Employers can't 'afford' to pay a living wage?

whitegoods_engineer

Isn't it funny how employers complain about the minimum wage and how they can't afford to pay proper wages.

Well, Mr employer, why do you think it is ok to pay your workers a wage so low that the worker cannot afford to live?

If an employer can't afford to pay a living wage to his staff, he is either taking too much for himself, or not charging enough for his goods and services.

Why can't we get together in this country and 'name and shame' employers who are not paying their employees an adequate wage.

Don't expect your staff to subsidise your customers.

ILW

There is a minimum wage by law.
Employees tend to get paid what they are worth, or go elsewhere.
Labour is a commodity like any other.

fedster

Minimum wage is not an adequate wage far from it, what is an adequate wage well i guess there is no set figure it varies from person to person depending on their own personal circumstances.

Itismehonest

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

Isn't it funny how employers complain about the minimum wage and how they can't afford to pay proper wages.

Well, Mr employer, why do you think it is ok to pay your workers a wage so low that the worker cannot afford to live?

If an employer can't afford to pay a living wage to his staff, he is either taking too much for himself, or not charging enough for his goods and services.

Why can't we get together in this country and 'name and shame' employers who are not paying their employees an adequate wage.

Don't expect your staff to subsidise your customers.

Easy answer to this is that if the price of the product or service goes up beyond a certain point that product or service becomes uncompetitive.
If people weren't looking for cheaper options this site wouldn't exist.

When that happens the business goes bust & the employees have no wages at all.
It's a balance.

Do you buy only British made products regardless if they are the dearest or do you spend with a view to a good deal - even if those products are made in sweatshops overseas where the workers earn much, much less than here?

marybelle01

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

Isn't it funny how employers complain about the minimum wage and how they can't afford to pay proper wages.

Well, Mr employer, why do you think it is ok to pay your workers a wage so low that the worker cannot afford to live?

If an employer can't afford to pay a living wage to his staff, he is either taking too much for himself, or not charging enough for his goods and services.

Why can't we get together in this country and 'name and shame' employers who are not paying their employees an adequate wage.

Don't expect your staff to subsidise your customers.

I agree entirely. So you always pay that bit extra down the supermarket for fair traded coffee and not nescafe or the own brand? Etc. Etc. Principles start where they end. Most people in the UK expect poor people to subsidise the cost of their morning coffee, their clothes and whatever else they buy. Was the computer you posted this from built in the UK or by children in India or Korea? And I am seriously not taking the !!!!. I just would like to know if your principles extend past your own wage packet …

whitegoods_engineer

marybelle01 wrote: »

I agree entirely. So you always pay that bit extra down the supermarket for fair traded coffee and not nescafe or the own brand? Etc. Etc. Principles start where they end. Most people in the UK expect poor people to subsidise the cost of their morning coffee, their clothes and whatever else they buy. Was the computer you posted this from built in the UK or by children in India or Korea? And I am seriously not taking the !!!!. I just would like to know if your principles extend past your own wage packet …

Well I have no control whatsoever about how products I buy are made. My point is simply this; If an employer has a real business, he will cost all factors into his business model to arrive at a price to charge for his goods & services. Included in this mix, he should ensure that his workers are paid a sufficient wage. Simple as that!

If he complains that this makes his goods too expensive, then his business is unsustainable as he is relying on his staff to accept a low wage to make his product competitive!

Again, I ask, why should an employee subsidise the cost of a product?

ILW

You need to move into the real world.

Northerness

ILW wrote: »

There is a minimum wage by law.
Employees tend to get paid what they are worth, or go elsewhere.
Labour is a commodity like any other.

There are too many loopholes to get around minimum wage, these include:

1) Paying no wage at all (work experience/interns)
2) Having your employees classed as "self employed"
3) Running OTE schemes
4) Paying the so-called minimum wage salary based on 39 hrs per week - and then expecting unpaid overtime on evenings and weekends on top of this.

The UK National Minimum Wage is a myth.

Googlewhacker

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

Isn't it funny how employers complain about the minimum wage and how they can't afford to pay proper wages. NMW is a proper wage

Well, Mr employerBit sexist isn't it?, why do you think it is ok to pay your workers a wage so low that the worker cannot afford to live? Get the government to raise it if you disagree

If an employer can't afford to pay a living wage to his staff, he is either taking too much for himself, or not charging enough for his goods and services.Wow business is that easy is it?

Why can't we get together in this country and 'name and shame' employers who are not paying their employees an adequate wage.
Whats an adequate wage?
Don't expect your staff to subsidise your customers.

What a load of tripe, are you an employer and if not why not become one and then see how easy it is...

KiKi

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

If an employer can't afford to pay a living wage to his staff, he is either taking too much for himself, or not charging enough for his goods and services.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Yes, because those are the ONLY two reasons an employer might struggle! Seriously...:rotfl:

Don't expect your staff to subsidise your customers.

Okay. I hope you're not complaining when you have to pay £3.50 for a pint of milk.

KiKi

marybelle01

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

Well I have no control whatsoever about how products I buy are made. ...

Again, I ask, why should an employee subsidise the cost of a product?

You have as much control over how the products you buy are made as you expect us to have control over the price of the product you make. That is a lazy and lousy excuse. Why should people in developing countries subsidise the cost of the products you buy? You do have control - you can refuse to buy products that are not fairtraded so the producer gets a fair wage. The people whose products you buy run real businesses - most of them multinationals! But their producers may be on a lot less than $2 a day! Try that for a minimum wage and see how it works out. It is exactly thr argument you are making for yourself. I guess it doesn't apply to other people. Why shouldn't I expect you to subsidise the cheap goods I want - you expect others to subsidise the cheap goods you want!