Minimum wage update and issues since it came up

[PJH]

I haven't been paying real close attention, but I thought the tax cut was designed to help in sort of a trickle down manner?
 

[WGM]

Very few retails in my area do their own deliveries any more. They contract to companies who do this for a living.
 

[LarryH]

the raise in min wage only hurts poor people and teens --it raises the cost of everything they buy and puts more out of work
 

[NCWayne]

For those talking about paying a decent wage for decent employees, the problem is finding decent employees. I know a guy who was offering $15 hr for lawncare helpers with a raise at 30 days, another at 60 days, both based on performance, and a week vacation for anyone who stayed for 6 months.

He never gave the first raise because those that worked did it halfway, and the rest continually showed up late, or not at all.

In the end, and it's sad to say, there are a lot of spoiled, entitled people out there who think they are worth far more than they are....and will flat out refuse to work if they think the job is beneath them....
 

[Dave Westlund]

Don't think higher wages automatically give you better employees. It's still the same employee. You need to be competitive. What if the employer provides an incentive to his employees if delivery is made without damage they are rewarded. It can in a form of a financial bonus or maybe if they get there X amount of deliveries done for the day/week they can go home early with a full days pay. Customers are happy. Employee is happy too. cost to Employer is minimal or reduced cost.

Why does most of this group think earning a minimum wages makes you a dud.

Pay raises are short term satisfiers.

My 2 cents
Dave
 

[Bob]

Looking at it another way, if an outfit successfully delivered 1000 fridges, dented NONE of them, and NO floors were scratched, there'd be a handful of JERK "customers" claiming damages, demanding a refund, etc.

HOW do you fix THAT side of the equation?
 

[kcm.MN]

Sure, if we want to put them upstairs. *lol*
 

[glennster]

bingo wayne, you nailed it. i could not get tow truck divers. a good driver could do 50 to 60 k a year. on call, we did police and motor club and private towing. most that applied could not pass police background or drug test. did not need a cdl, but in ill a class b licence. the guys you did hire ended up tearing up equipment bad. got rid of the fleet and have a couple companies that do our towing. we ran 24/7.
 

[Stephen Newell]

That is true but the overall cost is less than an hourly employee. Plus you can depend on them to be at work everyday.
 

[Kansasredneck]

A friend of mine hired construction workers from the college engineering program one year. Of twenty that he hired, over half did not come back after lunch, and only one came back for day two. I have worked off and on for him for over twenty years. He is demanding, but not overly so, show up, work not talk, and if you screw it up, you fix it.
 

[PaGlenn]

Check the legs on your sofa and chair. They may unscrew off. My dad used to deliver furniture to old homes that were converted into apart. He brought along with the delivery a saw and wood screws for that purpose.
 

[Tony in SD]

One thing nobody has addressed with the higher wages is the cost of everything associated with the wages. i.e. workers comp and general liability insurance, SUTA, FUTA, and the employers contribution to social security and Medicare. They are all a % of the total wages. SS & Medicare are more than 7%, workers comp VARIES depending on the job, office workers only a few %, construction workers near 20%. Not to mention other benefits like health insurance, 401K, etc. So a $3 raise can easily cost an employer $4.50 to $6.00.
 

[kcm.MN]

Thanks for the tip Glenn. However, already checked. The legs are part of the solid oak frame. The sofa weighs more than what I remember a queen-size sofa-sleeper weighing! The fabric is tough also. Salesman took a ball point pen and jabbed the fabric really hard. Nothing - not a mark! Had me try it also. Again, nothing. I ain't never seen quality like this before!! But our house has 32" doors, and these pieces barely squeak by a 36" opening.
 

[MarkB_MI]

Hmm. How does Lowes do it? Free delivery on appliances and very competitive prices.

Independent appliance stores have bigger problems than rising wages. Number one is they're lucky if the wholesale price they pay is less than retail at the big box stores. Almost all the independent dealers around here have closed.
 

[SodBuster87]

Like I've always said. You pay peanuts you are going to get monkeys. And while I am cautious of govt. Involvement because they almost always complicate things. All of these companies whining they are going to go broke if minimum wage increases I have to wonder. If they are not willing to invest money in a good workforce, what else are they skimping on? And if thats the case I don't feel sorry for them. I'm fortunate to have a boss now who treats me fairly. However I worked plenty of jobs in the past where I heard "I'm sorry I can't afford to pay you more." usauly followed by "Please don't go work for that other guy." Or jobs where you couldn't take your scheduled and govt. mandated breaks after 8 hours because the boss "forgot" to schedule a cover for you. Funny the boss never had a problem finding time for his breaks. Like someone else said. Minimum wage is just their way of saying if I could pay you less I would. There is a tire place up the road thats hiring. I asked him about working for him part time. At the time Christmas was coming up. I asked him what he payed. He said minimum wage. So I am supposed to throw around tractor tires for minimum wage and btw no health benefits if/when you do throw your back out. I told him thanks but no thank you. I found more hours with my current boss doing odd things even though they were technically outside my job description. Like I said you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. And realy those who pay their employees minimum wage deserve whatever they get in terms of bad help. After all they payed for it. Sod Buster