Why do people look down in those with low skilled jobs?

[GenuineMan90]

Why are people like this towards them? I get the impression that they think they're too dumb to do anything else. Most people I've seen are quite clever and could much better jobs.

Do you mean low skilled or low paid.
I think as a society we place value on what people earn and see people who earn high as ‘better than’ those who are low paid.

I think the concept of low skill high skill is a difficult one. To be a good care worker for example you have to be skilled and experienced. I know people with supposedly “skilled jobs” I don’t particularly thing their jobs are skilled they just have a very forward and confident personality that has taken them up the ladder into a well paid role.

I also think lots of people who are doing well in terms of finances and job totally over look the massive leg ups they get (eg having wealthy parents, going to a private school, social capital from being middle class etc). So they don’t understand that for others getting a higher paid or higher skilled job is much harder.

People are snobs. That's the reason. You see it on posts on here - "my daughter doesn't want to go to uni and we've looked at apprenticeships but it's just stuff like hairdressing" followed by another post "I went to the hairdressers and paid £300 and she did a terrible job and my hair is a mess..."

🙄

Do they?? I don't think so. We were all applauding key workers a year ago

Because they're unpleasant and snobbish, and quick to judge, must probably.

Only stupid people look down on others. So the answer is because they’re stupid.

Been there, seen it, got the T Shirt

I make a point of thanking the people where I work who clean the toilets and keep the place ticking over

Without them the place would grind to a halt very quickly👍👍

Because some are parents and the lifestyle of the job doesn't necessarily fit well with having children, because some can't afford childcare, because some can't get suitable child care, because some need to work around school hours, because some are also carers and need work around caring responsibilities and many careers don't necessarily fit around all those responsibilities

Going off on a tangent but genuinely, out of interest, why aren't they then

A friend of mine has a phd and has always been very academically minded. She's worked in customer service type role in a factory since. Single and no children so it's not to work around family life. I've known her since we were young children and she's just never been very ambitious, she has enough to manage on (though doesn't currently own a house, lives in a house share). Though she will eventually inherit her parents modest house possibly.

Thank God we have people in this world who are less judgemental than others. If it wasn't for the "low skilled' cleaner some of these huge big banking offices or government buildings wouldn't be able to be open.

We need people of all different levels of abilities to keep this world turning from cleaners to window cleaners, to teachers, to bank managers, to ceo's if it want for every working person in a job of whatever level then this world would be fucked!

Exactly this. And most low paid jobs are jobs that are essential and deserve much higher pay and recognition.

Some people don't live to work, their job isn't their life, it is just something to pay the bills. When I was a Civil Servant I got pushed to apply for promotion, I got the job & absolutely hated it, at the end of the month I was only £100 better off but was as miserable as hell, in the end I went back to my old job, no responsibility & I left my job in the office every night, no worrying & I could sleep at night.

I'm a cleaner, and people do look down their noses at the low skilled.

I've had one woman say to me 'you're' only a cleaner, another said 'you do know you don't have a very good job, don't you'.

People presume you are thick, I do this job because it suits. And I've had so many people tell me that they couldn't do what I can get done in the time frame. There is a skill to every job.

Ah, found a job snob. 🤔

Office work is hands down the easiest job I've ever had. Sit at a desk all day, typing records and answering enquiries. Send an email. Have a meeting. Honestly it was a cake walk compared to McDonald's which is much more demanding.

But hey, you're not going to like that, or even believe me, are you?

@GenuineMan90 I do agree with you to an extent OP. Although, it has to be said that it’s definitely not all people!!

I work part time as a retail manager for an independent store and it would probably surprise most people just how many comments are made (by customers!) to retail staff about them being thick/not having a proper job/having it easy JUST selling nice gifts all day then going home 🤣
Some people fail to see that the majority of my time is spent sourcing stock, working out profit margins, following trends, making merchandising plans, scheduling, doing all the HR, managing a team, training, dealing with health & safety, stocktaking and planning seasons in advance. Yes, I do just stand here and serve you 🙄🤣

I actually have a 1st Class Hons Degree but circumstances meant I had to leave the area I was in just after finishing uni. I would have to relocate again to work in my specialist field but it would impact our family life and DHs working life HUGELY and he has far bigger earning potential than me currently. So I chose to stay in this better area for our family, take a lower paid “lower skilled” job part time which allows me to be home most of the time with our DC and save on childcare costs

Because they need part time hours, burned out by a previous "good"job, caring responsibilities, hours that fit around partner, hours that fit picking up kids from school, can afford to do lowly (usually part time) jobs, it's a toss up better job with more expenses like travel, better clothes, or local crap job but walking distance.

I can think of more if it helps.

My mother does this, looks down on anyone who serves her at coffee shops, retail, anywhere really. She is a narcissistic bitch though, she is dumb and worked as a cleaner all her life. I admire people who work in these roles, it isnt easy at all.

I work in retail, some people talk to you like shit, others as if you are stupid. I do this job around caring responsibilities. I also made poor decisions when I was young.
I'd love to earn a decent wage, it ain't going to happen though. I've accepted poverty is my long term pension status.

Judge and be judged.

If someone wants to look down on people just because of the jobs they do or don't do, their opinion would be immaterial to me

You are thinking about what other people think about you, when the reality is they aren’t thinking about you at all. Too busy thinking about themselves.

Because they are judgemental arseholes. The low skilled jobs still need to be filled. Without people doing those jobs, society would be fucked.

I used to be a cleaner in a hospital. I remember apologising profusely for getting in the way of a doctor when he was attending to a patient in PICU (I was cleaning the space around the bed). He told me that I was not "just a cleaner" and that my job was just as important as his. That always stuck with me.

I did a range of “low skilled” jobs in my youth - barista, retail, bar work, receptionist, call centre etc etc - and can confirm that some people really treat you like you’re an idiot because of the job you do and/or refuse to show even basic respect. I guess there’s a culture of social hierarchy when it comes to jobs (a throwback to more strictly defined class distinctions maybe?) and an old-fashioned idea that some people are somehow “better” than others because of their occupation. Total bullshit and I’m glad I did those jobs because I was totally on a fast track to being a right snob!

The people you meet on your way up, are the ones you can meet on your way down..

"so anyway assistant is getting a decent payrise."

But YOU deskilled her/his job??? Did I understand that right?

This.

back when we worked in the office if I or another of the desk staff was off a week the rest would manage around it.

our cleaner would be off a day and the place would fall to pieces

I like this.

What people forget is those jobs people class as "low skilled" are often the jobs with crappy hours and that people realise keep the country running or at least comfortable.

I'm aware it isn't a miracle my office is clean, bins emptied and smells fresh every day.

Someone who earns half the amount per hour as me does that.

My job is also probably classed as low skilled!

And I still find it ironic they were hailed in the pandemic for being out there running the country yet we still don't recognise these people or remunerate them accordingly.