Quote:
Originally Posted by justjim
The demand for workers far exceeds the supply. A labor shortage has been predicted for several years and it’s particularly problematic in The Villages where the local labor supply just hasn’t kept up with the growth and expansion. A shortage of labor has been a major issue for restaurants long before Covid because of the low wages and benefits. Florida is at or near the bottom of States on this issue of wages and benefits. It’s not only a problem for unskilled workers but also recruiting skilled employees as well. Perhaps the “sunshine” is no longer enough to attract and keep good employees.
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Yup. When we moved here almost 2 years ago I knew I'd need to still work part time. Up north, I wouldn't EVER work for minimum wage, I haven't worked for minimum wage since the 1980's. And - I've been working entry level customer service jobs for almost all of the years between then and now.
I was never a high-wage earner, always near the bottom. But no one dictated my pay. I negotiated it, or I found a different job that would.
Down here, you are dictated your pay. If they're paying minimum wage, it doesn't matter how much experience you have. You get minimum wage, or you get nothing until something better comes along.
Part-timers are affected most, because part-timers get no health insurance coverage, no life insurance coverage, no paid days off, no paid sick time in Florida.
In MOST other states in the country, you get paid sick time. So that you don't show up to work coughing and sneezing simply because you can't afford to take a day off to recover.
I worked for one place when I first got here, and it was a pretty unhealthy environment. Their employee turnover was pretty much weekly, with the exception of a few core folks who'd been there for years and were used to the somewhat hostile attitude of the owner. We didn't get breaks, even if it was a 7-hour shift. We had to close the store alone at night. But they paid $11/hour to start, so I took it. I lasted several months, and then Publix called me for an interview. I'd applied when I first moved, so this was out of the blue, for me.
Publix started me at $13/hour stocking shelves and doing freight intake. It was too hard for me physically so I took an intentional demotion to the front end, where I was doing mostly bagging and sanitizing shopping carts. THAT was at $10.75/hour. Plus mandatory breaks, gift-card bonuses (ranging from $50 to $100, every quarter), and I picked up their dental plan for just $20/month for myself and my spouse. Not bad in a state that has an $8.65/hour minimum wage.
I would have quit the first job anyway, but I would -not- have traded it in for anyone who only paid me minimum wage. I'd rather be unemployed with NO income (including no unemployment check), than employed for people who don't demonstrate respect and appreciation for their employees. Sadly, this state (Florida) favors the employer, providing absolutely NO protections for the employee. Florida has no fair labor board, and no state labor laws other than those that pertain to minors.
Employees CAN be treated horribly in this state, and they have no recourse. If they complain, they're out of a job and can be blacklisted, because the state has given employers the green light to do so.
You better believe I'd rather take unemployment checks and PEUC ad-ons for 51 weeks if it was available when I quit that first job when I moved here. I'm glad it wasn't though, because I actually LIKED working for Publix and am grateful that they called me for the interview when they did. They saved me from the frustration of wanting to still work, but not willing to give up my dignity for the paycheck.