Analysis Of Where A Tip Can Beget Harassment

The cost of living in the United States has been increasing year after year while the minimum wage has not increased to balance out the change of more expensive living. Barack Obama says “Let 's declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour” (qtd. in Tennant 10+). He supports the idea of raising the current, $7.25, federal minimum wage. In America living a comfortable life includes being able to pay for all the bills, purchasing necessities, food, clothing, hygiene products, and being able to afford a few luxuries. The minimum wage does not even cover the minimum for comfortable living for many Americans whose only income is from …show more content…
For those who work full time, 40-hours a week, and put in over time to be able to make ends meet put themselves at higher risk of poor health which they will not be able to pay for to get better because of their low income and lack of health benefits provided to them by employers. Minimum wage jobs include tipped workers who are paid less and have to earn the difference through tips. The article “Where a Tip can Beget Harassment” in the New York Times informs that “study showed that women reliant on tips made up the highest share of those who had experienced harassment and that those who lived in states where the tipped minimum wage was $2.13 an hour (the federal minimum for tipped workers) were twice as likely to experience sexual harassment” (Bellafante, 1(L)) and blames the reason to this being the “economic structure that turns customers into shadow employers, leaving servers -- so often women -- vulnerable to the predations anyone picking up the bill might feel entitled to exercise”(1(L)). Apart from having the struggle of trying to make a living, women have to go through harassment to earn money. Because many tips are given based on the quality of service they have to ignore the cruel treatment of some clientele or risk not being able to pay for rent that month, or event lose their job when complaining to their employer about how their …show more content…
Finding a job has gotten harder and once having a job the likeliness of being paid a considerable amount of money for a person’s hard work is unlikely. The controversy set in increasing the minimum wage is around the idea of many believing that the increase will only lead to disasters and not help anyone. Minimum wage jobs are worked by a variety of people, for a range of reasons, but for whatever their reason is, it is to earn money. In order to ensure a bright future for themselves, teenagers work to be able to pay for their education or to make a living for their lack of education. Adults who have no other options in their career path are left with only low wage jobs as their source of income. With parents their struggles to make a living are increased because they are no longer only trying to support themselves. By raising the federal minimum wage many people will benefit. Teenagers will be able to earn money to put toward their education; adults will be able to pay for their necessities, and parents can support themselves and their child. Government funded programs like food stamps and Medicare will be less depended on with people being able to pay for themselves. With more money there will be more consumers in the market and will improve the economy when they spend their money. Over all raising the minimum wage will help many people in many