Have you ever worked a thankless, low-wage job?
I have. I've served cocktails in an after-hours bar, worked in a steamy stockroom unloading and unpacking endless boxes, worked retail shifts from 2pm-12:30 am one day and 6am to 4pm the next--all for minimum wage or slightly above. As a result, I am a college graduate who is a great tipper and a very patient customer.
In Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, highly educated, upper middle class Barbara Ehrenreich does an experiment. She goes undercover for a year as an uneducated, inexperienced, job-seeking housewife to see if it is really possible to live on low wages. In a short book,(221 pages of quick reading) she chronicles her experiences as a waitress, maid, and Wal-Mart worker.
The Safety Net
Eherenreich cheats a little bit. She doesn't start out totally broke, and she rents a car. She always has an ATM card to fall back on if she fails to earn enough money for food and housing.( Perhaps this is why she never takes on a roommate when she's short on rent? Never Car Pools? Wastes money on lots of fast-food and cigarettes?)
Waitress
Ehrenreich begins her low-wage study waitressing in a couple of greasy-spoon type hotel-restaurants. She learns first hand about low-tippers, abusive customers, fatigue, and poor management. She learns about the ridiculous rules(only 6 croutons per salad--OR ELSE!) Nothing new, here. I think that anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant can relate.
The really interesting stories come not from her experiences waiting tables, but from the people she works with. There is the drug dealing cook, the foreign bus boy who shares an apartment with 15 other people, and the hostess who is homeless and lives out of her car. The heart-breaking stories of their struggles really keep the book alive while some of Ehrenreich's snide comments on religion, the upper class, and life in general get tedious.
Ehrenreich fails to make enough money to feed herself and pay her $500 a month rent so she decides to moonlight as a part-time hotel maid. (Again, why didn't she look into sharing her apartment?) When she finally finds work, ( she insists no one will hire her because she is an English-speaking caucasian) she quits after a week because the labor of two jobs wears her out, physically and emotionally. Next she decides to move on...
The "Merry Maid"
She finds it much easier to find full-time employment as a "Merry Maid." This is by far the worst job Ehrenreich takes. Talk about humiliating--the maids slave away for $6.20 an hour, while the evil boss sits back and collects $20 an hour for each maid he dispatches. The way these maids are taught to clean is disgusting. They keep a dust rag in one pocket, and a rag for "wet" cleaning in another. According to the author, the same rag that wipes the toilet is likely the same rag that wipes your kitchen countertop. You just hope that they do the countertops first!
A few more toilet tidbits Ehrenreich tells you WAY more than you ever want to know about the (ahem!) many different types of toilet stains she encounters, and the precise cleaning techniques required for each. (A "landslide" is the easiest type to deal with, for more tips, read the book!)
The maids are required to scrub all floors on their hands and knees, and to strap vacuum cleaners on their backs. They are not allowed to eat, drink, or use the bathroom for hours at a time. When one of the maids badly sprains her ankle, the evil boss demands, "Work through the pain!" The poor girl winds up limping around with her vacuum strapped to her back, because along with the evil boss man, she has an evil boyfriend who beats her if she misses work. Ehrenreich is outraged that people put up with this kind of treatment and wonders why there is not some kind of mass uprising.
Wally-World
Finally, Ehrenreich moves on up to working at Wal Mart. She gives a hilarious account of the so called "personality" tests she is given, and the "cult of Sam" training techniques. Did you know that it is considered "time theft" to talk to another employee, use the restroom without clocking out, or to take a sip from the water fountain? By her accounts, manager-types are constantly skulking about and jumping from behind clothing racks to bust employees for these horrible infractions. Overall, her coworkers at Wal Mart seen to be a bit more financially secure than the maids and waitresses, because many have spouses and/or second jobs.
Overall Reaction and Recommendation
Although I did not agree with many of Ehrenreich's comments, judgements, and financial strategy, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not)Getting By In America was a fascinating, well-written read. Darkly humorous and heart wrenching at the same time, the book gives a small glimpse into the stressful world of low wage survival. She makes a good case for mandating "living wages" instead of minimum wages.
You should read this book if you have ever worked one of these jobs, if you've never worked one of these jobs, or if you tip badly and quickly become impatient with service people. After reading this book, you might never look at them (or yourself) the same way again.
**WARNING--This one could really stir up a book club, inviting much argument on politics, welfare, labor laws, germs, and social class**
Recommended:
