Enormous difficulty finding workers for small businesses

[Wheres Toto]

9 minutes ago, QueenCat said:

 

Here, that apartment would be around $1400-1500. 

Around here it could hit $2000, utilities NOT included.   A studio in someone's basement will be over $1000 around here.   

[moonflower]

18 minutes ago, QueenCat said:

 

Here, that apartment would be around $1400-1500. 

 

Here, in the midwest, it would be $500 in a school district that is unaccredited and dangerous, $650 in one that is middlingish but I wouldn't put my kids in if you paid me, and $750-800 in a decent suburb with safe schools.  

But healthcare is really the driver; if I don't want to make my employees rely on government subsidies to make healthcare affordable, and I don't want to provide health care coverage, I've got to pay them to make up for it, and it isn't cheap.

[City Mouse]

10 hours ago, katilac said:

Why not simply open to whatever capacity they can serve? 🤷‍♀️

Because then they would need an addition staff member to police the front door. Also,it is a brewery/restaurant, and the servers have to be over 21.  

I thought about going to work there over my summer break, but $9 per hour wasn’t worth giving up my time. Miminum wage is going up in this state in January for the next couple of years to get to $12.50 I think.  I have two other part-time jobs in education that just started up this week, so I have no time to add another job now. 

I live in a community of about 800 people of which many already work full time or more and many others are too young or too old to work. Many local teens start summer jobs at 13 with a work permit jus because the town needs workers. In the summer, the population increases huge amount due to our one large tourist destination. That employer higher as many locals as will work and something like 1500 seasonal workers from out of state. This year they are severely understaffed in several departments.  

 

[HollyDay]

I'd like to FIND a job.  After 20 years of homeschool, I keep hearing that I'm unqualified because I've been "out of the force" for too long. 

That bugs me...."The Force" is either military, police, or Star Wars. 

Also, I went back to CC and earned 15+ office certificates.  I'm up to date  on PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Record Keeping, Business Math.   I've got keyboarding certificates in both common and medical.  I would be a huge asset to an office because I would show up on time, work late if necessary, bring treats for the break room, look presentable, etc.  But, I'm too far out of the force!  I keep hearing Obi Wan talking to Luke

[katilac]

6 minutes ago, City Mouse said:

Because then they would need an addition staff member to police the front door. Also,it is a brewery/restaurant, and the servers have to be over 21.  

Or they could just flip the chairs to indicate closed sections, that's what I usually see. Even buying a velvet rope seems less expensive than shutting down, lol. 

They should also double-check server requirements; only 3 states actually require servers to be 21 to serve alcohol. My dd works for a really small restaurant and they definitely could not stay in business if the 18-yr-olds didn't have responsible server permits. 

[katilac]

2 minutes ago, HollyDay said:

I'd like to FIND a job.  After 20 years of homeschool, I keep hearing that I'm unqualified because I've been "out of the force" for too long. 

Right?? And, if you apply for a lower level job, you are overqualified. 

 

[Lady Marmalade]

On 8/7/2019 at 8:48 AM, Sherry in OH said:

Businesses who want experienced, reliable workers need to pay more than $15 an hour for a 40 hour a week job.  There is too much competition for employees meeting those criteria.  

On the other hand, there are people looking for part-time work.  These include students, senior citizens, and stay at home parents looking to return to the workforce but who need to work around school schedules.  Businesses offering part-time positions with flexible scheduling are attractive to these job seekers.  

As one of those parents looking to return to the workforce, I've been actively searching for an entry-level job since Christmas.  Employers may state that they are flexible, but they most certainly are not.   I can't tell you how many times I heard that what I was looking for wasn't realistic.   

I finally took advantage of a new business opening up and they hired me on, at my requested hours of availability, without question.  It wasn't even about the wages.  I've simply arrived at a time in my life where I'm looking at that empty space beyond high school with my youngest and wanting to take steps now towards something to pursue.  It's ridiculous how many employers wouldn't even think beyond their immediate needs.   There's a whole segment of the population that is hard working and would love to find a part time situation that works around another job or family obligations and employers are completely missing it. 

[QueenCat]

3 hours ago, Where's Toto? said:

Around here it could hit $2000, utilities NOT included.   A studio in someone's basement will be over $1000 around here.   

