Why do people only pay the minimum wage

Malcolm.

StevieJ wrote: »

I bet they clean up before you come as well

This is why I won't employ a cleaner - the wife would insist on the house being clean before they arrived.

bo_drinker

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

Because then they'd be on the same rate as the Assistant Warehose Manager who has a lot more responsibility - and that wouldn't be fair would it?

(nb I'm not joking!)

So then his wage needs to go up, then those above him want more etc etc etc..... which is why we have a minimum wage.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mYY1QGK0jQ

Doshwaster

Malcolm. wrote: »

This is why I won't employ a cleaner - the wife would insist on the house being clean before they arrived.

I'm actually thinking of getting a cleaner to come around once a week to do the jobs I hate. Having a cleaner may make some people messier ("it's the cleaners job to pick that up") but I'm sure is that it would make me become tidier as I'd be embarrassed if the cleaner came around to find the house in a total mess.

vaporate

shortchanged wrote: »

This discussion just shows what is wrong with our society.

At least this cleaner is WORKING and not claiming unemployment benefits.

Fine let your company go without cleaners and see how long your business survives. Many of you high and mighty earners out there don't actually realise the reality if people like these didn't exist. Would hotels continue to function without kitchen porters and room cleaners?

yeh 2.5 million voluntary sign up for that don't they out of choice... rolls eyes.

Cleaver

GreedyCheater wrote: »

Its because people like cleaners are of no special value to the company at all, thus they have no care if they have a new cleaner to replace the old 1 every week, as itl take them under 1minute to find someone else who can do that same job.

The_White_Horse wrote: »

a cleaner is the lowest of the low job. it is paid so low, because everyone in the entire world could do it, including children and even some mentally challenged people.

I guess the answer to the original question is that cleaners are paid the minimum wage as this is the market rate (I understand the irony of a market rate being an artificial amount set by the government), but in essense companies can advertise for cleaners at minimum wage and people are willing to do it for that, thus it's the market rate.

The contempt for cleaners from some of the posters on here is obviously quite predictable but also quite puzzling. I recently spent a couple of weeks putting together a Project Initiation Document but then the project was shelved, without anyone reading it. Who was of more value to the organisation that week, me or the cleaner? The cleaner was the only one who was productive.

I often use the example of when my Mum was in hospital for my points, so apologies for using it again. But during her stay, which was an awful time for us all, the ward cleaner was a constant source of happiness for my Mum. Like the Health Care Assistant (another role which is very low paid) the cleaner was someone who was around most of the day - engaging in a bit of banter etc. They were really cheery, helpful and had great interpersonal skills which was really important for my Mum, and therefore us as family. They were in a key part of the team in the way that they interacted with the patients, which is surely really important in a healthcare environment?

I know an office isn't quite the same, but the lack of simple respect from some people towards others on here is really disrespectful. So what if pretty much anyone could do the job? Be proud you have a job, do it well, make an effect and someone will notice and promote you to someone else. I like our cleaners. They make the office clean, which is a vital role. Most of them are nice people who do a good job and, who knows, one day life might throw me a sh*tty hand and I have to be a cleaner, at which point I'll do the job with pride.

I sometimes wonder how some people on this forum operate on a day to day basis with so much hostility and hatred bubbling under the surface. They must have some real issues.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Cleaver wrote: »

I like our cleaners. They make the office clean, which is a vital role. Most of them are nice people who do a good job and, who knows, one day life might throw me a sh*tty hand and I have to be a cleaner, at which point I'll do the job with pride.
.

Well said.

Despite the fact that it's sadly not economically viable to pay everyone in this world more money, we should not forget that a lot of people doing some pretty unglamorous jobs do them very well and without complaint. And the rest of us rely on them to do so, whilst often forgetting that without them our lives would be much tougher.

DervProf

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Well said.

Despite the fact that it's sadly not economically viable to pay everyone in this world more money, we should not forget that a lot of people doing some pretty unglamorous jobs do them very well and without complaint. And the rest of us rely on them to do so, whilst often forgetting that without them our lives would be much tougher.

Also, don`t forget FTB`s, eh Hamish ?

Those who celebrate HPI rely on them to buy (at ever higher prices), without them HPI would turn to HPD.

"Our lives woud be much tougher" ?

I don`t find life tough, it`s pretty easy really (living in the UK).

dawyldthing

The_White_Horse wrote: »

cleaners should be glad they get over inflated salary they do. if they took away the minimum wage and actually made most of the benefit scrounger brigade work, they would be lucky to get £1 an hour.

they are ten a penny no skill jobs that a 5 yr old could do. how much do they want????

I think its mean. You would be surprised what they put up with. I've been on placement in school and there always there tidying up after everything, and you do miss them when they are not there. I think all wages should be a bit more equal. No-one has yet to convince me that bankers, pen pushers and the like should be paid anywhere near what they are paid, especially when half the jobs are not that difficult to do but are paid out of proportion (and yes I have done some of said jobs as a temp and could have done them with my eyes shut.) I think people should give people like cleaners and the like some credit as its more difficult than we realise

dawyldthing

In addition there was a study out not too long ago to say that to keep people out of poverty the minimum wage would need to be around £7.50:

http://www.moneyweek.com/blog/its-time-to-raise-the-minimum-wage-00111.aspx

although I swear I read it somewhere where one of the Labour ministers recommended it earlier in the year, unless they quoted this, but I can't remember

stringsmk2

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

On an individual basis, you're right.

Assuming the company is one of any real size and scale, changing the wage of one employee will hardly register on the bottom line at all.

The problem is more one of fairness and employee relations.

Because whilst changing one employee salary makes little difference, changing everyone elses doing the same or a similarly paid job really adds up quickly.

The figures you suggest are around a 30% pay rise.

Labour costs in a company will often be 30% or more of turnover, whilst net profit at the end of the year can be under 10% of turnover.

I assume you can see the challenge in such a scenario of raising labour costs from 30% of turnover to say, 40% of turnover, which would eliminate the profit for the business owner.

I was merely using some random figures, but the site I was working on was turning over a million pounds per month, so increasing the guys wages by 60 per week is hardly large sum worth worrying about, but the goodwill given to the lowest paid person on that site would be ten fold.