The Bottom Rung On The Employment Ladder

[Kong]

When I was young the lowest job on the employment ladder was generally thought of as being the kid who pumped gas at the local service station.

Sometime in the late 60' or early 70's McDonalds took over every corner in every town in the US. The notion of the lowest job on the employment ladder changed. Being a 'burger-flipper' became to lowest of the low.

I would suggest that today the lowest job belongs to the old fellow or lady at Wal Mart who offers you a cart at the door.

There are still people out digging ditches, there are still people cleaning out port-a-pottys, there are still lots of undesirable and usually very low paying jobs, but as a class I think the courtesy cart folks are the bottom. What do you think. Is there anything lower ..... yet?

[Warpy]

1. Busboy, dishwasher

sweatshop garment worker, highway toll collector.

There are plenty of lousy jobs out there, and they are the types of jobs that allow the rest of us to live.

Any job that a person does full time needs to pay enough to support that person above the poverty level.

We've confused poverty with destitution. They're not the same, not at all. Poor means you have enough to live on with no luxuries. Destitute means you don't have enough to live on.

Paying a full time worker destitution wages is immoral, unethical, and should be illegal.

[oscar111]

3. unpaid is lower

It is routine for some bosses to not pay. Those on skid row will be hired to do some house rehab work, then just not paid. "you didnt do it right" or some lame excuse will be given. They know the worker can never hire a lawyer, so they plan not to pay.

Also, farmers who must pay rent in advance. I have heard of this overseas, and in some cases the rent had to be paid years in advance.

[AG78]

4. Now come on

"Paying a full time worker destitution wages is immoral, unethical, and should be illegal"

Why do you hate America?

[Buns_of_Fire]

6. Busboy AND Dishwasher, maybe?

I just quit my job (my first in four years) doing just that at the local greasy spoon. After a few recent weeks of netting $25 or so a week, I decided that this didn't even count as a job -- it was charity (something I, alas, cannot spare at this time, and sure as hell not for the dork who owns the place). Ah, how far some of us former $60,000/year types have fallen... :shrug:

[Tsiyu]

8. Geez FireBuns

You make me feel better. I just left a low=paying job because it hurt my pocketbook and my pride. I kick myself for it some days but sanity is worth a lot. It is now acceptable to pay dirt wages. I thank Bush for that. Dividend payouts are EVERYTHING. The backbone of your company is worth squat. Shouldn't be this way but that's how it is now. If you can't get one of the (outsourced )office gigs you'll be stuck like me drifting from one low-paying job to another.

And the lowest on the rung to me is a CEO making 5000 times the salary of his workers. He is socially and psychologically flawed and corrupt. That's low.....

[AndyTiedye]

2. All The Stuff They Hire Illegals to Do, at far Below Minimum Wage

[HippieCowgirl]

5. Of course, women have always been lower on the job ladder...

The bottom rung of the employment ladder is "women's work."

Child care workers. Nannys. Housekeepers. Maids.

The type of people hired by wealthy people to watch their kids, clean their houses & cook their food. If they're not staffed with incredibly underpaid illegal immigrants, these jobs are done by young women, most often for cash, and almost never reported to the government.

[Unperson 309]

7. Telemarketer. As For WalMart Greeters...

The missus and I are always unfailingly polite to them. I make it a habit to be courteous to the corner newspaper sellers, telemarketers, gas station personnel, etc. It is not *their* fault that we rank "importance" by "what one does"!

Only those who are insecure as to their *own* social status are rude or condescending to those lower on the rungs than they. Only someone who wants to "make points" in their own mind would be discourteous. If we believe that we are all equal, then the millionaire gets no more perks, socially, from me, than the pizza delivery man.

Both will be treated with respect, dignity and kindness.

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