Long time lurker first time poster.
I hate the defense that minimum wage jobs are “low skill” and that's why they're paid so little.
I'll use myself as an example, my current employer is one I'm pretty happy with. They offer flexible working hours, free access to mental health services and the environment is very relaxed with no expectation to do mandatory overtime but the option is there for extra cash. And it pays better than any job I've ever had.
My first job out of college was on the bar of a summer holiday camp and it was brutal. I was paid minimum wage and had guests pull out knives on members of staff and one girl got followed home. Management were very much of the customer is always right mentality and would expect staff to apologise even if we were in the right and the customer threatened and betated us. The shifts were long and you were expected to work 6 days a week somedays doing multiple shifts over 12 hours.
For specific examples of how awful this place was;
The upper management decided one night to have impromptu staff party and told the people on shift we had to keep the bar open late so they could make money from it.
One time my boss changed the shift rota on my day off and never sent me a heads up, so I came in for my early shift and worked it before being told I wasn't supposed to be in until later, wouldn't be paid for the 3 hours I had already worked and would have to stay until after midnight.
So no, minimum wage jobs aren't some easy environment, I'll take my current “skilled job position' stress above ever working with the public again.
Also side note, they would constantly make it clear everyone was replaceable.
I left 6 years ago and they've text me at least once a year asking if I'm looking for a job every year since. So apparently not that replaceable.