Millennials are catching on to a new labor trend in the United States.
According to Business Insider, social media sparked “acting your wage.”
“If you’re acting your wage, that means the amount of labor you’re putting in reflects the amount you’re getting paid,” TikTok creator Sarai Soto explains. “So you’re not going to do the job of two to three people if you’re really not even making a livable wage.”
“Acting your wage” does not mean doing your job poorly. It means setting a boundary about not overworking unless compensated for your time and effort. If you’re paid minimum wage, you’re going to put in minimum effort.
Soto creates videos shared with her TikTok audiences about different work scenarios and suggestions of how to set boundaries and “act your wage.” The backlash that quiet quitting and “the Great Resignation” has received reveal how managers have always expected Americans to overwork. And Millennials are not cooperating as food and gas prices increase, inflation is high and wages are not keeping up.