Low-Wage Workers Are Often Cheated

[alkemical]

http://mutateweb.com/archives/2009/09/02/low-wage-workers-are-often-cheated-study-says/


Low-Wage Workers Are Often Cheated, Study Says
Klint Finley

Low-wage workers are routinely denied proper overtime pay and are often paid less than the minimum wage, according to a new study based on a survey of workers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The study, the most comprehensive examination of wage-law violations in a decade, also found that 68 percent of the workers interviewed had experienced at least one pay-related violation in the previous work week. [...]

In surveying 4,387 workers in various low-wage industries, including apparel manufacturing, child care and discount retailing, the researchers found that the typical worker had lost $51 the previous week through wage violations, out of average weekly earnings of $339. That translates into a 15 percent loss in pay.

The researchers said one of the most surprising findings was how successful low-wage employers were in pressuring workers not to file for workers’ compensation. Only 8 percent of those who suffered serious injuries on the job filed for compensation to pay for medical care and missed days at work stemming from those injuries.

[Meck77]

Stay in school.

[peacepipe]

Yeah,as always it's the workers fault that employers cheat them.

[Meck77]

We have a FREE education system in America. If someone can't take advantage of that is that they employers fault?

Come on now peacepipe. You don't even think it's reasonable for people to assume some personal responsibility to graduate high school? If you stay in school there is a good chance one can attend a community college, trade school, or 4 year college. At that point one doesn't put themselves out there to be taken advantage of.

[TailgateNut]

We have a FREE education system in America. If someone can't take advantage of that is that they employers fault?

Come on now peacepipe. You don't even think it's reasonable for people to assume some personal responsibility to graduate high school? If you stay in school there is a good chance one can attend a community college, trade school, or 4 year college. At that point one doesn't put themselves out there to be taken advantage of.

I have to step in and "stomp" on your opinion just a tad.

1. the need for "low wage workers" will always be there.
2. it's up to the employer to treat these people as fairly as they would any other employee
3. not everyone has the option of "staying in school, or continuing their education past HS.

Here's an excample of one of my employees who has been "under my wing for 15 years. He came to me as a total "greenhorn with less than a HS education. He has been a dedicated employee who has paid attention and has learned the trade. He now has the ability to read Blueprints, do survey/ layout work, is profficient in piping installation, concrete forming, and operates several different pieces of equipment (Heavy excavation and lifting).
He makes approx 55k p. yr and a benefit pkg which included medical, vacation and 401k match.
Not bad for a person who knew absolutely nothing when he started working for me.

So, with that in mind, one can succeed w/o all the education if one has the desire to succeed.

That's one issue I have with the whining from Clavi-ames.

Get out there and be a valuable asset.

[atomicbloke]

Well.... aren't high-wage workers also "cheated" ?

[Odysseus]

I don't think many people on this board have a real understanding of poverty. The closest anyone on this board has come is talking about what their parents went through or what their ancestors went through.

Education is not free. It never has been. It requires you to believe that it matters. It requires for you to look past the hopeless situation you were born in to believe that would give you courage to physically fight people around you so that you have the right to attend a place that might not, in the end, matter.

A lot of the sympathy for Harvard Professor Gates situation is from people who understand this type of poverty. A lot of the antipathy are from those who have no clue what real poverty is about.

Employers will never treat poor works fairly. It's not human nature. They can't read. They can't write. They are afraid to lose their jobs because they really have nowhere to go. They have learned to accept things that you and I would simply not put up with.

It is common in Kuwait if a maid or servant is offensive to you to beat them or even in some cases throw them from the balcony. In America we consider that barbaric. If some of you hard core suburban posters actually had to deal with rancid poverty you would be shocked at what happens in our country to fellow Americans.

If you think it's easy being poor go in the neighbor shopping store and try to buy something. It's 20% more expensive. The real consideration of getting injured while doing that also raises the stakes. Now you have a medical bill to take care of. What? You lost your job because you were in the hospital? Now your credit is screwed up. You apply for a good job but they pulled your credit report and don't like you long absence from work. Why did you go to that poor neighborhood anyway? Are you a drug dealer? You post on a Sport forum and some guy on their told you to go shopping in a poor neighborhood? You end up working on the 7-11 night shift wondering how you got there.

