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I think it's appalling that the minimum wage is capped based on your age in the UK. It implies that the value provided to the employer is lower if you're younge

by cedws 3y ago

I think it's appalling that the minimum wage is capped based on your age in the UK. It implies that the value provided to the employer is lower if you're younger. The minimum wage should be the same for everyone. There's plenty of 18 year olds out there doing more than their 30 year old counterparts and getting paid less for it.

maerF0x0 3y ago
And if someone isn't minimum wage useful by 14, then our school system is an abject failure and the bureaucracy should be fired.
- iLoveOncall 3y ago
  It's not so much about the readiness for work as much as the reliability and productivity of a 16 years old living at home VS the one of an adult that has to care for their family. I think the difference is too big to be honest, but I do understand where it comes from. Of course this punishes ALL 16 years old when some would perform better than an older employee, but there's no perfect system.
darklycan51 3y ago
Why is it appalling? if you want to promote people having kids then this is one of the ways to do it. a kid can live sharing rent or with his parents, an adult cannot.
- manuelabeledo 3y ago
  > a kid can live sharing rent or with his parents, an adult cannot. Many adults are living in this situation right now.
robertlagrant 3y ago
> The cap implies that the amount of value provided to the employer is lower if you're younger. It's not a cap, it's a minimum. This is so people can employ kids who have very little economic value and train them to have lots of it.
- cedws 3y ago
  >It's not a cap, it's a minimum. misphrased, fixed. >This is so people can employ kids who have very little economic value and train them to have lots of it. But 18 year olds are not kids anymore and are capable of providing just as much economic value as a 25 year old. Especially if the employer is a coffee shop or restaurant. Minimum wage should be the same for all ages. It should be at the discretion of the employers to pay more to experienced employees.
  - robertlagrant 3y ago
    > But 18 year olds are not kids anymore and are capable of providing just as much economic value as a 25 year old. Especially if the employer is a coffee shop or restaurant. I'm not sure that's true - experience counts in those industries. I speak as a former 18-year-old coffee shop person. I think this is a result of minimum wage not being enough for people who can only get a minimum wage job, but are getting on in years a little. I.e. it's been lobbied into effect by those representing slightly older people to increase their wages, rather than decrease the wages of 18 year olds.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - matrss 3y ago
      > I'm not sure that's true - experience counts in those industries. I speak as a former 18-year-old coffee shop person. You are assuming that age equals experience, but a 19 year old might be working at the coffee shop for a year already when a 25 year old is just starting. Shouldn't the 19 year old have a higher pay then?
      - dgfitz 3y ago
        Only if the shop owner wants to keep the 19 year employed.
      - robertlagrant 3y ago

by cedws 3y ago

maerF0x0 3y ago

And if someone isn't minimum wage useful by 14, then our school system is an abject failure and the bureaucracy should be fired.

iLoveOncall 3y ago
It's not so much about the readiness for work as much as the reliability and productivity of a 16 years old living at home VS the one of an adult that has to care for their family. I think the difference is too big to be honest, but I do understand where it comes from. Of course this punishes ALL 16 years old when some would perform better than an older employee, but there's no perfect system.

darklycan51 3y ago

Why is it appalling? if you want to promote people having kids then this is one of the ways to do it. a kid can live sharing rent or with his parents, an adult cannot.

manuelabeledo 3y ago
> a kid can live sharing rent or with his parents, an adult cannot. Many adults are living in this situation right now.

robertlagrant 3y ago

> The cap implies that the amount of value provided to the employer is lower if you're younger. It's not a cap, it's a minimum. This is so people can employ kids who have very little economic value and train them to have lots of it.

cedws 3y ago
>It's not a cap, it's a minimum. misphrased, fixed. >This is so people can employ kids who have very little economic value and train them to have lots of it. But 18 year olds are not kids anymore and are capable of providing just as much economic value as a 25 year old. Especially if the employer is a coffee shop or restaurant. Minimum wage should be the same for all ages. It should be at the discretion of the employers to pay more to experienced employees.
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  > But 18 year olds are not kids anymore and are capable of providing just as much economic value as a 25 year old. Especially if the employer is a coffee shop or restaurant. I'm not sure that's true - experience counts in those industries. I speak as a former 18-year-old coffee shop person. I think this is a result of minimum wage not being enough for people who can only get a minimum wage job, but are getting on in years a little. I.e. it's been lobbied into effect by those representing slightly older people to increase their wages, rather than decrease the wages of 18 year olds.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - matrss 3y ago
    > I'm not sure that's true - experience counts in those industries. I speak as a former 18-year-old coffee shop person. You are assuming that age equals experience, but a 19 year old might be working at the coffee shop for a year already when a 25 year old is just starting. Shouldn't the 19 year old have a higher pay then?
    - dgfitz 3y ago
      Only if the shop owner wants to keep the 19 year employed.
    - robertlagrant 3y ago