Teenager Turns Down Job That Only Pays $9 An Hour & Makes Her Mom ‘So Proud’

Apr 06, 2023 by apost team

More and more people are beginning to stand up for themselves when it comes to being treated and being compensated the way they believe they deserve. This goes for how people are in their friendships, relationships and even with their pay at work. Although it’s not always easy, standing up for what you believe in can really make a difference and help inspire others to follow suit.

This is exactly what one mother learned from her 19-year-old daughter. She went to the r/antiwork forum on Reddit back in December 2021 to share a valuable lesson she learned from her daughter about negotiating your pay at your place of work. The forum is dedicated to those who either want to get out of their current job, discuss the work and home life balance and any other job-related struggles.

The mom explained how the store where her daughter interviewed offered the 19-year-old a starting rate of $9 per hour, but that wasn’t enough for the teenager. The mom did not say where she was from but acknowledged that the pay definitely was not enough to live on. 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, but many states offer more as their starting point. For example, New York’s minimum wage is $15 per hour, and California’s minimum wage is $15.50 per hour.

The mom said that seeing her daughter understand her own self-worth helped her see that she also deserved more at her place of employment, and she is now sharing the inspirational message with anyone who will listen.

Starting off her Reddit post, the original poster (OP) said, “I’m really proud of my 19-year-old daughter. She was offered $9/hr at a second interview today and declined telling them she couldn’t feed herself with that.”

OP explained that she was completely surprised by her daughter's actions as it was a shop that her daughter had been wanting to work at since she was just a little girl. “The shop owner who interviewed her acknowledged that it wasn’t a living wage and apologized that they couldn’t offer more,” OP said. “I realized the reason I was so surprised wasn’t just because my daughter is generally a bit shy and always non-confrontational, but because this goes against the societal norms I grew up with.”

OP explained that she’s currently 41 years old, and at her daughter’s age, she never would have had the guts to stand up to someone and negotiate her pay. “I would’ve never had the confidence to stand up to an older adult in a position of power like that,” she said. “I told her I was so proud of her for knowing her worth and not accepting anything less.”

OP’s daughter is not the only one who believes in doing what one can to earn the wage you deserve. In fact, OP acknowledged just how grateful she was to many Reddit users for sharing their own thoughts on the matter. She said:

“This sub has made me realize that we ALL have to do this. At every interview, every job. I just accepted a new position recently and now I wish I would’ve negotiated for more. I will now the first chance I get.”

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OP explained how she believes if more people have her daughter’s mindset, then real change can happen. She continued: “We can no longer accept the status quo of working for less than a living wage. And not just for ourselves, but for all of us.” 

This was a lesson that OP definitely learned thanks to her daughter, and is now something that she hopes to share with others so more people can make a living wage and learn how to stand up for themselves.

“Most people think that you teach your kids, but really the learning goes both ways,” OP explained. “And it never stops. I’m so thankful for the new perspective and for this sub.”

Many users were just as appreciative knowing that more people were working to change work culture. One user said: “Man I’m 21 and I don’t know that I’d have the guts to be that upfront – even though she’s totally in the right! So happy for her.” Another user added: “I have always said, know your worth. Good for her.” A third user simply said, “We are all proud of her.”

OP later edited her post to talk to explain that her daughter currently makes $10.50 per hour at her job, so she didn’t see it necessary to take a pay cut to work somewhere she may have liked more, especially since she was more than qualified. 

She also talked about how inspiring the anti-work perspective is to her. “I love all the ‘know your worths’ and comments with a similar sentiment,” she said. “This is how we change the game.”

What do you think about the lesson this mom learned from her 19-year-old daughter? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family, friends and co-workers!