There are tons of reasons why minimum wage jobs in America suck, one of the most prominent being the rule of sitting. Big corporations often equate sitting with laziness, hence why so many workers are forced to stand for hours on end while barely making a living wage. I don't know about you, but I find this practice disgusting.
The people who force minimum wage workers to stand are the ones who work 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and get their own little desks to sit at. In fact, many of them got so bored with sitting that convertible desks were made so the person using it had the option to either sit or stand. But while they sit in their comfy little chairs, they write these disgusting rules to ensure our work day is nothing short of painful.
I often wondered why standing on the job was so important when almost every minimum wage job can be completed while sitting. Cashiers can still count money while sitting, fitting room associates can give you a number card while sitting, and employees can unpack boxes while sitting. I finally realized that forcing minimum wage workers to stand is a demonstration of power. It has nothing to do with the quality of the work being performed, and corporations know that.
Standing for hours on end can cause serious damage to a person's spine, knees, ankles, and feet. An employee shouldn't have to come to work decked out in braces and wraps to keep their body parts in check. Considering many companies pay their employees just enough to keep them off government based healthcare, the injuries one can sustain on the job can cause serious financial troubles.
At 19-years-old, I personally suffer from spinal problems, so standing for hours on end really doesn't help my situation. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it. I recall an old coworker who had a note from her doctor stating that standing for long periods of time was off limits and that the store should provide her with a chair. Well, the store fought her on it every day. "It makes you look lazy," they'd say. I'll repeat; she had a note from her doctor, and the store still refused her.
When telling this story to a friend, they asked why she didn't just sue. What a stupid question. This girl worked a minimum wage job and lived paycheck to paycheck; she couldn't afford to sue. No one can. The power dynamic between companies and their workers is so twisted that the ones at the bottom can do absolutely nothing to help their aching bodies. I don't find this fair at all.
Forcing workers to stand is a terrible practice. It's an act of pure manipulation. The pain simply isn't worth the pennies we make every hour.
