Why Don't People Want to Work?

[Jon Boy]

I always find it funny when a business hires people at $8/hour and expects a $25/hour commitment/production out of them. Doesn't happen. You get what you pay for.

Bingo. Im sure your SIL isnt paying them much more than 10-12 an hour. Hard to keep good employees for that wage when they have a solid work ethic and are reliable and dependable.

I just graduated college two weeks ago and started a new job doing lawn care the day after. Over last two weeks ive gotten a generous raise and have been made a lead of 3 grown men that are dead beats and arent making any more than $13 an hour. And my employer talks about my long term future with his company...not gunna happen.

 

[idnative1948]

Oh, you must be one of his employees?
I know what he is paying and A LOT more than $8 per.

I always find it funny when a business hires people at $8/hour and expects a $25/hour commitment/production out of them. Doesn't happen. You get what you pay for.

 

[pa mt man]

Boy did you open up a can of worms. I agree with most. We have become a society of entitlement. If we don't earn it the government will provide it. How many people out there are getting those free "Obama phones". Terrorists in Boston live with benefits totaling $100,000.00 in the past years. Not working and driving Mercedes. If I can not do it the GOVERNMENT will provide kit for me, mentality. Better stop before I have an aneurism,

good luck to all
the dog

I can get a free phone? I haven't had one since November when I got mad and deliberately broke it and my wife said she's not buying me another one. My truck is a piece of crap too. I've got to check into this free stuff.

 

[emrah1028]

Remember though, many of these jobs are entry level. That means it has NOTHING to do with a "livable wage", a term made popular by liberals.

A lot of these jobs are jobs where you learn how to HAVE a job. You learn to work. You learn to show up on time. You learn to work with others. You learn responsibility. Not every job is a $15+ per hour job. I can't expect to pay someone $18/hr when I'm getting maybe $10/hr of labor out of them.

When you learn to move up the ladder, then you earn more. You take on more. You produce more.

The job of an employer is NOT to hire someone just so that person can have a job. That's called welfare. Employers hire you because you are going to produce and earn my company more than what I'm paying you. That's how business grows. The business owner takes the risk and deals with the headaches:

- licenses
- insurance
- worker's comp
- liability
- accounting costs
- material/overhead costs
- scheduling

Sorry, but a cashier making $8 or $9 per hour is earning the company not much more than that. Add in some elasticity in the decision to hire (i.e. how much hassle is it to hire, train, take on liability, responsibility, etc. for a new person), and the decision to even hire someone, even at that price, becomes a gamble. It is a high turnover position even at higher wages.

When you move up to higher skill levels, whether in trades or business, then you earn more. Simple.

Emrah

 

[SFC B]

If you really want to see a BIG cross section of the "younger generation" in action or lack there of, you should see what we start with these days in the military. I am 18.5 years in and am not a spring chicken anymore but is really disturbing what happens when we try to introdce new soldiers to work and even slightly uncomfortable living. I didn't grow up with what I thought was a physically demanding or "rough" childhood but these kids.....Holy crap!!! If it doesn't work with a game controller they can't fathom it. When the broke 43 year old is working out. running or just working hours after the 18-25 yoa something is wrong The worst part for me is that with our current government the answer we are getting is to be nicer and easier on them instead of fixing them. Th future is not bright on this front :/

 

[spook12]

I always find it funny when a business hires people at $8/hour and expects a $25/hour commitment/production out of them. Doesn't happen. You get what you pay for.

I get what you're saying but there's two sides to that coin. With most small business you make what you are worth.
I've got two guys that have worked for me for 8 years and they make more than twice what the average carpenter makes in this market,but they are worth every penny to me and my business.On the other hand I have handed other guys their last check that was 1/3 the amount of these two and felt like I might as well flushed that money down the toilet.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Food for thought:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/opinion/sunday/friedman-need-a-job-invent-it.html?_r=0

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

This is nothing new and it has little to do with the wage being paid. You can't instill work ethic and responsibility. Those lessons should have been taught at home. It's no wonder the Mexicans took over California.

 

[wyoming556]

Any of you know about the government Job corps training program? Talk about a bunch of lazy youth who don't want to work and a complete waste of tax dollars. The government pays people 16-24 years old to teach them a trade. Also pays for room, board, doctors, dentist, optometrist, GED training, etc.. Bunch of people who are getting trade school served up on a silver platter along with all those benefits including about $50 a week in cash to cover mostly cigarettes and pop. The vast majority of these young people are just milking the system and give little to no effort for their training or have any intention of actually doing what they were supposedly trained to do when they leave. I'm not sure what the answer is to actually make people want to work but I can tell you that free government training is not the solution to the problem.

