A new person just started at my workplace, they're a little underqualified but the rumor is that they're also massively underpaid. They worked as a line cook and then as a kitchen manager for years, in their 30s now.
I've been trying to drop hints that it's okay for them to a) not work so fast and b) pursue better compensation.
But they keep just raving about how easy it is here and how well we are treated. But the thing is… it's not easy. And we aren't treated well. And based on my experience here, his attitude will be exploited instead of rewarded.
It's like a weird PTSD thing, which made me start thinking …
We've normalized the service industry as a rite of passage for young people. The service industry is pretty traumatic and really skews your perspective on how you should be treated, not just by angry customers but also by your leaders.
So then, 4-5 years later these young people end up in offices grateful for scraps. Looking back, it was a big reason I accepted a below market offer when I transitioned away from the service industry and everyone congratulated me on my first “real” job which is a phrase that needs to leave the English language.
I'm not saying it is a planned system but I also think people know what's happening and like it.