What's the lowest stress / easiest minimum wage job?

[MegBusset]

If you were going to step down from a stressful professional career and could afford it, what would be an easy / low stress min wage role to fill a few years until retirement?

I've worked low pay jobs before and they've been tedious and / or hard work. Obviously there are many shockingly underpaid jobs that are really hard and stressful (carer, TA etc). But are there ones out there that are straightforward and don't take up much mental effort?

Lots of older people (mid 50's) taking jobs as cabin crew just now. It's not an easy job, physically demanding/jet-lag/away from family & friends
but it doesn't have work you take home & it's not stressful. And there's great perks.

I've worked in a florists before &
That was lovely.

Lots of friends do Exam Invigilating- at Secondary schools and Unis etc. Low pay but not stressful and vaguely enjoyable it seems!

Honestly I've done a lot of NMW jobs, bars, shops etc.

The company I'd recommend is McDonald's!

Very flexible shifts. Free food.

You really don't think about it outside work.

The time passes really quickly as you're kept busy and never get bored.

It was a friendly and happy environment.

(No cleaning vomit like pubs expect you to do)

It has its moments, but yes, it's how DP got back into working after illness. And then he got a job as an Exams Officer, which can be stressful at times, but on the whole is one of the least emotionally challenging roles in education (NOT a criticism, they're absolutely vital, but outside contingency plans, IT issues usually on the part of the exam boards, fire alarms, sudden illnesses and on the spot JCQ inspections, they're very, very different on a daily basis).

Loads of exercise because you have to walk faster than 4mph. You probably end up with back and knee problems and risk dog bites. Early starts. Repetitive movement when sorting.

DH did it for a while, the money isn't bad but he wouldn't go back, it gets harder and harder with all the pushes for efficiency.

All the people suggesting bookshop, make sure its an independent off the high street. Waterstones etc. Will be just a crap as any other high street retail.
The public are horrendous

most jobs are low stress when you don’t actually need the money, you could walk out

I expect most on this thread are working these jobs and. need the money they earn.
I find that a flippant comment!

Most people in low stress enjoyable jobs still work hard and are committed to it.

I left a stressful career because I was burnt out and ill from stress. I’m now self employed, it’s less well paid but I absolutely need what I earn

I assumed op meant she could afford a drop in income.

I know someone who has taken his pension but works one day a week on the facilities management desk in a hospital. So arranging porters to go to so and so ward etc. He works a Sunday as it's double time and gets £700 a week for his one day.

Yes, and some places are known for attracting mostly people who don't 'need' to be working, and they get a culture of being decent to staff who are good workers, because they know those staff could easily walk out. I think that is a bonus too.

FWIW, I don't think it was a flippant comment.

I need to earn the money I earn, but I do not need to be working where I work; I am quite confident I could earn the same or more elsewhere. And this is true of many of my colleagues. We are doing this specific job because we enjoy it, mostly. It makes a huge difference to the general culture of a workplace.

Whereas, before, I had a job that was extremely competitive to get, and people would only quit after enormous amounts of soul-searching, when they were thoroughly burnt out. And that meant you were working with unhappy people who hated their jobs but felt trapped in them.

Retail in a shop selling something related to an interest.

E.g. - bookworm = a bookshop, computer geek = electronics shop, love cooking = household items shop, decorating = furniture shop, gardening = garden centre, animal lover = pet shop, baby lover = nursery store, DIY fan = hardware store, etc etc.

I loved gaining knowledge on a subject and being able to give out advice. Also getting to know ranges and staff discount of course!

I’ve always said I’d like to be a Binman. Early starts, but you get to knock off early and you’d be as fit as fiddle from all the running back and forth! Good honest work.

My sister works part-time in a garden centre café, which she really enjoys - they have a lot of elderly regulars who love a chat, as sometimes it's their one treasured time every week to see people.

