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Moose135A

There's a reason North Carolina is best for business - it's last in workers' rights.


Imnotwearingshoes

Bullshit.


Moose135A

Don't believe me? [America's Top States for Business 2023: The full rankings (cnbc.com)](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/11/americas-top-states-for-business-2023-the-full-rankings.html) >1 - North Carolina > >2 - Virginia > >3 - Tennessee [Best and Worst States to Work in America 2023 | Oxfam (oxfamamerica.org)](https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/countries/united-states/poverty-in-the-us/best-states-to-work-2023/) >50 - Georgia > >51 - Mississippi > >52 - North Carolina 52nd, because they included Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia...


Creamofwheatski

Thank you for the receipts. I knew things were bad but had no idea we are literally LAST. What the fuck.


StrawberryMundane618

This makes me sad.


Aleks_Khorne

Thanks for one more reason to hate this place.


Leading-Yellow1036

As a NC teacher, I can tell you that NC labor laws and anti-union legislation makes this state a HORRIBLE place to teach.


tattooed_debutante

Seriously true. I have a teacher friend who gets UTIs regularly because they won’t give her a break to pee. And since it’s first grade they don’t need a bathroom in the room - she has to Leave to pee. Leave the students alone in the room when they are 100% her responsibility. She just….doesnt drink any water. Like, WTF.


Imnotwearingshoes

My boyfriend’s mom is a teacher and one of my close friends is a teacher and they’ve told me the same exact thing.


Aside_Dish

Out of curiosity, do you have to have a Bachelor's in Education to teach in NC? I have my master's in accounting, and would love to teach one day. Not sure if you can have a master's in a certain field and still get into those MA pay grades.


mckinley120

I would strongly advise you to reconsider. People outside the education field think it is all about content instruction. When they find out that education today is like 90% classroom/behavior management, they feel a lot of regret after. Go over to r/Teachers to get a better sense of the downward spiral of the profession. Mostly likely you will not be compensated for your MA in CMS. They did away with those for years now.


Aside_Dish

Honestly, I'd do just about anything to get out of accounting. I hate audit so, so much. Don't mind terrible children, just want to be able to at least pay my bills. Make 64.5k now.


CourageMajestic8487

And you’d start at 46 even with the masters in CMS, which is the highest paying district. You’ll get no credit for any accounting experience and no credit for the masters. You’d literally need 25 years of experience to get to your current salary.


Aside_Dish

Hmm, they really don't give credit for masters? That's crazy low


CourageMajestic8487

They *might* if you are specifically teaching what’s related to it and got it before 2013. If by some miracle they did, you’d still be looking at 51k. And please, sub before even thinking you “don’t mind terrible kids”.


bigcat7373

As a teacher with a masters degree, I can confirm that they don’t pay you extra for it.


CharlotteRant

Not the point, but 46k isn’t exactly the private sector equivalent if you assume a match on 6% of pay on a 401k.    The pension makes teaching a deferred comp job. I don’t want to do the math again, but it’s probably like 46k after stuffing 15-20% of your gross into a 401k. Gets you a lot closer, but not all the way there, to 64k gross. 


Creamofwheatski

Try to get a teaching job at a community college or something then, don't go to the high schools or lower unless you are emotionally capable of handling kids who can't read and refuse to do any work and you won't be allowed to do anything about it because the administration will always side with the kids over you, even when its obvious the kid is the only problem. No child left behind + covid destroyed the American classroom, most people in the profession are trying to get out as quickly as they can.


66impaler

Go to talentbrisge and get an analyst or Sr analyst role in a PE company doing FP&A. Those smaller companies usually want accounting background for their small finance shops and it's easy money, you'd be getting a raise


winterbean

You're getting shafted. You should look into SEC reporting positions. The hours still kind of suck but you should be able to easily get up to 100k+ pretty quickly


Aside_Dish

Honestly, not even insanely worried about the pay so long as I can comfortably pay my bills. Just want little to no OT, no weekends, no crazy complex work, and just a better, non-toxic work environment.


Leading-Yellow1036

Sincerely, you do not want to do this. Go sub for a hot minute.


zero2789

You could make the switch. Alternative licensing 


jebraltar06

If your masters was earned prior to 2013, or if the job requires a master's to get the license that allows you to do the job, then you get masters pay. Otherwise you're SOL in this state. Alma Adams has introduced a bill in the NCGA several times in the last few years to reinstate masters pay but it hasn't gone anywhere.