Let me tell you how. You made one mistake. You went into a poverty stricken neighborhood. Imagine if you were born there and have no concept of what it's like to have a good job or a real way out.

I don't believe in saving the world. The world does not want to be saved. I believe in keeping an eye out for the individuals who are looking for a way out and a way up. This is the backbone of real capitalism instead of this other stuff where you increase the number of people who literally have zero hope.

I think many of us are hardened against this kind of poverty because we all are burdened with financial debt. How many here own their home? How many have zero credit card debt? We all live in fear of losing our "stuff" to such an extent that worrying about "those" people is not happening. We cannot remotely understand their poverty because we are still in denial about our own.

[gyldenlove]

Education is only free if someone buys food for your and pays the bills. If you have to pay rent, heat, water, power and buy food you can't afford to go to high school or get a trade education, English classes don't pay bills.

If you make a wage that covers rent and food you are not going to risk it, there is no saying when you will get another job or where it will be. There are no relocation packages for mimimum wage workers.

[Doggcow]

Right now I work a low wage job as I go through college and it ****ing blows.

My employer tried to convince me there was no way workers comp would be paid to me when I ****ed up my knee. Seriously, sat me down for like an hour and a half trying to talk me out of "wasting my time" filing the paperwork etc.

Of course, he's also a cheap mother****er.

[peacepipe]

We have a FREE education system in America. If someone can't take advantage of that is that they employers fault?

Come on now peacepipe. You don't even think it's reasonable for people to assume some personal responsibility to graduate high school? If you stay in school there is a good chance one can attend a community college, trade school, or 4 year college. At that point one doesn't put themselves out there to be taken advantage of.A employees education level is no excuse for an employer to short change an employee. That employee earned his money,& is due every penny of it.

[loborugger]

I was cheated when I was a low wage worker. Hated that job. Fortunately, I only stayed at it for 6 months. They put me on salary, instead of hourly. They then would require me to often work more than 40 hours a week. As it turned out, anything over 40 hours a week meant that I was making less than minimum wage. Fun times, fun times.

[loborugger]

A employees education level is no excuse for an employer to short change an employee. That employee earned his money,& is due every penny of it.

This

[Garcia Bronco]

I was cheated as a low wage worker as well incollege from the Cllinton minimum wage change. It made me realize I didn't want to be a low wage worker. The problem is suing over 50 bucks isn't worth the time.

[Rohirrim]

Doesn't anybody remember Mr. Fezziwig?

“He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune."

[Garcia Bronco]

Doesn't anybody remember Mr. Fezziwig?

“He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune."


Are you refering to Dickens?

[Rohirrim]

Are you refering to Dickens?

Bingo. A Christmas Carol. Some things you can't write into law. They are decisions we must make regarding how we live in order to create the kind of world we want to live in.

Like I always say: The just man needs no laws and for the unjust man, there are never enough.

This was an ethos our country lost when we decided that "Greed is good."

[Fedaykin]

This just in! Businesses do anything and everything possible to pay their employees as little as possible.

Though really it's the higher paid (read:salaried) employees that are the easiest to cheat. There's no law against making a salaried employee work >40hrs/wk but not paying them overtime (more to the point, no pay at all is required for work exceeding 40hrs/wk).

Of course, you'll get fired for not working at least 40 hrs/week.

Conversely, it's illegal not only to not pay a non-exempt employee overtime, but in some states it's illegal to not pay them an overtime bonus.

[Garcia Bronco]

This just in! Businesses do anything and everything possible to pay their employees as little as possible.

Though really it's the higher paid (read:salaried) employees that are the easiest to cheat. There's no law against making a salaried employee work >40hrs/wk but not paying them overtime (more to the point, no pay at all is required for work exceeding 40hrs/wk).

Of course, you'll get fired for not working at least 40 hrs/week.

Conversely, it's illegal not only to not pay a non-exempt employee overtime, but in some states it's illegal to not pay them an overtime bonus.

If my compnay had to pay me for overtime...there would be no overtime. Overtime is capped in my industry thanks to Bush.

