Hi Susie! Guess what I brought for lunch.

(Calvin & Hobbes)

I'm glad that I didn't grow up during the Industrialization, when the government had no hand in how the "free market" operated. Looking at descriptions like those found in The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, makes me revel in the fact that my employers cannot subject me to workplace situations that are life-threatening, that health codes are in place, and that any US citizen can receive a wage no lower than the minimum value set by the state in which they reside. I guess that means that I'm glad I'm not working in a US based firm overseas, where these standards that are taken for granted at home are disregarded. I don't see what makes those markets so "free". However, the subject I wish to press upon tonight is not my view on the free market; for that I would wish to pour into all of my economic training and cite credible sources, making sure that I have the proper information. & I'm tired tonight, so whatever. To be continued, I suppose. No, tonight hits a bit closer to home. Mine, in fact.

Since the middle of July, I have been working at the same deli that employed me before I transferred to BYU. The time that elapsed between then and now was roughly 2 years. Before, work times were fixed at least a week or two in advance, you were never alone in the store (except for about 2-3 hours if opening), food and breaks were adhered to as CA labor laws permitted, supplies were obtained through a reliable source, and the finished product was uniform and more importantly-- fresh. Now...

Things changed, as they are prone to do. Alas, this change was mostly a downhill endeavour. There is no longer an on site manager. Employees working for CA minimum wage are expected to handle all aspects of the store, alone, for about six hours at a time. Because of pressure from the "managers"/owners, closing the store for the required half hour off the clock break is frowned upon, and the only way to take a bathroom break during those times is to lock up the entire store. There is no light outside the back door, or in the gated dumpster area in the corner that's shared by a few other businesses. The city only gives 2 parking permits for the businesses in the area (one goes to one of the owners who oversees catering, and the other is in the possession of a former employee who owned a massive truck that couldn't be parked on the street), so regular employees (there are four of us) have to park a few blocks away every day. Food that used to be delivered on a consistent and reliable basis are now ordered through the owners, which means that maybe they'll remember to pick up half of the items on the list, even though you're out of everything and have been reminding them for days. Not one of my coworkers holds any respect for the owners, although no one will confront them about how they should be managing their business. The last guy who confronted them about legitimate faults was fired, and in a time when the job market is slim pickins, no one wants to go through the hassle of finding another job--- yet. Health standards that were so rigid are now almost the kind of thing that are known but rarely followed. I've been scolded for trying to move some brownies away from the only hand washing sink in the work area because the owner wanted customers to see the freshly baked brownies. I'd rather them see my freshly washed hands, as the only gloves they provide for us are at least 3 times too big for anyone's hands. The sandwich standard-- what goes in each sandwich and in what quantity-- has all but evaporated, and different owners will tell you different things. The worst thing has to do with the soups. Yesterday, I threw away a soup that had been initially created two weeks ago. That. Is. Disgusting. Yet, every time that one of us employees made a prior attempt to toss it, an owner would come in, take a look at the soup, and then throw in a bunch of ingredients and expect to see it the next morning. Why, why would anyone expect that adding some fresh, delicious ingredients into a cauldron of crap suddenly transform it into something people pay money to eat? I've thrown away cheesecakes and "fresh" fruit that has had mold growing on them. I've watched my owner pick up plastic containers that have fallen to the floor, blow them off and use them, with the 5-second-rule as an excuse. I am the only employee who has a food handler's permit, which is for another state, & has probably expired by now. I have screamed in fear at least twice when leaving the dark store to the darkness outside because there have been people standing or walking close to the exit. I have burst into tears as I faced a rush of people, alone, and with a dwindling supply of food/drinks due to an unexpected rush from earlier. I have not seen one note of encouragement to motivate me to "do better" or "work harder" or clean up more thoroughly while manning the store alone, but I have received many chastisements from one of the owners, in front of customers, for not doing something the way that it "should" be done, like cutting the strawberries too roughly or refusing to place cooked food directly on the metal work surface that hasn't been properly cleaned... I don't even know when I'll be working each week until the Sunday before. In reality, it's not the "owners" who are running the store, it's the four "part-time" workers. (One of my coworkers, a student at a local college and soon to be dad, has recently had over 80 hours clocked for two weeks... Yet still the employers insist that they have a full staff...) & while we have the capability of running this store, and making everything effective and efficient, the owners get in the way... no one has any desire to work there any more.

I used to wonder why the employers didn't pay a higher wage. In a intermediate price theory class that I took over a year ago, we discussed the interesting relationship between worker/boss. The employee has a natural disposition to shirk, while the owner has other obligations that keep them from overseeing the work constantly. If the employee is caught shirking, then the owner will fire them, or reduce wages, or some other negative impact. If the employee is making a starting wage that matches their other work options, then switching jobs if caught shirking is relatively costless and therefore shirking is worth the risk of being caught slacking off. If, however, the employee is making more at their current position than other entry-level jobs, the cost of shirking increases. Say they are making $4 over the wages offered at other firms in which the work is identical--- they wouldn't want to risk being lazy and fired, because then they would make $4/hour less at their next job. To combat that? They work a little bit harder. Going back to one of Mankiw's ten points of basic economics, incentives motivate people. Duh. With the workload my employers are expecting us all to bear, it baffles me that the only time they've raised wages was when CA increased their minimum wage. They may say that they're losing money on this store (business can be brutally slow, + they really don't manage things well), but as they are expecting one employee to take on the task of three, then they haven't taken into account the huge amount they're saving on not paying to have three people on the clock when one would "suffice".

I used to take pride in the higher quality of food found at my place of employment. I used to be able to expect the standard to which my work would be held. I used to feel safe in the store. I used to be able to take a break during a shift just to sit down and recoup after a hard few hours bustling around. I used to be able to park directly outside the back of the store & not have to walk 3 blocks to my car on a dark side street. I used to not be afraid of assault or attack while working or leaving work. I used to care about my work. Guess things change, eh?