Employers expecting people to work for £6.50 an hour!!

brokeinwales

I used to work for minimum wage when it was just under a fiver and it wasn't that bad. I lived in a shared house, didn't have a car or a TV, and had to entertain myself with cheap or free activities - but it wasn't exactly what I'd call hell. It's also worth noting I lived in a pretty rural area at the time - still managed without a car. You just do.

I'm not sure that when people start out in work they should be really expecting to have a flat to themselves, own a car, have massive savings, or go on holidays abroad - those are the kinds of things you expect to work towards, not things you just get as a basic human right (if you've got some kind of hygenic and safe roof over your head and can afford to eat three meals a day, you've got your "rights" covered - and you can do that on minimum wage easy). I went on my first holiday as an adult at the age of 25, after four years in the workplace - and I think I really enjoyed it because I knew it didn't come easy. I know how only really irritating people say things like this, but I do genuinly think that having to slog out and work really hard and live frugally can be quite character building, not to mention spur you on to try and achieve more.

Having said that, I won't deny there's times when being ordered yet again to do some thanklesss, boring task by a clueless manager who earns four times what you do for doing seemingly b-all, and then having to spend an hour in the supermarket with a calculator trying to work out if you can afford to buy Tetley's tea or whether it's red label again, is thouroughly demoralising - but it happens to most of us at some point.

I did aspire to earn more money, and now I'm still hoping to earn more money in the future, so perhaps eventually I can buy a car, then save up a deposit to own my own house. Whilst I look at some job ad's and think it takes the pee a bit, what they expect people to do for very low wages, I also feel a bit like if I hadn't earned very low pay in my first job, and low-side-of-average pay in my most recent job, then I'm not sur eI'd have much incentive to be trying to improve myself, look at other options, get more experience/ education etc (all that stuff has personal as well as financial benefits), so in the long run, I feel like starting people off on a low, but liveable, wage isn't such a bad thing.

paulinespens

Interesting post. We are lucky minimum wage. Rememeber that the CBI and the tories said it would create job losses as they would want you working in £3 an hour jobs for the rest of our lives.

House prices and rent prices are a joke in the UK when you look at how much somone on a low income earns. 5-6 years ago when I was working in England I was earning 14k a year and found it hard to make it on my own.

Capitlism is part of low wages with big corporations especially low labour = more profits.

sexki11en

kr15snw wrote: »

Yes we do pay £170 a month for a mortgage, and most of my friends do as well. How is that 'getting away with it lightly'? We have worked just as hard as everyone else, but we planned and got a good deal.

Yes we are lucky to have a small mortgage, but that's because the house was bought at the correct time (12 years ago) and a large deposit was also saved for!!

I think the point that was being made (however badly) is that a lot of other people are not in the fortunate position that you are with your mortgage. I pay 4 times as much as that on rent, but if I only paid £170 a month then yes, I could afford to live comfortably on NMW too.

The sad situation is that many people on NMW and even slightly above, will never be able to get on the property ladder now and that will make it harder for them to live on NMW.

You're arguement was that you can live on NMW comfortably - yes you can but thats because you saved for your deposit and got a good deal - whilst you were able to save and get a good deal. That option just isn't there for the majority of people right now because of the way things have gone.

SK x

kr15snw

I understand, but I still think that £700 a month is OTT. To be paying that much on a place to rent is a choice.

Yeah 3 bedroom semi's with nice gardens cost £700 a month down here. But a one bedroom flat (big flat) with small garden will cost as little as £300 a month with bills included.

SarEl

brokeinwales wrote: »

I used to work for minimum wage when it was just under a fiver and it wasn't that bad. I lived in a shared house, didn't have a car or a TV, and had to entertain myself with cheap or free activities - but it wasn't exactly what I'd call hell. It's also worth noting I lived in a pretty rural area at the time - still managed without a car. You just do.

