[skinnymuch]

I don’t want “respect” or whatever other ways things are being framed if I’m being paid a low wage. I always found it insulting when done. When I was treated more like a cog in line with my pay, I don’t remember having any specific consistent resentment or annoyance.

This is my own personal life anecdote.

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It also isn’t just pay. Being all cute and “nice” and “respectful” but on top of low pay, not being flexible with something like taking half a day off or coming in late or leaving early because of life stuff, shows how the company and higher ups truly feel about you.

Most of the time lower wages correlates with the loss of the above flexibility. There are major exceptions like when the job is interchangeable and you can swap shifts with others.

At that point. The company knows you’re a cog. Treats you as a cog, but sometimes spins things as if you’re a person that matters to them.

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Edit: I do agree jerks suck. I guess I see putting a bow on stuff as jerk material as it is generally done with cogs.

[brobdingnagians]

True I agree with that. It can feel like a cynical slap if they cover up your low status and try to make you feel good about it. I try to coach and mentor my employees and see what they value. I totally recognize that isn't common in management.

[skinnymuch]

Def depends on the job too. I was referring to jobs that paid under $20 an hour in 2021 dollars.

Even though I haven’t begun turning my life around until I passed my 20s. Still, my next job will be as a developer. In that case, a lot of the issues won’t be the same. Even though I’ll be a “lowly web dev cog”, I’ll hopefully be paid decently enough, and be either remote or in the high flying New York area, or some other major metro area.

It is a lot easier to swallow a lot of the issues if my salary is above the median and mean average and on pace to be six figures in a few years.

I think I’d like you as a manager, haha. If it is fine, could you email me at the address in my profile? Assuming you manage tech employees, I’d like to ask about a thing or two. No pressure.