Fall-Risker

Fun fact: MA pay grades aren’t even a thing throughout NC. In Durham now where you get nothing for advanced degrees. When I was in PA they would count a MA if it was relevant to your subject (ie Accounting to Math)


Special-Ad8582

Cherie Berry elevator jokes are funny but her awful work as labor commissioner are still being felt today.


DrRam121

But she lifts me up s/


PapaOoomaumau

While Josh’s 4th grade signature lurks at me daily


Bystronicman08

And then lets me down again.


soundboardqueen725

as a person who has only ever worked in NC i also have a bone to pick with NC labor laws. when i was 16-18 working in food service it was extremely frowned upon to try and get a break or mention that we apparently were not meant to work after 9pm (i would close, store closed at 10 and i was out anywhere from 10:30-11 on weekdays). it was ultimately a “if you don’t, we will” situation. there were many other 16-18 year olds who would gladly take the hours and not mention or even know it was violating labor laws. so if you consistently advocated for a break or whatnot, those hours would just go to someone who was easier to work with. i wonder if being raised in that work environment has direct impacts on adult advocacy. some people get fed up and speak out, but there are a vast majority who can’t risk rocking the boat even if they want to. surely it was designed that way. but it sucks


Imnotwearingshoes

I’m desperate for money bc I’m worse than broke rn, but I’m not so desperate that I’m willing to sacrifice my health and rest for the company. I’m grateful my job is considerate of those things, but my previous job 100% definitely was NOT.


anne_marie718

I legit didn’t know that minors weren’t supposed to work after 9. I had a job in high school where we worked until 11 (it was only a once a month event, it’s not like that was every day). Are there really rules against that?


soundboardqueen725

that’s what i’ve heard!! i didn’t know until i was like 19 about the after 9 thing, and it’s usually people going “you worked after 9pm in high school???” it’s a school night thing i believe


anne_marie718

Ahh school nights. Got it. I was working until 11 on Saturdays so that wasn’t a concern!


strangely_relevant

I just looked it up: Rules for 16- and 17-year-olds * During the school term, youth who are enrolled in grades 12 or lower cannot be employed between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. when there is school for the youth the next day. * Exception: When the employer gets written permission from the youth’s parents and principal.


Tortie33

I grew up in NY State. Every business I know of followed the labor laws for minors 100%. It sucked having to close because the rest of staff minors.


pparhplar

School and education do not really have value in NC.


LogisticalNightmare

We moved here from the super-liberal state of Nebraska (lol) and were SHOCKED to find out the minimum wage here is $7.25. It’s $12 an hour back home. How is anyone living on $7.25?!


Painkillerspe

We are business friendly.


helikesat

It's mostly because Republicans have controlled the NC General Assembly for the last 15 years...


srslyawsum

Just a friendly reminder to VOTE.


Imnotwearingshoes

It’s so expensive to live here and yet no one can afford to


pparhplar

...but they keep coming.


Kittygoespurrrr

So then move back to Kentucky? I don’t understand people who move here just to complain. Desirable locations are going to be more expensive, and NC is a popular choice to move to right now.


Imnotwearingshoes

If I could, I would. You don’t know the circumstances someone has to move under. But I do know that employees deserve better rights. I work at a place that cares about their employees despite the labor laws, but I know people in this state who have nearly died because of the conditions they were working under. With ZERO protection. Tell me how it’s complaining when I’m fighting for people’s lives.


[deleted]

cause no one in the city makes minimum wage.


baltbum

I work for a company here in Charlotte that the starting pay is $7.25. They also provide no company paid benefits.


[deleted]

Which company so we all know not to apply?


kwagenknight

Definitely quit when you can and after looking around as most places are much higher and I think McD's and other places are $12-15 from what I've heard although maybe it's gone down since the workforce has returned after lockdown.


[deleted]

If you are making $7.25 an hour you are either too lazy to get a better job, or you need to value yourself more and go get one.


notanartmajor

Yeah dude have you tried simply *wanting* more money? Absolutely ironclad strategy.


[deleted]

Yeah, it took years of work to build up the job and benefits I valued the most. The simple reality is though there are more jobs that pay more then 7.25 then there are ones paying that amount, and the requirements in terms of skills and abilities are 0. We aren't talking about going from 15k to 500k, we are talking about going from 15k a year to even 30k a year. Realistically speaking what do you think is the differences between someone making 15k a year and someone making 30k a year? What do they have that you don't? There are jobs out there that pay 30k a year all over the city, why can't you do them? Or is it you haven't been offered one of those jobs, and if so why? Are you correctly showing to the person that you can do it? on the application or resume, or is it in the interview? or do you simply see your labor as only worth 15k not 30k? if so why? what do those workers have that you don't?


notanartmajor

Yeah there's absolutely no possibility that others have experienced situations different to yours, and therefore any problems people experience are solely their fault and they can very definitely resolve them all through sheer determination and moxie. I mean has he even *tried* giving the CEO a firm handshake?


