This is the problem, though. Even when getting paid the price people think they deserve. They tend not to do a great job when it comes down to it. Also some smaller mom and pop shops just can't afford to pay you like a big store could. People don't think about that, though.
Then they don't get to exist. Lots of really shitty jobs disappeared when we first introduced minimum wage. They disappeared because they weren't profitable. You don't hear about getting rid of the minimum wage now to bring back those jobs. We found new better jobs, that are profitable and benefit both parties.
Capitalism raised us and forced us to see things we love fail due to "market forces" so why not expose those big capital players to the same conditions we all face? Be good at business or be out of business.
"But some people just have a shitty work ethic" is not the counterargument you think it is.
As for the difference in what a big business can afford vs a small one, that's tough. But if you fall behind on the expenses of doing business, you should simply be charging more. If you still can't afford something, while charging a fair (both to customer and proprietor) price, then you don't get just handwave it off and hire someone for less than they're worth.
A lot of "mom and pop" shops stay in business for decades and finally bite the dust because they refuse to adjust prices that should be orders of magnitude higher due the ever-decreasing worth of money itself.
Instead they try to match prices with giant companies, while providing three times better services because they actually care about both customers and employees in a way corposhits "optimize workflows" too hard to even afford considering.
You make a lot of good points. I also might've not made myself as clear since I am at work ATM and trying to type while in-between things.
I fully agree that you should pay someone what they're worth. Just that's the thing. I personally know people who are too lazy to lift a finger and want a office job where they do basically nothing and still expect $20 a hour and if they gotta do anything more it's $50 a hour.
Some people are not a willing to trade their full efforts in return for that pay they desire. Me being one of them, but I at least still do my job and show up to work. I just do my job slower.
That's why I bring up the fact that mom and pop shops can't pay the same. A small shop might pay you the higher price, but if you then don't do the work and they have to hire someone else.... then you're not really WORTH that price. Are you?
You don't want to pay people, because some people are less motivated? Yeah, that's your problem as a business. Give them a reason to work hard or stop complaining.
Mom and Pop can't afford to pay proper wages? That's their problem. If other businesses can afford good salaries, why can't they? Maybe their business is simply rubbish.
Think about what twisted Stockholm syndrome you're expressing here. Capitalism is once, for the first time in decades, on the brink of actually increasing the wealth slightly for the workers, and all you can contribute is "yeah, but then capitalists can't properly fuck the workers over and that's just really unfair to the businesses".
You're not wrong, but we could flip it around. There are probably just as many companies that don't put in 100% effort either. They sell you a product or service and once they have your money, they really don't care if it meets your expectations.
Why am I expected to give up my holidays and weekends to be a team player, but when a company doesn't bend for customers or employees it's just "Hey, that's business!"?
You won't even get me to show up for 20/hr in 2023. If an employee can make that shit pay work for them the business owner should be doing backflips to keep them happy.
Look at where you live, then look at where I live. I live in the middle of nowhere. It's cheap living and everyone gets cheap pay unless you work off shore. Even as a tile installer I only made $16hr... it's not high pay.
Pretty much everyone that reports to me has to be poked and prodded to actually do a good job let alone a great one. It's not even a hard job, steady easy tasks that need completing with occasional escalations that require white glove treatment. They all know how to do this shit properly but they opt to be as lazy as possible if I don't keep following up on things all the time. Then they bitch when they get poor performance reviews.
If that's the case, it's compelling. However, I'm gonna need to know how you came to the conclusion that people tend not to do a great job when they think they're paid what they're worth.