[Odysseus]

Right now I work a low wage job as I go through college and it ****ing blows.

My employer tried to convince me there was no way workers comp would be paid to me when I ****ed up my knee. Seriously, sat me down for like an hour and a half trying to talk me out of "wasting my time" filing the paperwork etc.

Of course, he's also a cheap mother****er.

Insurance companies are very persuasive with employers forcing them to go after their own employees. It was supposed to be a system of checks and balances but they moved from that a long time ago. Most insurance companies cheat you or force you to waste inordinate amount of time to get what already belongs to you. Nobody calls them on this.

[footstepsfrom#27]

We have a FREE education system in America. If someone can't take advantage of that is that they employers fault?
You get what you pay for eh?
Come on now peacepipe. You don't even think it's reasonable for people to assume some personal responsibility to graduate high school? If you stay in school there is a good chance one can attend a community college, trade school, or 4 year college. At that point one doesn't put themselves out there to be taken advantage of.
So being in position to have to settle for a minimum wage job means you deserve to get cheated.

Great logic. Which community college did you attend?

[footstepsfrom#27]

I don't think many people on this board have a real understanding of poverty. The closest anyone on this board has come is talking about what their parents went through or what their ancestors went through.

Education is not free. It never has been. It requires you to believe that it matters. It requires for you to look past the hopeless situation you were born in to believe that would give you courage to physically fight people around you so that you have the right to attend a place that might not, in the end, matter.

A lot of the sympathy for Harvard Professor Gates situation is from people who understand this type of poverty. A lot of the antipathy are from those who have no clue what real poverty is about.

Employers will never treat poor works fairly. It's not human nature. They can't read. They can't write. They are afraid to lose their jobs because they really have nowhere to go. They have learned to accept things that you and I would simply not put up with.

It is common in Kuwait if a maid or servant is offensive to you to beat them or even in some cases throw them from the balcony. In America we consider that barbaric. If some of you hard core suburban posters actually had to deal with rancid poverty you would be shocked at what happens in our country to fellow Americans.

If you think it's easy being poor go in the neighbor shopping store and try to buy something. It's 20% more expensive. The real consideration of getting injured while doing that also raises the stakes. Now you have a medical bill to take care of. What? You lost your job because you were in the hospital? Now your credit is screwed up. You apply for a good job but they pulled your credit report and don't like you long absence from work. Why did you go to that poor neighborhood anyway? Are you a drug dealer? You post on a Sport forum and some guy on their told you to go shopping in a poor neighborhood? You end up working on the 7-11 night shift wondering how you got there.

Let me tell you how. You made one mistake. You went into a poverty stricken neighborhood. Imagine if you were born there and have no concept of what it's like to have a good job or a real way out.

I don't believe in saving the world. The world does not want to be saved. I believe in keeping an eye out for the individuals who are looking for a way out and a way up. This is the backbone of real capitalism instead of this other stuff where you increase the number of people who literally have zero hope.

I think many of us are hardened against this kind of poverty because we all are burdened with financial debt. How many here own their home? How many have zero credit card debt? We all live in fear of losing our "stuff" to such an extent that worrying about "those" people is not happening. We cannot remotely understand their poverty because we are still in denial about our own.
Bingo. Good luck trying to get these common sense facts to register in the hardened hearts and arrogant minds of people who think of themselves as "self made". Poverty will never be stamped out, but the mark of a civil society is how they treat their weakest. You called it...CAPITALISM has a major role to play in this. The best business schools in the world now recognize this.

[snowspot66]

So people should go to school to get a better job. But they need money to go to school. But their ****ty job is short changing them by 15%. Depending on where your at over the course of a year that could be several months rent or even a year of tuition at a community college.

To the people saying they should just get more education. Don't you see a problem with that?

[Odysseus]

Bingo. Good luck trying to get these common sense facts to register in the hardened hearts and arrogant minds of people who think of themselves as "self made". Poverty will never be stamped out, but the mark of a civil society is how they treat their weakest. You called it...CAPITALISM has a major role to play in this. The best business schools in the world now recognize this.

I think the 80's greed has turned into 09 need. We forget where we came from and how we got here.