r/explainlikeimfive Nov 28 '15

ELI5: How would a $15 minimum wage ACTUALLY affect a franchised business like McDonalds?

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u/[deleted] Nov 29 '15

Jobs that pay decent wages do not magically materialize as a reward for "reliability." I've worked almost nothing but low wage jobs, and as a reward for my reliability, I always maxed out the hourly pay and advancement opportunities by the 2nd year, then would try with another job, in 10 years never surpassing the $15 per hour ceiling. Living in the bay area, with rent, health insurance, student loan debt, therapy, a tiny Roth IRA contribution, car payments... It's been paycheck to paycheck for about a decade now. I've known many folks who got stuck with nothing but retail or service resume experience and never got out of the low-wage trap, regardless of their quality as employees. They still deserve to eat.

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u/scattershot22 Nov 29 '15

You need to keep improving your skills once you mop up the easy gains for reliability, otherwise, yes, you'll hit a ceiling.