With his phone pointed to a mirror, Jordan Howlett hits record. Under the username @jordan_the_stallion8, he delves into stories about apathetic managers, rude customers and the ruthless hours in the service industry — speaking directly to his five million TikTok followers.
“I love talking about things that happened to me at work because it's nice to know I'm not alone with what's going on,” says Howlett, who’s 24. “If things are bad enough, I think they should be spoken about.”
Howlett’s content, which often receives hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, is part of a developing trend on the social media platform best known to older generations for viral dance videos: Members of the minimum wage workforce are increasingly voicing concerns about equity, treatment and pay to a growing community of followers who share common struggles. It’s not a small population — according to the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, 44% of U.S. workers have low-wage jobs.
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In a video with over two million views, Howlett warns his audience against being pressured into becoming the “workplace superhero.” He recounted his five month tenure at Krispy Kreme, explaining how he felt the need to do everything and anything, from picking up extra shifts to doing the work of several positions at once. It’s behavior that, in hindsight, he says went unappreciated — and he urges his followers to avoid his past mistakes.
“Don’t believe me?” he says, leaning into the mirror. “Ask for a day off. They’re going to be like, ‘you’re not being a team player.’” Howlett, who still works in the service industry, plays on the humor found in the familiar but acknowledges the absurdity of these situations. For his followers, his stories make perfect sense. But he knows that for some, his content may not strike the same universal chord.
“The disconnect between employees and employers is that they don't understand just how hard it is to live off of a minimum wage job,” says Howlett. “They don't understand stress and anxiety.”
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The Brookings Institution estimates that of the 53 million Americans working in low-wage jobs, most are between the ages of 25 and 54. On average, these workers are paid above the federal minimum wage at $10.22 per hour, but these numbers do not always amount to a livable wage. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that employees would need to make at least $20.40 per hour in a 40-hour work week to afford one-bedroom rent on average in the U.S. As it stands, an employee would have to work 79 hours a week to rent a one-bedroom at fair market value.
“People nowadays are either living with somebody, whether it’s roommates or their parents, and if they have their own place, they're paycheck to paycheck,” says Howlett. “We don't like the fact that we're putting in all this work for very little pay.”
Similar sentiments are echoed across TikTok, and demonstrate the isolation these workers can feel. One creator under the username @
The frustration chronicled on TikTok is spreading among the minimum wage workforce. In June, the Labor Department reported 10.1 million job openings, with the service industry taking the brunt of this labor shortage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the restaurant industry stands at 8.4%, three points higher than the national average. Establishments like Chipotle and Mcdonald’s have increased their hourly wages in an attempt to attract workers, but these wages hover between $11 to $18 per hour — not the living wage workers are increasingly demanding.
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Additionally, minimum wage work rarely boasts many employee benefits. Brookings found that 22% of the U.S. workforce, or 32 million people, earn low wages and do not have access to employer-sponsored healthcare. Financial news company Wall Street 24/7 reported that only 66% of workers in the food industry have access to paid leave compared to the private sector’s 78%. In Howlett’s experience, he says he’s struggled to connect with HR departments in his former workplaces, hinting at a frayed line of communication between employer and employee.
“Jobs should have a better system in regards to listening to their employees, be it unfair working conditions or managers who are abusing their power,” Howlett says. “We have the self-awareness to know we don’t like being treated this way.”
As the pandemic continues well into its second year and employers struggle to retain workers, more attention will fall on compensation and benefits in the service industry and minimum wage work. After all, with this kind of work considered “essential” as part of the critical retail sector by the National Conference of State Legislatures, talent is needed — but people need to make a living.
“Am I going to find a job that I actually like? Am I going to move out of my parents’ house and be able to have a family in this economy? Can I afford basic things like healthcare or get a car that works?” Howlett asks. “There's a list of things that can keep you up at night."