 

Same with utilities, not included. Although, sometimes cable/internet is included. 

[TechWife]

I think some employers have trouble because they are not good employers. Word gets out. That's been my son's experience anyway. It's pretty well known in this area that retail managers are not the cream of the crop and are often verbally abusive and have unrealistic expectations of worker availability.

Some things that have happened to my son in work environments:

Changing his work schedule with less than 24 hours notice

Expecting him to work in a hot environment (over 95 degrees with humidity) wearing blue jeans and a hot company smock while the company policy allows for shorts but the manager doesn't like them so doesn't allow them,

Not rotating holidays off between long term, full time, permanent employees. It's no fun to work New Years Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day every single year while temporary, seasonal employees are given the days off

Paying very little for a labor intensive job that causes back pain, shoulder pain and foot pain when done for consecutive long hours - who wants to ruin their body for a menial job with no potential for growth? Everyone gets old sometime and having a bad back going into old age makes it that much harder

Yelling at employees in front of other employees and customers

Not honoring scheduling requests to accommodate reasonable appointments, such as dentist, when request is made months in advance

I could go on, but honestly, some employers really do cause their own problems.

The person that quit because they wanted to watch football - that's the story you're getting and that's the story the employer told, but in reality, it's possible the employee wanted one Saturday off to go to a football game and asked well in advance. The person that can't do basic math - are they allowed to use a calculator? The person that can't be bothered to show up on time or show up at all - how does their overall schedule work? I don't doubt there are some lazy people out there, but I also know there are crappy employers out there.

 

 

 

 

[Ottakee]

School paraprofessionals start out here at $10.78/hour, 27-35 hours a week.  That is not a liveable wage and they really want you to have 2-4 years of college.  This is for special education where you have total care students, tube feeds, heavy lifting, and/or severe behaviors.

Walmart starts out paying more.

Most factory jobs start at 10-12.50/hour here and rent for a 1 bedroom, if you can find any openings is $800+ a month plus utilities and very limited public transportation.

 

[Faith-manor]

Agreeing with Ottakee, here they want paraprofessionals to work with special needs students for $12 an hour and want a minimum associates degree. Not really certain why they think they deserve that level of qualification for that price, but there is no accounting for the "thinking" of bureaucrats and administrators. Sub pay is worse. If I sub for the local district, I have to have 90 college credits, bachelor's preferred though at this point they are so desperate they'd take any warm body that hasn't committed a felony, arrive at 7:30 p.m., stay until 4 p,m, and if an elementary classrroom eat with the students, no potty breaks because there aren't any teacher's aides to stay with the kids. 8.5 hours of work very skilled labor for 80 a day. When I sub for high school math and science classes, same pay, and I'll have upwards of 150 students throughout the day, and am required to do the grading of anything handed in that day before I leave. If subbing for a zero hour AP class, I have to be there at 7 am no additional pay. They wonder why they can't get anyone to do it! Well seriously, Taco Bell is so desperate in the town west of here that they are offering $12 an hour. It's a lot less liability for me to make someone's fast food or cashier or whatever than it is to teach children.

In our area, a 1 bedroom apartment that includes water and trash is $450 a month, usually electric heat so around $150 a month for that in the winter, and $50 minimum for internet which you simply have to have because most employers now publish schedules online and require internet access of their employees. Add to that a cell phone so said employer can get a hold of you, and you can call 911 when needed, and the minimum is $40 a month. The car is no less than $200 a month to insure because Michigan is very expensive, and that $200 a month usually doesn't even have collision on it, and only the lowest levels of PIP. Put gas in it, buy tires, and have regular oil changes, one is up to $100 a month for just that, and then one has to consider emergency savings for car repairs because we don't have any public transportation here. That's just shy of $1000 a month, and food hasn't been purchased yet, much less personal care items, any kind of clothing allowance, nor prescriptions or office calls. $15 an hour for 40 hrs per week, 52 weeks a year is after withholding $2076.00 a month. For a single person, if he or she doesn't eat, then one paycheck goes to the aforementioned stuff, and the other to health insurance, and a single young person could buy a policy on the marketplace for that. They couldn't, as a single person here, earn that much and still get medicaid. Obviously, said young person will choose to eat, have winter boots and coat, and try to keep the car maintained so he/she can keep a job which means not having health care access, using the ER if absolutely necessary, and then going bankrupt when the bill can't be paid.

