I work for a major airline as a new hire. I am making $40,000/year in a major city. In the last year, my food cost has doubled. So what does that mean? Well think of it like this. Let's say I take home after tax, $2500/month and I have to pay out $1500/month in rent+utilities. My car payment and insurance is $500, leaving me $500 remaining. So $125/week normally is enough to feed me basics as I eat a lot of ramen because I have to. I eat a lot of pasta because it's cheap. Sometimes I make eggs in the morning, and sometimes I get a pizza delivered once every two weeks if I am managing my food.
This means that just to break even and have the same pasta-eating lifestyle I had before, I need a 25% raise. My boss would never give me this. Never. My rent will undoubtedly go up $200 in June when my lease rolls over and I literally CAN'T keep going to work. I have to make $60,000/year to continue what I had one year ago. The only way that's going to happen is if I quit and go find two jobs at $30k each that are full time, but no business wants to hire you with a fixed schedule. They want to hire you 9-5 but demand that you are 'flexible' to work late or come in on weekends making a second job impossible.
Awards? Give me a dozen eggs. Give me gas cards. Pay my rent one month. Thing is, I am resentful that you on the top make $100,000 a year and can 'handle these increases' but the guy like me on the bottom? We are starving here and hate you for it.
Awards? Give me a dozen eggs. Give me gas cards. Pay my rent one month. Thing is, I am resentful that you on the top make $100,000 a year and can 'handle these increases' but the guy like me on the bottom? We are starving here and hate you for it.
This poorcel is making 40k and he's 30+ and this r-slur is acting like this wagie business owner is the same as a major airline
"Hot-take"..
If you don't pay enough to own a home in the surrounding areas, you aren't providing anything of worth to your employees - just different levels of treading water.
i can't wait until our corporate overlords take over the world 
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There's a reason a lot of small businesses are operated by families. To an outsider it's just a paycheck and they will try to frick you every which way they can to squeeze money out of you either in cash or time.
Treat them like the replaceable wagie that they are and you'll sleep a lot better.
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