“The worker deserves his wages,” says Luke 10:7. But figuring out what’s fair for a certain job can be a serious challenge. A minimum wage increase proposal has been tossed around the U.S. government lately. So far, a bill hasn’t passed to raise the existing $7.25 per hour wage that’s been in place since 2009. But that doesn’t mean a legislated increase isn’t coming.
Minimum wage is the lowest hourly payment that employers can legally pay employees. The rate varies between countries. For example, Kyrgyzstan has the world’s lowest minimum wage at $14 per month, or about nine cents per hour! Australia pays at least $15.12 hourly. (Rates adjusted to U.S. dollars.)
Democrats hoped to force a rate increase in the March $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The bill initially required yearly increases in the minimum wage to a whopping $15 per hour by 2025. The House of Representatives approved the hike, but it didn’t make it through the Senate for a vote.
Many people say the current minimum wage is insufficient compared to the cost of living. Families struggling to make ends meet see hope in a minimum wage increase. The Bible reminds us not to be anxious about finances. (See Luke 12:24, Philippians 4:19, and 2 Peter 1:3.) Others say increasing wages will reduce jobs by making it financially impossible for many businesses to survive. Increased wages also drive up inflation, making necessities more costly.
Due to human nature, there are problems on all sides of the worker/pay issue. Some employees want to work less but earn more. Not everyone has a strong work ethic. On the other hand, some employers insist on paying the least amount they can. Greedy for gain, they pocket large profits while people in their charge go without.
In a 2014 column entitled Upside-down Golden Rule, WORLD News Group Founder Joel Belz says, “Isn’t minimum wage another way of saying, ‘If I could legally pay you less, I would’?” That realization changed his perspective on caring for employees.
What should determine a raise? The U.S. Congress? Mr. Belz says that employers may need a heart-shift like he experienced. He tells his dedicated employees, “My goal is to pay you just as much as I possibly can––while balancing our budget, giving our investors a good return, and making sure we’ve got reserves for future operations. I value you, and I don’t want you to leave us to go somewhere else.”
If you are an employee, work hard. If you become the employer, ask God for both wisdom and a generous heart that reflects His. Meditate on Colossians 3:23. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
First Comment!!
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Second Comment
Huh...America is getting super inflated, so I don't know if this is a good idea. Maybe they could just boost it to 8 dollars an hour?
@Bethy S
Well, Idk that they would need to do that at all if they hadn't shut America down. But, anyway, I don't think that's what this is about. They've got a President in office who will do WHATEVER he's told, sooooo... They've basically gotten around part of the system. The President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives are all part of a big check and balance which the liberals have cheated their way around. All that said, I think that this whole raise-the-minimum-wage plan is just another one of their schemes to wreck America. Think about it. What happens if they do it. Well... Other than the fact that they might print more money, (oof, nvm, they're always doing that {I could go on a little rabbit trail right there XD}) people start getting paid more money. Which sounds great, except for the fact that that money has to come from somewhere. The businesses. Which means they have to take it from somewhere. The consumers. Who also have jobs. And round and round yeh go til we have one big vicious cycle of rising wages and rising prices. Add on top of that the fact that we got some people in the government who sit around playing games on their phone all day while setting the amount of copies on the money printer to 1,000,000. (Idk, they might. Wouldn't surprise me very much. Lol.) Also, good old Joe *grimaces* just decided he'd like to spend lots of the people's money to help the people. That's a very noble idea in theory, but Robin Hood was a story, and he didn't live in a capitalist world. Anyway, you can see where all this goes. It's all really about wrecking America, in the end.
this is mylee
Most the time its 5-7 dollars an hour for a teen . And after 16 or 18 (depending on company ) its like 10 . 15 dollars if you are a manager or something . SO I don't see the problem. It might be upper states.
this is mylee
some ppl are to lazy to work harder ..... (Hey we should start a debate on here )
Minimum wage is one of the
Minimum wage is one of the dumbest things you could do to "help" businesses. If people are fine getting payed 2 bucks an hour(or way less, in older times), so be it! The employee decides if he wants to stay or not! The government should not have the right to decide what employers do to pay their employeez. What the government is trying to do is to run the businesses! Did you know, when (i forget) one of the minimum wage laws passed, less african americans worked! That is what minimum wage laws do.
this is mylee
I agree with david p. the government shouldn't run buisnesses ! and if someone isnt happy about there wage then they should quit. And if they complain or anything about there wage then the boss should just fire them.
HA!!
people of our generation have no idea how to work hard. SOOOO many people in other countries get less than 15 dollars a month!!!. When my grandmother was born, she needed to work too ( she's caucasian btw).
@Twins S
They want to be the big papa for us. Take care of us, treat us well, etc. But this will cause trouble eventually for the generations after us. They want to do it to gain power. Make everyone comfortable. But it will eventually become uncomfortable with less businesses. @Cheyln D Yup. I'm reading this book called "Created for Work." The book has key points in a simple form and quick chapters. It's for young men, but my dad also shared a discussion with it for my sisters too. I highly recommend it because it has so much truth to give in such an easy way of understanding it.
this is mylee
yep thats a good way to put it ; big papa.
this is mylee
@Chelyn 15 dollars a month is so little.....
NONONONONONONONONNONONONONONONONONONOONONONONONO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Minimum wage is TERRIBLE for small businesses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My family has a small business and minimum wage is despicable.
this is mylee
Addie that's cool ! Don't mind me asking what is your familys buisness?
Yep, I don't think the
Yep, I don't think the government should dictate how much a person is paid. Like some of you were saying: If you don't like it LEAVE! And as others of you were saying, it would be terrible for small businesses! Thank you for pointing that out to me.
@Mylee
I don't mind. Our family business is a banking business, started in.... 1904, I think? It's been four generations in the family. My great-great-grandfather started it, and now my grandmother is the boss and my dad works there.
@Above
@Addie: That is neat!
@David: Yeah I know we already talked about this, being raised in families that work. And I am surrounded by families where the kids do their fair share. For example, we hire people to bale our hay, because we don't have the equipment to do big bales. But the kids have all been helping since they were in 7th grade, and they can drive the tractors on the roads by themselves and they bale at all hours, whenever possible. One of the brothers, about 18, came out last night at about 8:00 and started baling ours, and probably worked till he was done, probably midnight or later, and most likely then moved and started baling somewhere else!
About the wage, with both my babysitting jobs and farm work, I work for $10 and hour. Yeah if there should be a wage raise, it should be company by company how they want to raise it and how much. Not the government raising it.
this is mylee
wow addie thats amazing !It's more than 100 years old !!!!
see where those protesters
see where those protesters are? me and my family were in that exact place a few days ago!
@Elijah
Oh that is fun! My family went to DC in 2019. I don't know if I would actually want to be there right now... with all the stuff going on. Do you live there or was it a trip?
Tuff decision
That is a difficult case but I would just keep the minimum wage how it is for the sake of small businesses.
Interesting thought
Well, all the businesses are hiring right now, right? And having lots of trouble getting employees, because so many people would prefer to stay home on their government unemployment checks. Well, I don't think there needs to be an increase, because if someone thinks their wage is too low, they can easily get a different job right now. With higher wages. So any wage-raising that needs to be done will probably happen without the government's intervention because of competition. Tell me if that doesn't make sense and I hope I didn't offend anybody. :-)
@KN
It makes sense to me.