I am in Gen Z. I am surrounded by people who CONSTANTLY complain that they aren't paid enough. And they aren't. You cannot live on $12 an hour and I myself barely scrape by on $15 an hour.
Here's the thing though. If you ask any person my age (18 – 25) if they have asked for a raise or negotiated higher pay than the asking price in an interview… they don't. I'm not talking about protesting for the “Fight for 15” or voting in a certain way. I mean literally going balls deep into your bosses office, seating yourself across from them and saying “Pay me more.”
And if you were unhappy about your wage and waited for months upon months before mustering up the courage to ask for a raise only to be denied you still have the same problem.
And I'm guilty of this too. I've only asked for a raise once since I started working full time. And even then I wasn't confrontational and “Go getting” about it. All the while I'm raging online about how I'm not paid enough.
The one thing boomers knew how to do when they were our age and becomming professionals was to ask for a raise. They didn't strike and join unions like their parents and grandparents. But there was still a semblance of self respect in their own generation's working class.
The way I see it, is that it will never improve for Gen Z or Millenials until we learn to have much more uncomfortable conversations with our employers. Sit our bosses and middle managers down and literally tell them I will not stay if you do not pay me more.
I need to do this. My friends do. And most people on reddit who complain about their wages need to as well. Our generations just don't have a spine and are too non-confrontational in face to face interactions. We'll literally harrass someone online or flip off cops, but then start to sweat when we have to tell a restaraunt to send food back that came cold.
Your employer can read this energy off of you and is taking advantage of this.
I'm not religious in particular. However there is one verse in the Bible that I hold dear to my heart: ask and you shall recieve, knock and the door will be opened to you. I've done this in my life everywhere. Asked for favors, and given favors to people who need it.
Yet for some reason I, and most people my age don't want to do this at work. And everyone is paying the price for it.