We are, in practice, saying the same thing, and in agreement I believe.

If the employer was paying a living wage, then Quats (or any other receptionist) wouldn't need to rely on outside sources for life essentials, like rent and healthcare. She'd pay for those out of her earnings, like anyone else.

The reason why the employer can pay less, is because there are other people that are better subsidized by their support network, rather than paying for their own expenses. It depresses the price point at which people will trade their time for money, down to Quats $13/hr, which nobody anywhere can live on alone, without support.

This is kinda sensitive to me right now, because I am helping a friend out in NYC, whose parents have both passed recently, and she and her boyfriend just broke up. She's a successful actor (extra) and makeup artist and glass artist and musician and and and and... her money comes from a lot of different places.

But she is completely alone. She has to pay her rent. She has to pay for her own healthcare. She has to pay for her own internet/phone and utilities. Etc.

It's hard. It is panic-inducing. She's constantly on the verge of losing everything, and she's in her 40's.

But she does all of these things because it keeps her solvent. She literally can't take a 40-hour a week job for even $25/hr because she has zero support/subsidizing from family/partner to keep her finances in the black. She gets her $600/day for being an extra on a TV show or movie, then goes home to make a glass commission, before going to DJ at a roller rink, and applies for art grants and other opportunities while laying in bed at night before going to sleep.

It's vividly clear when working with someone who DOESN'T have those subsidies to fall back on.