Minimum wage and jobs that pay a little more

stillholly · 2023-12-06T22:28:08+00:00

As the minimum wage has been increasing and I believe it will be around £11.44 next year, what does that mean for slightly more skilled jobs that haven't seen similar increases? AIBU to think that there is going to be a layer of workers that are not being paid much more than minimum wage for a job that would have been a healthier gap between their salary and the minimum wage when they first started the job? Potentially these people could leave and find a minimum wage job with less stress /hard work : responsibility etc for not much less pay?

Whattodowithit88 · 06/12/2023 22:32

Yes yabu. The skilled workers shoukd be paid more, not the minimum wage lowered back down. Employers need to once again pay people properly instead of coping out. Working tax credits broke this country’s workforce and it needs to be corrected, shit wages in this country have gone on for far, far, far too long!!

IgnoranceNotOk · 06/12/2023 22:38

Totally agree with the above poster!
I just thought well I hope this means other sectors will get a similar pay rise this year.
I’m so sick of hearing about the profits of companies who pay their staff peanuts and it shouldn’t be allowed!

people moan about the benefits system but that is as it is meant to be and a basic living. Jobs should pay plenty more so people can afford luxuries and want to work!
that’s the way to change things.

tescocreditcard · 06/12/2023 22:40

I agree, people who earn a little bit more than minimum wage will go for the minimum wage jobs with much less stress.

I saw an advert for a care home manager paying £25k. At 40 hours a week thats £12 an hour. The carers will get £11.45 next year. It's quite mind boggling really, that employers can't see this.

shakeitoffshakeacocktail · 06/12/2023 22:41

I'm on the fence with this one, I dislike when people say 'sometimes I want to leave my job and get an easy job stocking shelves or something'
Usually they think that minimum wage jobs mean's minimum effort/ switch off and just work'

This is a rose tinted glasses view of minimum wage jobs, and not everyone could hack it!

Also if people 'downgrade' to a minimum wage job not everyone can move up as easily as move down and people need those jobs!

Yes employers should pay reasonably above minimum wage but it doesn't always come fairly

I thought something similar when the nurses striked.

10 years ago it felt poor to be on minimum wage and nursing a decent salary for life.

Now the gap has seriously shortened

Original poster

stillholly · 06/12/2023 22:44

tescocreditcard · 06/12/2023 22:40

I agree, people who earn a little bit more than minimum wage will go for the minimum wage jobs with much less stress.

I saw an advert for a care home manager paying £25k. At 40 hours a week thats £12 an hour. The carers will get £11.45 next year. It's quite mind boggling really, that employers can't see this.

Yes this is exactly the point I was trying to make but not sure I explained it very well.

OP posts:

shakeitoffshakeacocktail · 06/12/2023 22:44

tescocreditcard · 06/12/2023 22:40

I agree, people who earn a little bit more than minimum wage will go for the minimum wage jobs with much less stress.

I saw an advert for a care home manager paying £25k. At 40 hours a week thats £12 an hour. The carers will get £11.45 next year. It's quite mind boggling really, that employers can't see this.

This is the reason why in my sector all our site managers got a decent pay increase as the national minimum caught them up!

I believe the same will have to happen this April

It's tough in our sector as our company income is capped by government subsidies and they have barley gone up but the wage bill sure has!

penjil · 06/12/2023 22:59

Whattodowithit88 · 06/12/2023 22:32

Yes yabu. The skilled workers shoukd be paid more, not the minimum wage lowered back down. Employers need to once again pay people properly instead of coping out. Working tax credits broke this country’s workforce and it needs to be corrected, shit wages in this country have gone on for far, far, far too long!!

Amen to that!

LongAndWindingRoads · 06/12/2023 23:01

Minimum paid jobs are extremely stressful, only someone who had never worked one would think they're easier.
They only want you on minimum hours as well so they can get out of paying you proper sick and holiday pay, they tell you overtime will be available, but only when it suits them. You never know from month to month how many hours you will work or what you will come out with. Plus the working environment is usually very unpleasant, especially if it's retail. Customers only catch a snap shot of what it's really like whilst shopping, if l had a pound for every teacher or other professional who came into retail ( supermarket) thinking it would be easier, only to leave a few weeks later l would be a very rich woman.

ThinWomansBrain · 06/12/2023 23:14

I work in the charity sector, and see this often, either with the legal minimum wage, or where there is a commitment to London Living Wage.
The people on the lowest salaries get a hike, and the charity is often not in a position to apply the same percentage increment to all staff - even when a total freeze is imposed on leadership team salaries.

I presume the same happens in commercial organisations that are only turning a small profit.

gooddayruby · 06/12/2023 23:54

Minimum wage jobs are not easier. Retail was the hardest job I've ever done 😵

easylikeasundaymorn · 07/12/2023 00:02

Whattodowithit88 · 06/12/2023 22:32

Yes yabu. The skilled workers shoukd be paid more, not the minimum wage lowered back down. Employers need to once again pay people properly instead of coping out. Working tax credits broke this country’s workforce and it needs to be corrected, shit wages in this country have gone on for far, far, far too long!!

OP hasn't suggested anything of the sort though? She's making the point that unless EVERYONE's wages go up commensurately with the minimum wage that at some point people will not think it's worth aiming for the next rung of the ladder. e.g. currently you can make more working at Aldi than as a childcare assistant/ECA on an ambulance/HCA on a ward or in a care home. As hard work as retail is (having done it), there's nowhere near as much responsibility as in those jobs.

Or even a more basic example, my friend currently works as a supervisor in a big retail chain, after minimum wage goes up he will be earning 2p more an hour than the new starter stacking shelves despite having a lot more responsibility. So yes, everyone's wages should go up, and if they don't I wouldn't blame people for thinking 'fuck this' to more responsibility for no real pay difference.

Of course if everyone's wages did go up in line with the minimum wage then prices would also continue to rise and probably lead to inflation.

POTC · 07/12/2023 00:14

I'm a retail manager and when the minimum wage rises I will be on the same as my Deputy. I work in the charity sector, they can't afford the MW increase so no chance of me getting an increase too.

Gracietaylor · 07/12/2023 00:17

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FrasierReboot · 07/12/2023 00:51

My bugbear is companies that advertise their jobs as 'competitive salary' when he's fucking minimum wage.

Gracietaylor · 07/12/2023 01:35

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Whattodowithit88 · 07/12/2023 05:59

I see what you’re saying now but if minimum wage didn’t go up then everything would just stay the same with skilled workers being paid shit money. If the minimum wage rises and skilled workers opt for a lower paid job with less stress (retail is not the only option that pays minimum wage, lots of sectors do so it’s not like they will be totally limited) then companies would need to pay more for skilled workers and management if no one is taking the job due to the low wage.

Minimum wage needs to rise in order for this to happen, otherwise nothing would happen. Minimum wage going up is good for the entire country as a whole. The needs of one doesn’t outweigh the needs of many……unless you’re a politician of course.

FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable · 07/12/2023 06:06

I don’t make a lot more than minimum wage £12.70 ph but my employer his giving us a £1 Ph. Pay rise as of this month to maintain gap between salary and min wage.

FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable · 07/12/2023 06:09

FrasierReboot · 07/12/2023 00:51

My bugbear is companies that advertise their jobs as 'competitive salary' when he's fucking minimum wage.

Yes, I hate this. Also see companies advertising salary based on a 45 hour week or including “expected gratuities” or holiday pay in hourly rate.

rolsete · 07/12/2023 06:12

FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable · 07/12/2023 06:06

I don’t make a lot more than minimum wage £12.70 ph but my employer his giving us a £1 Ph. Pay rise as of this month to maintain gap between salary and min wage.

That is a good employer. Especially doing it well before April when the new NMW kicks in. Wish all would/could follow suit.

SliceOfBread · 07/12/2023 06:14

FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable · 07/12/2023 06:09

Yes, I hate this. Also see companies advertising salary based on a 45 hour week or including “expected gratuities” or holiday pay in hourly rate.

Show quote history

“Generous holiday allowance - 20 days plus bank bank holidays” - that is not generous. That is the legal minimum.

Inyourwildestdreams · 07/12/2023 06:17

gooddayruby · 06/12/2023 23:54

Minimum wage jobs are not easier. Retail was the hardest job I've ever done 😵

@gooddayruby 16 years in retail here 👍🏻 7 as sales assistant/supervisor and 9 as management. Unfortunately sometimes retail is one of those things that needs to be seen to be believed 😂 I still get told all the time that it must be lovely to just be able to sell nice things all day 😅😂

wiseoldcat · 07/12/2023 06:25

shakeitoffshakeacocktail · 06/12/2023 22:41

I'm on the fence with this one, I dislike when people say 'sometimes I want to leave my job and get an easy job stocking shelves or something'
Usually they think that minimum wage jobs mean's minimum effort/ switch off and just work'

This is a rose tinted glasses view of minimum wage jobs, and not everyone could hack it!

Also if people 'downgrade' to a minimum wage job not everyone can move up as easily as move down and people need those jobs!

Yes employers should pay reasonably above minimum wage but it doesn't always come fairly

I thought something similar when the nurses striked.

10 years ago it felt poor to be on minimum wage and nursing a decent salary for life.

Now the gap has seriously shortened

The point is that most minimum wage jobs are unskilled jobs that you do not need training for. You can walk out of school at 16 and do a minimum wage job, whereas a nurse has completed years of education and training and needs specialist knowledge.

It is not about whether you can 'hack' something - it's about it being a more skilled job and needs to be rewarded as such.

There will also be much less incentive to bother training if you can earn the same by walking into an unskilled job. Why would you take years out of your life to train for something with no reward?

autienotnaughty · 07/12/2023 06:25

Yes I'm in this situation. I work in customer services (benefits etc) so requires knowledge, sign posting, safeguarding, customer management, ability to de escalate and im a key holder. I was earning 11.50 ph but due to mw increases union has argued an increase to 12.50 which will rise to 13.50 in April. The council has to fund this though so cuts will be made one way or another.

wiseoldcat · 07/12/2023 06:27

The result of this will just be that we have a less skilled society.

People will not bother training for skilled jobs when they barely pay any more than unskilled work.

CalistoNoSolo · 07/12/2023 06:30

I'm giving my lot a pay rise in Jan. They were above min wage anyway and still will be after NMW rise (unskilled) but they work their arsed off for me and I'd be lost without them. Plus, if the business can't afford to give a living wage to the people employed in it (including me) its not a viable business.