Yesterday I asked my boss to give me a cost of living adjustment. I currently make $14/hr, and I told him I wouldn't be able to stay on full time unless I got a raise to $17/hr. I've always had problems standing up for myself, so the fact that I was able to bring it up and stand my ground makes me really proud.
I've been working for the company in a variety of roles for the past 3 years, and am one of only 3 people on staff who worked there prior to the pandemic. When we were closed for quarantine for 3 months in 2020, I stayed on staff, working by myself in the building to scrape by. I really care about the company, and I love the community we service and the people I work with.
Over the past 6 months, I've come to terms with how toxic of a workplace I'm in. My coworkers are amazing, but the owner is a manipulative, gaslighting little rabid garden gnome who will do anything to avoid paying people a living wage. He's constantly complaining about how people don't work to the quality he expects when turnover is 100% because we can't pay anyone enough for them to stay. He's constantly saying how he wishes he could pay everyone more, but also gripes about how no one wants to work.
If you can't afford to pay your employees a living wage, maybe you should reconsider being in business. I'm starting job hunting as soon as I get back from my weekend. I'm genuinely very upset that it's come to this, but I can't survive on what they are paying me anymore.