Do you really not understand this or are you just tweaking?
If an entry level employee makes minimum wage - $7.25 and a first level supervisor makes around $10/hour, what happens if minimum wage goes to $15? Would the supervisors be happy with making the same as the employees they supervise? No. The entire scale would shift up. Those formerly making $10 would be making $18, those formerly making $20 would be making $28, etc. Not only would employees demand it but management would need it. You don’t get employees to take on more work and more responsibility without paying more.
As I mentioned earlier, I am a corporate rep for a large gas station/convenience store chain, the low level cashiers are hired in at $7.25 and I dont know how often they get raises, or if they even get raises. I was hired as a rep so I did not start out at the lowest level, I make a little bit more than $15. hr(but not much more), overall, I am content and happy with my job/income, sure I would like more money, but I get by OK with the money I earn now.
The cashiers have alot of responsibilities, they are required to work very hard, constantly be doing something, if they cant find anything to do, they are expected to pick up a broom and sweep, but my job is different, and really as long as I meet the deadlines imposed on me and get all my duties done correctly, my boss does not care what I do.
Furthermore, if the low level cashiers were suddenly given raises to $10. hour or other living wage type increase, I would not feel I have the right to suddenly ask for more money, nor would I ask. I know plenty of them that deserve it, many are young single mothers, and many are working 2 jobs just to make enough to live on. I dont think this is right, they contribute to the company each day (probably more so than I do) and deserve to be paid more than what the state says the lowest possible wage the company can pay them.
I personally think its wrong for these large companies to hire everyone in at the same pay rate, no matter what their skills, that company is basically saying every single person we hire is the same. Every person is different, some are harder workers than others, some like to stand around, some do more than required, I dont see how a company can justify paying every single person the same exact amount, I would think their pay would be determined on the interview and what kind of the person is, what their references have said about them, past employer references speak volumes about what a person is like, yet most large companies dont even contact references for low level new hires…???
These large companies have huge profit margins, so an increase in minimum wages should not effect retail prices, it may cut into the profits, but these are the people helping to bring in those consistent profit margins, so they really should be anxious to pay these people more, without them, they would not have those huge profits.
I may not have the right answer, but something definitely needs to change, no one can live ANYWHERE making $7.25 hour and no one should expect them to. If they hire someone at this rate, they should expect to receive that level of work ultimately.
It is Walmart we are discussing, no?