In many states, it is legal to pay camp counselors less than minimum wage. The work that the counselors do requires being on their feet the entire day, ensuring the enjoyment and safety of the campers, and being exposed to the hot sun all day long. Because the law permits this and there are many high school students looking for work with few options, this unfair practice is allowed to continue.
Today I walked into Staples and saw their cashiers wearing backpacks. When I inquired about why they were wearing backpacks, I was told that all of the cashiers had to wear a backpack for their whole shift. They didn't like but had no choice. The managers were not required to wear them and I am certain the Staples executives are not wearing them. They have turned the cashiers into human displays. Staples just as easily could create a much better way of promoting the sale of backpacks by creating a display of them as is customary in most retail stores. Each cashier could be asked to tell customers about backpacks and school supplies. But to require each employee to wear one their entire shift seemed very unfair and inconsiderate.
Summer camps and Staples are both ignoring what's fair and not treating their employees with respect and dignity. Summer camps in order to be competitive may be able to argue that they have to do what every other camp is doing. In this case, the law should be changed so that Camp counselors receive the same minimum wage as other workers.
Staples has no excuse. The policy of requiring employees to wear backpacks is degrading not to mention uncomfortable. Employers and our wage laws must respect young people who very often don't have many options while they are in school.
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