I'm not sure that when people start out in work they should be really expecting to have a flat to themselves, own a car, have massive savings, or go on holidays abroad - those are the kinds of things you expect to work towards, not things you just get as a basic human right (if you've got some kind of hygenic and safe roof over your head and can afford to eat three meals a day, you've got your "rights" covered - and you can do that on minimum wage easy). I went on my first holiday as an adult at the age of 25, after four years in the workplace - and I think I really enjoyed it because I knew it didn't come easy. I know how only really irritating people say things like this, but I do genuinly think that having to slog out and work really hard and live frugally can be quite character building, not to mention spur you on to try and achieve more.

Having said that, I won't deny there's times when being ordered yet again to do some thanklesss, boring task by a clueless manager who earns four times what you do for doing seemingly b-all, and then having to spend an hour in the supermarket with a calculator trying to work out if you can afford to buy Tetley's tea or whether it's red label again, is thouroughly demoralising - but it happens to most of us at some point.

I did aspire to earn more money, and now I'm still hoping to earn more money in the future, so perhaps eventually I can buy a car, then save up a deposit to own my own house. Whilst I look at some job ad's and think it takes the pee a bit, what they expect people to do for very low wages, I also feel a bit like if I hadn't earned very low pay in my first job, and low-side-of-average pay in my most recent job, then I'm not sur eI'd have much incentive to be trying to improve myself, look at other options, get more experience/ education etc (all that stuff has personal as well as financial benefits), so in the long run, I feel like starting people off on a low, but liveable, wage isn't such a bad thing.

I do think that the NMW is too low, but I think one of the problems that I have with these sorts of debates is that no matter what the NMW is, there will (barring some form of utopian dream world) always be wage differentials. Some people will always be at the bottom and others won't. And I have no diea how to get around that. If I did I would probably be standing for "world benevolent dictator" at the next election for the post.

But I do think that you are right in many respects. I see far too many younger people coming out of education with an unrealistic approach to jobs and money. They want the luxuries in life staright away - foreign holidays, cars, satellite, a flat (to themselves), clubbing every Friday and Saturday night, etc., etc. Very nice if you can get it, but it simply isn't realistic to expect it. Good on you for getting stuck in and recognising that you have to graft for what you want. You obviously value what you get that way, and I am sure it will stand you in good stead to make some advances at work.

Googlewhacker

SarEl wrote: »

I do think that the NMW is too low,

Whatever rate NMW is it will be to low, that is just the way it is.

donaldsl1

I get paid £6 per hour, which may seem ok but i work for a care agency. some calls are only half an hour so i get paid £3 for that. With no pay inbetween calls.! However I qualify as a nurse in January so i know the experience is gonna be of use. I love the job, but just wished it payed better. Although in no way does that impact on my work, i give 110% to each person I tend to. Just about to go and earn £3 now lol. Oh well....... x

Googlewhacker

donaldsl1 wrote: »

I get paid £6 per hour, which may seem ok but i work for a care agency. some calls are only half an hour so i get paid £3 for that. With no pay inbetween calls.! However I qualify as a nurse in January so i know the experience is gonna be of use. I love the job, but just wished it payed better. Although in no way does that impact on my work, i give 110% to each person I tend to. Just about to go and earn £3 now lol. Oh well....... x

See as discussed before it is wrong that you only get £3 for 30 minutes work, and that doesn't include the time there and back I guess either!

Indie_Kid

donaldsl1 wrote: »

I get paid £6 per hour, which may seem ok but i work for a care agency. some calls are only half an hour so i get paid £3 for that. With no pay inbetween calls.! However I qualify as a nurse in January so i know the experience is gonna be of use. I love the job, but just wished it payed better. Although in no way does that impact on my work, i give 110% to each person I tend to. Just about to go and earn £3 now lol. Oh well....... x

My mum was the same. She was fed up of being out for 8 hours and only doing 5 hours work.

donaldsl1

Googlewhacker wrote: »

See as discussed before it is wrong that you only get £3 for 30 minutes work, and that doesn't include the time there and back I guess either!

Nope it doesn't It pays 20p per mile. which doesnt help me out atall seen as they have me all over the city! x