Why do people think they are OWED a certain salary simply because they show up for work?

Question

You are not owed a living wage simply because you show up for work. You MUST have a skill that is worth whatever a "living wage" may be. If you show up and are lazy or simply unable to provide a service to your employer that is worth (just for the sake of argument) $15/hour, then you will have to learn how to get by on less.

Think about how this would work. Let's say a "living wage" is $15/hour. Then, everyone working at the grocery stores, the department stores, the gas stations, etc. would have to be paid $15/hour. This would greatly increase the cost of the goods and services provided by these companies. This would mean that they would have to double their prices. This would mean that $15/hour is no longer a "living wage" because the cost of living would greatly increase.

It would not end. It COULD not end because every time you increase the "living wage," you also increase the cost of living.

You are worth what you are worth. If you want to be worth more, work harder, take on more responsibility, and learn valuable skills. That's how we adults have done it for centuries (long before there was a minimum wage).

? · Accepted Answer

Because for some reason these people think that an employer is like welfare and is there to give them enough money to live the life they want to live instead of what they're really doing which is giving you a wage so that you make them money in return.

Sorry, but if you work a job that anyone off the street can do, why should you make that much money?

@Bad Panda:  Of course they're worth what they're paid because the people paying them think they are, or they wouldn't have paid it to him or signed a contract with him.  CEOs drive the company and their decisions can either make milliions (or billions) for the company, or lose them millions (or billions), that's why they make that kind of money.  It's not that what they do is intrinsically harder than other jobs, it's about how much money they can make other people.

It's the same reason why a star athlete can make 20 million a year while a teacher makes 40k.  Nobody would say that the athlete works harder or does a more important job, but the fact remains is their skills are more rare; the number of people who can play sports at that level is much much much lower than the people who can be a teacher.  Also, the work that athlete does directly generates revenue in ticket and merchandise sales, his contributions on the field can bring more fans in, etc.  However, the teacher, no matter how great they are, isn't generating that much revenue for the school, which is why they're paid less.

It only seems unfair to people who don't understand supply and demand and markets.

Badge203 · Answer

And your question (oh that's right this is not a question it is a personal who cares opinion)

Upset because a person is making more than you huh, maybe bypassed for that promotion?

? · Answer

I would agree -- but come on you really think that the CEO of some compaines are woth what they get paid.

What do they do that is so great

The Arbiter of common sense · Answer

Did you have a question, or did you just want to rant?  That is not the purpose of YA.

daddio · Answer

quiz-the header is quite appropriate.  follows tos perfectly you fool.

because they were GIVEN EVERYTHING though life.  they expect it to continue.

in the 70's...if i got bad grades my folks chewed me out and asked me why.

today the parents chew the teacher out and ask why, while ignoring their precious little ones.

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Why do people think they are OWED a certain salary simply because they show up for work?

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