Oi, you, get back to work!

[Deleted member 18243]

Are you suggesting that because someone is desperate it is reasonable to pay him a rate that will never allow him to find his feet?

No, you've taken the wrong meaning from what I said.

There are situations where a person would happily work for less than the state minimum hourly wage.

For instance, I would like to go into semi-retirement sometime in the near future, giving up my full time job and taking a part-time one instead, and in that part-time job, I would happily work for less than the minimum wage under certain circumstances - such as the hours being convenient, the job being close to home and the work being agreeable.

Another, more pertinent, example would be a person who has an idea for a new business, but could not start that business because he could not afford staff. He might know people who would help him out by taking a low wage, but cannot do so legally. That is an example of state intervention thwarting trade and industry.

Those examples don't apply to job-seekers finding their feet and who are short of money, obviously.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Another, more pertinent, example would be a person who has an idea for a new business, but could not start that business because he could not afford staff. He might know people who would help him out by taking a low wage, but cannot do so legally. That is an example of state intervention thwarting trade and industry.

it is perfectly legal to help somebody in that situation without being paid, or paid a fixed fee regardless of the hours involved.

as for working part time, either you should be paid for your work, and contribution to the profits made, or you could volunteer and do it for free.

but a minimum wage is not too high, and is there for good reasons

 

[JohnD]

For instance, I would like to go into semi-retirement sometime in the near future, giving up my full time job and taking a part-time one instead, and in that part-time job, I would happily work for less than the minimum wage under certain circumstances - such as the hours being convenient, the job being close to home and the work being agreeable.

I live in an area where there were several rounds of redundancies and early retirement schemes from large local employers.

Many older people took on trivial jobs just to get out of the house and out from under the wife's (or husband's) feet.

The result was that local wages were driven down and people needing to earn a living, or youngsters needing a first, or a Saturday job, could find nothing.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

No, you've taken the wrong meaning from what I said.

There are situations where a person would happily work for less than the state minimum hourly wage.

For instance, I would like to go into semi-retirement sometime in the near future, giving up my full time job and taking a part-time one instead, and in that part-time job, I would happily work for less than the minimum wage under certain circumstances - such as the hours being convenient, the job being close to home and the work being agreeable.

Another, more pertinent, example would be a person who has an idea for a new business, but could not start that business because he could not afford staff. He might know people who would help him out by taking a low wage, but cannot do so legally. That is an example of state intervention thwarting trade and industry.

Those examples don't apply to job-seekers finding their feet and who are short of money, obviously.

This is why I don't envy government re policy creation. Whilst on the surface it seems straightforward enough i.e. in certain circumstances, let those who want to work for less than minimum wage do so, the reality wouldn't pan out like that. Unscrupulous employers would find ways to pay employees less than minimum wage using this policy, and it has the potential to drive wages down as desperate people would take the (below minimum wage) jobs.

 

[FiremanT]

No, you've taken the wrong meaning from what I said.

There are situations where a person would happily work for less than the state minimum hourly wage.

For instance, I would like to go into semi-retirement sometime in the near future, giving up my full time job and taking a part-time one instead, and in that part-time job, I would happily work for less than the minimum wage under certain circumstances - such as the hours being convenient, the job being close to home and the work being agreeable.

Another, more pertinent, example would be a person who has an idea for a new business, but could not start that business because he could not afford staff. He might know people who would help him out by taking a low wage, but cannot do so legally. That is an example of state intervention thwarting trade and industry.

Those examples don't apply to job-seekers finding their feet and who are short of money, obviously.

However, your “exceptions” cannot be realistically managed.
If allowed, there would be huge amounts of folk being “happy” to oirk for sub minimum wages.

These sub min workers then deprive actual workers of jobs paying the correct rate.

If a business cannot work by paying the correct rate - there is no business.