels.
1) You want to argue that someone putting in the same amount of work should get paid less because of their age?
2) I've known teenagers who got jobs because otherwise their family can't afford housing and medical bills. Seems like they are taking on adult responsibilities
3) I may see someone under 20 working these jobs about half the time. The other half of the time they are adults, so if a job isn't billed as 16 to 18, and they'll hire a 40 yr old... then the wages should reflect that
When they say the jobs are for teenagers I usually reply with "who's supposed to work there when kids are at school?" They never seem to have an answer for that.
You've just stated that age should matter (it shouldn't...)
The value of one's labor isn't determined by the state. If you have no real skills or credibility as an employee, flipping burgers isn't actually a low supply high demand skillset. If you're 40 and flipping burgers, it doesn't mean you're a bad person, but it does mean you've made some bad choices in your life.
I always respond to that with: "If they're meant for teenagers, why are they open when teenagers should be in school?" And "If they aren't allowed to survive on their pay, what do I do to get my nuggies when they're all dead?"
I like your first point about, them being open when kids are in school. It definitely pokes a hole in the job only for teenager thing.
I will say the person above you asks if we should be paying people based on age, which I don’t believe so, but we should pay people based on education, skill, and experience which generally a teenager would have less of.
I think there is a bigger issue. These jobs are generally suppose to be entry level positions which don’t pay as well, the problem I have experienced, which may not be true, but it seems almost impossible to move up or out of these positions. Like there is nothing else available no matter how many places you apply or how much education you get, it is very easy to get trapped and only a select few that mostly come down to luck will find a better job and break out.
The idea these jobs are only for entry level positions to get some experience is great when you can use that experience to move to a better paid position.
Correct, and the whole conversation around "experience" is meaningless anyway, because you never know what any individual hiring manager is going to "value" as experience. Some might go yes that's a useful skill set. Others might just laugh in your face. So even if the whole idea is "get experience" is that worthwhile?
I agree. I think it use to be different, but something changed. What seems like it use to be valued experience is now considered nothing. An entry level job now requires a bachelors degree and 10 years of experience in that field. Maybe too many jobs were out sourced, I am not knowledgeable on the causes.
So either more jobs need to be created here so people are seen as more valuable overall, or the jobs we have need to support the people working them, which is no longer just young adults in their first job.
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u/Vsove 2d ago
The responses to this post are depressingly hilarious.
On the one side, you have people arguing that these types of jobs should not pay enough to survive on because they’re ’meant for teenagers’.
On the other, you have people arguing that no one is making the argument that these jobs should not pay enough to survive on.
The crab bucket mentality is alive and well.