this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
96 points (92.9% liked)
Work Reform
10003 readers
574 users here now
A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I've seen the opinion before, in community college. I was assigned to read something, and it laid out a damn good argument for why working a register never taught anyone "life skills."
That's not entirely accurate. My first customer service jobs in high school taught me invaluable lessons about how douchey people can be to a kid slinging popcorn at a movie theater. I learned a great deal about how to deal with assholes with an inflated sense of importance. Above all I learned that I would never be like those assholes.
These are skills that I still use in my job today.
I agree. I worked McDonald's whilst I was at college. I learnt a huge amount about dealing with different types of people, both customers and staff!
A lot of people in the UK look down upon people working low tier service roles which I now strongly defend. It also taught me, as it did you, how stupid and ignorant an average person can be and I always try to keep that in mind not just for the actions of others, but my own.
I'm a "skilled" worker now, but should needs must, I'd be absolutely unopposed to going back to a job like McDonald's.
I used to joke that I'm against national service, but that everyone should be drafted to work two years in the service industry!
You can absolutely learn life skills from working a cash register provided you are doing more than just checking out and bagging. At the very least you should glean some basic customer service skills