 

[the nikster]

We are all in a fishbowl but mine is larger than most. I work international as well as within the states, I see all kinds people from different age classes, countries and economic regions. My perspective is:
1. People, both young and old, are willing to work harder if they are from an established social system (meaning they have never had the easy life).
2. Those who have been given much can be expected to provided little in the way of effort-regardless of age.
3. If I want it done quickly-I go open shop/if I want it done well-I hire union. (generalization only)
4.My definition of Entry level means this is where you start and where you remain until you prove yourself. The employees definition seems to be: this is where I start and I may work hard if I get an immediate and substantial increase.
5.Lazy is an epidemic.
6.Giving the employee more does not increase loyalty. An employee will leave as soon as an offer comes along offering more $$$ for the same or less effort. (see pro sports)
7.Shorter, skinny people put out more effort than taller, fatter people.
8. Women make good operators of equipment. They have a steady hand and did not learn the trade from somebody with antiquated knowledge.(the old man)
9.Workers from a farming/rural community work harder than city folk.
10. Every job needs a shovel pusher-not everyone is an engineer.

 

[Jon Boy]

We are all in a fishbowl but mine is larger than most. I work international as well as within the states, I see all kinds people from different age classes, countries and economic regions. My perspective is:
1. People, both young and old, are willing to work harder if they are from an established social system (meaning they have never had the easy life).
2. Those who have been given much can be expected to provided little in the way of effort-regardless of age.
3. If I want it done quickly-I go open shop/if I want it done well-I hire union. (generalization only)
4.My definition of Entry level means this is where you start and where you remain until you prove yourself. The employees definition seems to be: this is where I start and I may work hard if I get an immediate and substantial increase.
5.Lazy is an epidemic.
6.Giving the employee more does not increase loyalty. An employee will leave as soon as an offer comes along offering more $$$ for the same or less effort. (see pro sports)
7.Shorter, skinny people put out more effort than taller, fatter people.
8. Women make good operators of equipment. They have a steady hand and did not learn the trade from somebody with antiquated knowledge.(the old man)
9.Workers from a farming/rural community work harder than city folk.
10. Every job needs a shovel pusher-not everyone is an engineer.

Id say those are some pretty accurate generalizations. Interesting you say women make good operators of equipment. Cant say Ive ever seen that before but you make a good point as to why.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

Everyone has brought up great points. I work 2 jobs, I'm in a Mgmt role at both places, the one is a factory that employs 68,000 worldwide . .the wages at the entry level position are in the neighborhood of $18.00 + an hour. . .its hot, and the pace is pretty fast and in that business. . its survival of the fittest, so, if you can't keep up. . .well, people are dying to get a job there. . .plenty of others to replace you if you don't want to show up for work etc. My other job is at a "Midwest chain" of farm/sporting goods/pets/clothing/ etc store. We have several employees who are possibly the laziest people I have ever met. . .19-25 yr olds that just have zero work ethic, calling in all the time, playing the point system, stealing, pushing work off on everyone else, hiding out of cameras view, chit like that. I feel like a babysitter in there at night. I just think that most could care less if they work or not, because, they can get fired and sit at home playing video games, smoking whatever, and still get a check that really isn't too much different than if they were actually working. I think the whole system of these handouts and such have made it too easy, thus, making people so damn lazy!!! I could replace some of them with a bag of sand. . .and I'm serious, I'd get as much work out of them. I think that even if we were paying them $20/hr, that these kids today 16-28 yr olds, would still not give anymore effort, its just that they have this entitlement mentality and most learned from their lazy parents. . .ok, stepping down now. . .

 

[emrah1028]

I have a friend who calls them the "meh" generation.

Emrah

 

[Dinkshooter]

Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.
Bob Porter: Da-uh? Space out?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.

Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.

Bob Porter: Don't... don't care?

Peter Gibbons: It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime, so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.

Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?

Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.

Bob Slydell: Eight?

Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.

 

[fowladdict]

........

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

That's the reason Mcdonalds is always hiring. When you aren't hiring "top shelf" employees you have to constantly cycle them. Two written warnings, and you're fired.

Small business owners tend to be far more loyal to their empoyees, than their employees are to them.

Laws vary state to state, but he should consult a lawyer and ensure his disciplinary program and documentation method will hold up when he fires people, otherwise his unemployment insurance premium will jump significantly.

 

[fowladdict]

7.Shorter, skinny people put out more effort than taller, fatter people.

I take offense to this.

 

[WV Hunter]

I can't say I really want to work either

 

[OriginalOscar]

I always find it funny when a business hires people at $8/hour and expects a $25/hour commitment/production out of them. Doesn't happen. You get what you pay for.

+1

Henry Ford understood he had to pay his people enough to allow them to purchase his cars. It's the race to the bottom.

 

[Dinkshooter]

I can't say I really want to work either

I'm right there with you. Working is for people with far less talent than I have.