Try raising a family on that.

The reality is that most of the jobs in the area don't pay $15 an hour, more like $10 an hour when not salaried with benefits. This means that no matter what there simply has to be two earners in the household, and if there are young children this is a major issue because childcare costs have to be added to the budget. We wonder why so many families eat mac n cheese, tostinos crappy frozen pizzas, tuna, and peanut butter sandwiches. Right here. That's the reason.

It is my personal belief that the current economic model is not sustainable unless the nation is very content with huge swaths of mass poverty.

I am very sad for small businesses. A lot of owners are really good people. But a business model based on extremely low wages in the face of cost of living is always going to struggle to employ people, and corporate welfare in the form of corporations paying low forcing their workers onto public assistance programs is not a recipe for economic success.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Faith-manor

[Shellydon]

5 minutes ago, Patty Joanna said:

And here, it’s $1900-2500.  Ugh. 

Yikes!!!

[Pen]

I think if the work weren’t too hard, splitting it amongst 3 part time high school students might work where we are.  They are keen to work often. Don’t need to make enough to support themselves. And if they have filled many requirements in their first 3 years often can take a senior year schedule that allows a part time job or internship .   

For it to have potential of full time if someone worked out well might be added incentive, plus starting to build a resume. 

[G5052]

15 hours ago, StellaM said:

 

This is an issue that  mostly affects moms, and it can link up with some ageist bias as well. It's so stupid. You sound great.  Full of initiative and a good work ethic. 

If I ran a business I'd be actively looking for women like you.

A business near me convinces other businesses of the value of 'mum' workers, and then advertises their job vacancies to women whose 'force' trajectory is more typical for mums. Apparently, it's working well for both employers and employees. Wish you had something like that near you.

 

Tell me about it. I've been looking for full-time work with benefits for over a year. I did work part-time in a professional capacity for 20 years while homeschooling, and I'm still having trouble. I think a lot of it is ageism. I've come very, very close and then they hired someone else or decided not to hire at all. The last one had done all of the background checks, psych testing, and were beginning to discuss salary and benefit packages when they decided to pull the plug and re-advertise with a different job description because I was missing one area.

I worked in receiving at a major department store for 10 months unloading trucks, stocking, and packing online orders. I made less than what one of my college kids makes as a janitor. There was one good manager, but everyone else including the store manager treated us horribly. I was late once and had to call out once because of very icy roads. Otherwise I always showed up and was on time. I finally had to quit because of physical problems and because they were giving me very few shifts. Two different times I had no shifts in a week, and they claimed it was because there was no work. Then both times I found out that they were sloppy in scheduling and basically forget about me and another worker. And sometimes they'd change the schedule at 6am for 8am shifts, expecting that we'd get up every day and check. When I left, they were scheduling a whole bunch of people for four-hour shifts so they could get something done without paying for breaks. It was money, but the expensive of driving there was hardly worth it for such a short shift. 

Now I can no longer work at a job with a lot of standing, and I'm still looking. I have part-time professional work, but that's it. I'd be more than happy to answer phones, work in a call center, etc. etc. but have been unsuccessful at even getting that type of work. 

[klmama]

2 hours ago, G5052 said:

Now I can no longer work at a job with a lot of standing, and I'm still looking. I have part-time professional work, but that's it. I'd be more than happy to answer phones, work in a call center, etc. etc. but have been unsuccessful at even getting that type of work. 

Have you tried a temp agency?  I've known a couple of people who found full-time employment by temping.

[livetoread]

My daughter worked at a restaurant (briefly) while she was attending community college. Her boss assured her at hire that she could accommodate her college hours. One week in, she called daughter and told her she must come in when she wasn’t scheduled or she would be fired. Daughter rearranged another appointment and went. Boss told her never mind, she could go home, she wasn’t needed after all, and boss just wanted to make sure she’d come. Daughter quit soon after. I always see a sign looking for workers when I drive by. Wonder why!

Yes, some people are lazy, but I think by and large other factors help explain better why people don’t want to work hard jobs for low pay.