In today’s day and age, finding a job that pays a decent, livable wage can be harder than you think.
When working in specific industries, the minimum wage that workers and employees are paid is not enough to get by or pay the bills. And, with the global pandemic hurting many types of businesses , many workers are struggling to find the means to get by.
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There has been a longtime push to raise the minimum wage across America.
The federal minimum wage for nonexempt employees is currently $7.25.
While some companies and corporations opt to pay workers higher minimum wage, there are also states that have higher minimum wages, as well. For example, New York’s minimum wage is $12.50 while Washington’s is $13.69.
However, when one lives in a state where the minimum wage is low, it’s not easy.
Some states do fall in the federal minimum wage category, paying less than $10 an hour for labor.
When you work in an industry that does not incentivize tipping, this can be a very difficult position, as the cost of living has been increasingly high due to shortages and inflation.
Now, many workers are calling on companies to do their part.
Employees and workers for bigger and well-known brands and companies are calling on their bosses and CEOs to do “the right thing” and hike up their minimum wage in order to survive.
Without a decent salary, workers can hardly afford to even commute to work at the end of the month.
One company being called out for this is the iconic store “Hot Topic.”
The store, which is known for its pop culture and music merchandise, is being called out by employees for their less than satisfying salary and minimum wage payments.
Recently, workers at one disclosed location completely walked out during their shift due to this.
Shared on social media, workers posted a sign on the store’s front door.
The sign read:
“Almost all of our staff worked out due to the inability of the Hot Topic Company to support and give a living wage. We cannot support ourselves and our families. We have worked so hard and cannot do this any longer. You cannot pay your workers in passion.”
Many people online were divided over this protest.
Some said that striking is happening everywhere, post-Covid-19 shut down because most of the stimulus money the government had given to people went towards big business and corporations to sustain them.
And, the businesses have yet to share that money with workers.
However, some said working in retail isn’t a “family living job.”
Some in the comment section argued that working at a retail store is not supposed to be a “family living job.”
They argued that retail is a”teenager’s job” to get experience and that these people should “grow up.”
Many in the comments began to argue back, however.
While some believe that retail is a “teenager” or a high school student’s job, there were others who argued, “who is supposed to work in the store while high school students are in school?”
It’s a fair argument to make!
Many believe that not everyone is meant to go to college, though.
The other side of the debate is simply that retail is a legitimate job for many people who want to make a living and who want to have a job.
College is not always attainable or affordable for many people.
One person argued “we are all doing our best.”
One person said that everyone is doing their part to keep their economy running and that everyone deserves a living minimum wage, no matter what.
They believe no one should be held above another person.
Another person chimed in and said that Walmart is stepping up.
One user said that Walmart just increased their minimum wage to $17 an hour for morning and $18.50 for overnight shifts.
So, it’s nice to see that some people are stepping up and doing their part to help their workers.
