> money isn't the problem, it's that companies make it _not rewarding_ to work
Lots of people are fine making sacrifices for money, but it sounds like you think that "crap bosses, crap customer interactions, crap hours" are things not in the employers control. Be nicer, have sane schedules, make customers (generally) happy goes a long way.
> Raising pay ratchets up inflation, and isn't a response.
While pay raises have a slight inflationary affect, worker pay over the last few decades FAR lags modest inflation. IF you have to work TWO jobs just to cover rent, then your pay is too low.
> lowered wages due to the "expected recession". You would start looking for a new role
Unless this "expected" recession is fictional, employers do exactly this, but just not in the way you frame it. It's true they generally don't ask for pay cuts, but cutting hours and shifts, drop bonuses and even lay people off. And since it's a recession and many businesses are similarly affected, you just can't "look for a new role".
> pay increases can never go down
In absolute terms, sure. But if future pay raises are below inflation, you actually do lose ground in real terms.
"Lots of people are fine making sacrifices for money"
This line made me realize that, yes, lots of people are fine making sacrifices for money, but that no one is fine making sacrifices for survival. Sure, you can deal with it for a while, years even, but if every day requires a fresh sacrifice then you will wear out and ultimately break.
Maybe less likely if everyone has to sacrifice like this, say in war or famine, we are remarkably good at adapting to our situations.
But, when your friends are buying houses and getting married and having children and going on vacations and you're stuck flipping burgers and paying all of your money on rent and ramen? No, there's a point where anyone would break.
Lots of people are fine making sacrifices for money, but it sounds like you think that "crap bosses, crap customer interactions, crap hours" are things not in the employers control. Be nicer, have sane schedules, make customers (generally) happy goes a long way.
> Raising pay ratchets up inflation, and isn't a response.
While pay raises have a slight inflationary affect, worker pay over the last few decades FAR lags modest inflation. IF you have to work TWO jobs just to cover rent, then your pay is too low.
> lowered wages due to the "expected recession". You would start looking for a new role
Unless this "expected" recession is fictional, employers do exactly this, but just not in the way you frame it. It's true they generally don't ask for pay cuts, but cutting hours and shifts, drop bonuses and even lay people off. And since it's a recession and many businesses are similarly affected, you just can't "look for a new role".
> pay increases can never go down
In absolute terms, sure. But if future pay raises are below inflation, you actually do lose ground in real terms.