this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023
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Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/3624236

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/3624234

A family wage is a wage that is sufficient to raise a family. This contrasts with a living wage, which is generally taken to mean a wage sufficient for a single individual to live on, but not necessarily sufficient to also support a family. As a stronger form of living wage, a family wage is likewise advocated by proponents of social justice. Family wage campaign was aiming to maintain the traditional family structure, as a concept connecting economics and family structure it is one of the examples of how economic structure of family, which is a subject of the field family economics, affects overall economy beyond the family.

The term "family wage jobs" has occasional contemporary use in American political rhetoric and is most associated with Catholic intellectuals, in the Catholic social teaching tradition

The debate about "living wages" vs. minimum wages ignores structuring jobs for the needs of the family and (traditionally male) breadwinners

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[–] Rodeo@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Man I've been trying to get people to stop saying living wage forever now. Just living isn't good enough. We want to be comfortable.

We don't want living wages, we want GOOD wages.

[–] walnutwalrus@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Yeah I often see people discussing minimum wages and living wages, this was a different concept I stumbled upon for people to think about, which makes sense for society to consider because if workers have families they're not simply trying to earn a "living wage" (enough for them) but also enough for kids and/or spouse, etc.

family wage: enough to support a whole family by one breadwinner (traditionally thought of as an individual male; even with dual breadwinners you could still have an idea of how much a "family wage" would be that pays for the costs of the whole family)

living wage: enough to support an individual

minimum legal wage: legally allowed minimum to pay per hour (I don't know how common it has been for a minimum wage to be enough to raise a family)

[–] Sibbo@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 year ago

For someone who doesn't get a living wage, the term is surely important

[–] ashok36@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If someone asks how to calculate a living wage or a family wage, tell them to ask the Army. They have all kinds of formulas for determining how much you get paid based on your family situation.

[–] SheeEttin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

BAS and BAH don't always line up with actual costs. In fact, around bases, landlords will often set rent to exactly what the military pays for BAH, which is usually a bit higher than average rent that isn't exactly BAH.