To think, minimum wage, minimum effort

[angelos02]

If you think all I am worth is the absolute legal minimum you can pay me then you will get the absolute minimum I can get away with. Common sense really.

I work in a school nursery, which makes it slightly different! but tbh I don't give a toss really if I'm being exploited, my kids attend the school too so I'm directly benefitting from making it a nicer place for them to be. I'm lucky in that I work because I want to. I also run my own business which makes up the difference in pay for me and makes it viable... I'd do so e sort of voluntary work anyway, and let's face it that sector runs because of some bastard somewhere robbing money from people who really need it. ;)

Well in some ways it agree with you op. I worked as a part time night carer on MW for a long time when my children were babies. I was bloody good at my job but I wouldn't ever have put myself out for my employer in any way at all. I refused to go to training courses unless they were paid, I went home at 0800 on the dot, whether I'd done all my work or not and I never ever would have done any extras, wouldn't change shifts, works overtime ect even if it left them in the lurch. It sounds harse but my employer took the piss out of huge majority of the staff because they could.

I earn good money now for an employer with scruples who value their staff and treat us with respect. I bend over backwards for them.

Minimum wage employers quite often take the absolute piss out of their staff and they are able to continue to do it because there are so many people desperate for work to pay the bills. That does not make it ok.

No-one should be able to say , don't want to be fucked over royally by your employers.. Don't work in care. Etc etc etc. I was a fantastic carer. That doesn't mean I will allow myself to be treated like a mug.

Ahh that's the difference though isn't it...
If you feel valued, respected, take pride in what you do and enjoy what you do and know your employer is paying what they can it doesn't feel so bad.
It's when you work for a company that makes squillions in profit and you feel unappreciated, not respected, treated as if you are an idiot or a child, know however hard you work it will never be enough and that you won't advance even if you jump through every hoop they give you with false promises of career potential that people begin to feel that they are being taken for a ride.
Many bigger companies brag about their internal training but in reality there is little hope of ever advancing.
They then expect the government to subsidise the poor wages.
Whilst the original OP suggested minimum effort most people I know do the job to expectation/best of ability but resent doing 'extra' as they get no extra pay/respect/prospects.

Guinea I suppose if you can afford it that's brilliant for you, unfortunately loads of people can't :( I would have loved to have stayed as a care assistant, even though I'm a nurse now I miss the time I could have with people, but I just couldn't afford to stay there.

What do people feel about agency workers on the nmw working alongside others earning a proper wage, doing the same job(and knowing they get no sick or holiday pay) ?

Because that's what happens at dh's workplace.

ThatBloody Agency workers in a lot of sectors are actually on more than those with a 'proper' job.

Yes, I know Nursey.

And I imagine in some cases that it probably just makes them able to take sick when needed, and holidays.In other cases, yes, I am sure some are doing much better.

But I was commenting on this particular situation where they have minimum wage, no sick pay, no holiday pay, and are always first out when things go slack. Why would they put in 110% compared with a worker on a contract?I could understand if they're trying to shine in the hope of a permanent position, but it's all about laying off rather than recruitment nowadays.

How demoralizing to work immediately alongside someone doing the same job on several £ an hour more than you.....

My lady job paid just above minimum wage and most of my colleagues were on minimum wage. We worked irregular shifts. The majority of people there had post graduate degrees in subjects related to their job. I couldn't afford to go back to my job once I had children. Most people stayed in the job for a few years and moved on to better paid things, but it was a job that was enjoyable mostly because of the chance to work with such clever, interesting engaged people.

Last job, not lady job.

An agency worker who's been there for 12 weeks should be paid the same as colleagues doing the same job.

Is that the law Dinosaurs?

uselessidiotWed 19-Mar-14 15:27:31

I've figured it must be me since there's more than one of them. I stopped taking my breaks all together to try and prove them wrong but got warned under health and safety rules. I'm entitled to 45min but only take 15 to keep the othe boss happy. I have a bladder problem but have taken to wearing pads rather than going to the toilet . I obsessively check all my monitoring stats at the end of each shift too.

Will yr employer keep you on when you develop kidney stones. I cant believe that you dont try to hold yourself for a period of time because as human beings (yes we are human beings and should be treated as such) we are too well toilet trained. And this is 2014 FFS!

I would love to know your employers policy on employing disabled ppl/someone with Crohns etc.

From government website:

After 12 weeks in the same job with the same hirer
If you qualify, youre entitled to the same basic terms and conditions as if you had been recruited directly, including:

basic pay, including holiday pay, overtime and bonuses linked to your performance
working time eg not having to work more than 48 hours a week if comparable workers dont have to
annual leave - you may get extra pay to cover this if its above your legal entitlement
night work
rest breaks and rest periods
paid time off for antenatal appointments
It doesnt matter if you are working full time or part time.

Your rights are based on those of a comparable worker - ie someone directly recruited by the hirer to do the same job at the same time.

If there are no comparable workers or employees youre not entitled to equal treatment.

Thanks Dinosaurs.
I will pass that info on in the hope that it can be applied.

Oh nursey don't get me wrong. I was trying to say minimum wages just DOESNT = minimum effort for a lot of people? I do however think it's absolutely bloody wrong that people in jobs like teaching, carer roles etc are paid minimum wage. There are also a LOT of MW jobs considered to be open to all, no qualifications required. In fact most of these jobs, to be done well, require the (untested, ungraded and unvalued it seems in the moneyed world) essential qualification of being a human being who gives a shit about other human beings and has the ability to make a difference to their lives, well being and mental health.
It's crap that people who are utterly brilliant at their work and make a fantastic difference are stopped from doing so because of crappily low wages. I personally would like to see us all out on the streets demanding more for people in ALL of these jobs.

Sorry, error there, I know teachers don't get minimum wage, but ta's aren't far off!

Here Here,

darkest WTF do you mean you can't believe I don't try and hold it? Of course I do. I have a bladder problem which means I go straight from not needing it to bursting in seconds. I've managed to hold in for 2-3 hrs but in this time if I sneeze or try to lift anything I leak. I just physically can't stop this . According to the dr it's damage caused by years of holding it in all day.

I'm paid min wage in retail... I turn up, do my hours and go home....

I feel "valued", my employer loves my work because I am skilled at what I do.... (I talk about crafts with people all day - sorry ....I "work" in a craft shop, what's not to like )

but there is no possibility of advancement, of extra money, of extra time off...... so I just do my job and go home...

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

Not rtft, but I absolutely agree with the op. I think that anyone on minimum wage who thinks that they owe it to others to work hard at their job is frankly a victim of false consciousness.

littledrummergirl - "I now clock in on time, expect to leave on time, spend 20% of my time helping colleagues and do what my contract states for the rest.
If you want me to put more in, look at my skill set and pay me accordingly."

That sound entirely fair and correct.

I don't think people should go to work to skive BUT I am well aware that many employers put a lot of NMW workers under pressure to work unpaid hours and that is utterly out of order. I want the Govt to crack down on that and frankly the unions should be demanding it and Labour should be fighting hard for fair employment practices.

I absolutely resent employers forcing workers to work unpaid hours who are already on NMW. I also resent and refuse to frequent restaurants that add a service charge and yet don't give that to staff or withhold some of it to cover spurious charges like 'crockery breakages' and/or tip processing costs.

ZOMBIE