The Minimum Wage hurts both businesses and workers alike in that it takes away the right of them both to come to mutually beneficial terms of employment. Below is a recent conversation I had with the Manager of a local grocery chain. As I explain how the minimum wage laws hurt the contracts between company and workers, it also fails to allow services to be rendered at a rate of agreement and forces businesses to comply with rules and laws, mandates and edicts of government agencies that are not present at the time or place.
Me: Hello I wanted to find out if you were hiring at the moment.
Store Manager (SM): We take applications and fill spots according to the need.
Me: Great, I noticed the parking lot was full of shopping carts and wanted to offer my services for retrieving those carts. I assure you my rate would be sufficient and according to the skills involved.
SM:Your rate?
Me: Yes sir you see I would willingly accept $4 per hour until the job was complete or until a specified time had passed, your decision,
SM: Oh no we cannot do that, that is well below the Minimum Wage set by law, I am sorry but there is no way.
Me: Would you deny me to make any wage simply on an edict of a federal and state agency that is not present at this time or place?
SM: Sir, there is nothing I can do, they set the rate at which I am supposed to pay employees.
Me: And is that fair to either you or the employee? I ask, if I were to say that $4 per hour is what it would cost to have my services, which are needed by the state of your parking lot, and that wage would sufficiently support myself, why then would you deny me a chance to use my skills to earn a wage simply on the arbitrary and unfair rule that takes away the right of companies and employees to come to mutually beneficial terms of employment?
SM: It may not be fair but that is the law and this company will not skirt the law in order to hire cheaper labor.
Me: The company willingly gives away it's right to mutually beneficial terms of employment contracts on the will of a government office that is not present, leaving customers swerving to miss your shopping carts, and then you can deny a man who offers services to help not only you but your customers the ability to earn a wage that is fair and agreeable?
SM: Sir, I am sorry I cannot help you in your search for temporary employment, rules and laws are there for the protection of the people...
Me: Excuse me sir but how then is the minimum wage law helping either me or you in this instance?
SM: Well it isn't in this instance but what you are asking is not normal, a low wage for work is almost unheard of.
Me; I assure you my decision on that number is equal to the amount of skill I have in the matter compared to the time it would take to do the job and given the need for the service the wage seems more than fair, wouldn't you agree?
SM: Well yes but that isn't the point, the point is that we cannot have you on the books at that wage...
Me: Fantastic, I will work for cash money, that would insure neither the company nor I would have to pay taxes on that money, what a fantastic idea.
SM: Sir, No we cannot do that.
Me: Why not, it was your idea. Let me be completely honest, I didn't come in here to bother you with all of this, I just wanted to see how the common company would refuse a person a wage on the edicts of a government agency, against the better judgement and benefits of both parties. I thank you for your time. Good afternoon.
SM: Good afternoon to you as well.
Store Manager (SM): We take applications and fill spots according to the need.
Me: Great, I noticed the parking lot was full of shopping carts and wanted to offer my services for retrieving those carts. I assure you my rate would be sufficient and according to the skills involved.
SM:Your rate?
Me: Yes sir you see I would willingly accept $4 per hour until the job was complete or until a specified time had passed, your decision,
SM: Oh no we cannot do that, that is well below the Minimum Wage set by law, I am sorry but there is no way.
Me: Would you deny me to make any wage simply on an edict of a federal and state agency that is not present at this time or place?
SM: Sir, there is nothing I can do, they set the rate at which I am supposed to pay employees.
Me: And is that fair to either you or the employee? I ask, if I were to say that $4 per hour is what it would cost to have my services, which are needed by the state of your parking lot, and that wage would sufficiently support myself, why then would you deny me a chance to use my skills to earn a wage simply on the arbitrary and unfair rule that takes away the right of companies and employees to come to mutually beneficial terms of employment?
SM: It may not be fair but that is the law and this company will not skirt the law in order to hire cheaper labor.
Me: The company willingly gives away it's right to mutually beneficial terms of employment contracts on the will of a government office that is not present, leaving customers swerving to miss your shopping carts, and then you can deny a man who offers services to help not only you but your customers the ability to earn a wage that is fair and agreeable?
SM: Sir, I am sorry I cannot help you in your search for temporary employment, rules and laws are there for the protection of the people...
Me: Excuse me sir but how then is the minimum wage law helping either me or you in this instance?
SM: Well it isn't in this instance but what you are asking is not normal, a low wage for work is almost unheard of.
Me; I assure you my decision on that number is equal to the amount of skill I have in the matter compared to the time it would take to do the job and given the need for the service the wage seems more than fair, wouldn't you agree?
SM: Well yes but that isn't the point, the point is that we cannot have you on the books at that wage...
Me: Fantastic, I will work for cash money, that would insure neither the company nor I would have to pay taxes on that money, what a fantastic idea.
SM: Sir, No we cannot do that.
Me: Why not, it was your idea. Let me be completely honest, I didn't come in here to bother you with all of this, I just wanted to see how the common company would refuse a person a wage on the edicts of a government agency, against the better judgement and benefits of both parties. I thank you for your time. Good afternoon.
SM: Good afternoon to you as well.
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