Posted by: Vivant December 20, 2009
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Yes, there are bad Nepalese employers. To take undue advantage of someone weaker than you is immoral, unethical and in many cases illegal but is a sad reality in America that is hard to change.
Most small retail stores of the type you talk about should not be hiring workers *at all*. Retail is typically a low margin business and costs have to be kept very low to survive. Let's do the math. In the Boston area, a typical 1000-feet store can cost you anywhere from $3000 to 5000+ in rent depending on the location. If you invested a $100,000 in buying a convenient store and want to break even in two-years, you are looking to have about $45,000 in monthly sales for a monthly profit of $4500 (assuming an average profit of 10% ).
Take away the $3,000 rent and you are left with $1500 to either pay our self or hire someone. If the owner hires a full-time person for 40 hours @ $8 per hour (MA minimum wage) that comes to about $1300 a month spent in wages. Which leaves the owner just about $200 to take home. So as you can see if they had to pay minimum wage, many of these stores will be out of business; hence the shoddy hiring.
Unfortunately employers all across America do this, not Nepalese and not just retail store owners. Farmers hire illegal Mexicans for half of minimum wage. Many homeowners bring in Guatemalans and Salvadorians to paint their houses and spruce up their gardens for chump change. Add to that the current economic slump and this is totally a buyers market for unskilled labor.
There are many small businesses who do not hire below minimum wages but may not be able to give you as many hours. The trick is to work for someone who is not in the business for quick profits, someone who has long term vision of their business and does not cut corners. Such people may be harder to find, especially in retail, but they are out there.
The fact is working illegally in retail is just a shitty job and like all shitty jobs nothing much will change about it. The best way to avenge such employers is by studying hard, finishing college, saying good bye to the shitty employers and getting a good professional job or starting your own business
Good luck.
Most small retail stores of the type you talk about should not be hiring workers *at all*. Retail is typically a low margin business and costs have to be kept very low to survive. Let's do the math. In the Boston area, a typical 1000-feet store can cost you anywhere from $3000 to 5000+ in rent depending on the location. If you invested a $100,000 in buying a convenient store and want to break even in two-years, you are looking to have about $45,000 in monthly sales for a monthly profit of $4500 (assuming an average profit of 10% ).
Take away the $3,000 rent and you are left with $1500 to either pay our self or hire someone. If the owner hires a full-time person for 40 hours @ $8 per hour (MA minimum wage) that comes to about $1300 a month spent in wages. Which leaves the owner just about $200 to take home. So as you can see if they had to pay minimum wage, many of these stores will be out of business; hence the shoddy hiring.
Unfortunately employers all across America do this, not Nepalese and not just retail store owners. Farmers hire illegal Mexicans for half of minimum wage. Many homeowners bring in Guatemalans and Salvadorians to paint their houses and spruce up their gardens for chump change. Add to that the current economic slump and this is totally a buyers market for unskilled labor.
There are many small businesses who do not hire below minimum wages but may not be able to give you as many hours. The trick is to work for someone who is not in the business for quick profits, someone who has long term vision of their business and does not cut corners. Such people may be harder to find, especially in retail, but they are out there.
The fact is working illegally in retail is just a shitty job and like all shitty jobs nothing much will change about it. The best way to avenge such employers is by studying hard, finishing college, saying good bye to the shitty employers and getting a good professional job or starting your own business
Good luck.
Last edited: 20-Dec-09 07:33 PM