Unfortunately she also met her stalker (known locally as The Fister, and his adoration for her is ENTIRELY unrequited!) through that job, but I can pretty much promise that's very unlikely to happen to you!

I enjoyed working part-time in a newsagent, for similar reasons: lots of friendly regulars to talk to, minimum wage but zero stress, and lovely co-workers of various ages.

I worked there for a while. My co-workers were fab and a really great mix of enthusiasms and personalities. The only off-putting aspect of it was too many snooty customers (I worked in the Bath branch). Definitely one of the better retail environments though!

babysitting in the evenings?
I did this loads as a teenager and a lot of the times the kids were already in bed when I arrived, so I just sat and watched tv and ate their snacks for a few hours!
Occasionally I'd have to put them to bed, but that was quite fun really, and then I'd have the rest of the evening!

Rarely had a stressful incident like the time the kid had a mega-nosebleed, but otherwise easy peasy!

I wouldn't say bar work is low stress! Drunk customers, being groped by said drunk customers and to be honest anything public facing can be quite stressful depending on the sort of person you are.

It's not minimum wage but an AO Grade or equivalent in the civil service is easy work. Low stress. Leave it at the door.

The best zero-stress job I have ever seen was the guy who came round to our office once a month to look after the pot plants. He would water them, dust the leaves, remove any dead ones & generally titivate them & make them look pretty. Then he would get into his little van & drive to the next office to do the same. I was SO envious of him.

Fair enough, I see your point now you've specified.

I admit that is true to an extent now I'm self employed; I can choose clients, I can dictate my own hours and so on which is far more enjoyable to me than my previous career.

I do absolutely need the money though and I don't find my job low stress because I could walk out at any moment and find another job.

I stepped down from a export credit manager's job to do bookkeeping for small businesses. Within my area of expertise, miles less stressful but higher paid than minimum wage, I also went part time and self employed.

Stopped the big job in 2006 and I'm retiring at Christmas.

The Fister? Dare I ask why he was called this... 😱

@CookPassBabtridge honestly, you don't want to know! Let's just say he thinks bragging about it makes him irresistible to women 😬🤮 My poor sister won't tell him to fuck off because she thinks he's lonely and not well. He got her name tattooed on his chest, and turned up at my dad's funeral (he'd never met him) just because she was there!

A colleague said she’s always wanted to work in a bakery, nobody ever walks in or out without a smile on their face😀

Go self- employed as a cleaner or dog Walker. Both charge more than the min wage, you're appreciated, low stress and not difficult. Be prepared to be looked down upon from some in your social group though but if you're happy in your own skin that you're doing a far more enjoyable, stress-free job and don't have to answer to anyone!

I loved bar work. I felt I was being paid to go out

It wasn't flippant in the slightest. I've had jobs where the employers have openly not just taken advantage but absolutely abused the financial vulnerability of staff because they knew people were desperate - it's the 'well, your appraisal targets were to fully contribute to the team', 'It's all part of being a team to do extra - I work unpaid at five times the pay in the first place every single evening and come in at 6.30am when you're all at home in front of the TV', 'We could issue a permanent contract, but that's when people start going off sick. So we're not doing it for anybody at the moment' --whilst looking at person who has a disability. Or the worst one - stay with the creepy, handsy boss making your skin crawl because not only does he complete your appraisal, management are unable to do anything because your equally desperate colleague has said 'I can't afford to get involved in this, I didn't see a thing' when they witnessed him being creepy and handsy.

Knowing that your rent will be paid at the end of the month whether you stay or go - or that you own outright and have savings to keep you going for ages - removes all of that stress and pressure. It might not change the fundamental nature of the role itself, but it shifts the power balance towards the employee for a change. Because it's then a choice to stay and whether you say yes to something unreasonable or refuse. Or tell the creepy, handsy cunt to get his fucking hand off your knee before you break his fucking fingers and then walk out because management are either weak as piss or actually don't see he's done anything anything wrong.