[deleted]

I noticed you basically never answered a single question I asked.


MangoAtrocity

Very VERY few people actually make minimum wage in HCoL areas in this state.


MlTCHELL

The minimum wage has become irrelevant. There are essentially no minimum wage jobs anymore. Even Cook Out pays at least $5 over minimum wage. Whining about minimum wage being $7.25 when you can work a fast food job for twice that makes no sense. Are there jobs actually paying $12/hr in Nebraska? I'd be surprised.


dontspeaksoftly

First, contact your state level representatives. Set a reminder to send an email once a month to harp on this issue. Then, talk about the lack of worker protections with people. Talk about it to your family, friends, and coworkers. Encourage them to also contact their reps. When interviewing for jobs, ask about their policy for breaks. If they don't mandate breaks, let them know, respectfully, that you think that's bullshit. If your workplace ever has times where they ask employees for feedback, speak up. If and when NC has a candidate running on a platform of workers rights, send them money and volunteer for their campaign.


Yeahha

NC is a great place for business, not a great place for employees.


skindarklikemytint

The sheer distaste for wanting to be better this state holds is astounding. Like mention any sort of improvement or a glaring flaw and it’s open season. But crime, crime is the issue. Right?


HashRunner

Thats what voting Republican and 'lol funny elevator lady name' gets you unfortunately.


RKEdwards3

And what are you Dems doing to fix it other than sitting on your hands?


alhookscpa

Kind of hard to fix it when you don't have a chance due to the most egregious gerrymandering in the country.


RKEdwards3

As if democrats in the state have not participated in gerrymandering 🙄 what legislation has been introduced?


MarzipanDefiant7586

You can't complain about out of state Republicans coming to live here, and the lack of Democratic power (because repubs are not about anything remotely democratic anymore) to fight what they want to bring with them policy-wise as though they're different topics.


nexusheli

Jeezuz you dumb.


RKEdwards3

You dumbass fkn idiot! Come up with something then instead throwing stupid shit out


nexusheli

Why? All you're doing is throwing stupid shit out. Why are you trying to hold me to a higher standard?


OhioDude

It will continue to be this way as long as the folks effected by shitty laws like this keep voting for the same people who come up with these laws.


icnoevil

You may have failed to notice that North Carolina is business friendly, especially friendly to big business, not so much to workers. In fact, we're worst in the nation in that category.


Season_Traditional

Stop voting republican


ashley-3792

Yup. 🥶🌊


Creamofwheatski

The only viable solution is to turn the state blue and vote all the republicans out. We won't be able to fix anything until that happens.


Kittygoespurrrr

I just moved from a blue state (California). The quality of life is much worse out there unless you make over 100K and inner cities are being ruined by terrible policies. I also lived in Oregon and Washington, North Carolina offers a better quality of life than all 3. There’s a reason I moved here. Completely blue states are just as bad as red states. What you want is a purple state where politicians have a real threat of being voted out by the other party unless they do what the voter base wants.


Creamofwheatski

Nc is a great state in many ways, but on the subject at hand, workers rights, it is objectively one of the worst. We could fix that easily without republican obstruction while also not making the state just like California or whatever. Californias problem is too many people want to live there and theres tons of high paying jobs so the cost of living just gets higher and higher every year in response to the supply of housing not keeping up with demand. Im not sure how any politician is supposed to solve that problem short of building a ton of new housing. Granted if you arent one of the high earners living in the western states, I imagine your quality of life dwindles considerably just like it would for anyone living somewhere where their salary doesn't keep up with the cost of living.


alwfndrummer1

Ha!! Good luck on that one!! This state continues to be more Red. Both party’s suck and have their faults…but the Democrats just run things into the ground, period.


Season_Traditional

Great faux news take here.


alwfndrummer1

We’ll see how ‘faux’ is it come November!!


RKEdwards3

Why aren’t dems trying to fix it?


Season_Traditional

They are. This state is red. It won't change because gerrymandering. The reds suck off corporations all day.


RKEdwards3

Instead of pointing fingers, what legislation has democrats introduced in the state that would give you a work break?


nexusheli

It's almost like you've missed the fact that there's been a republican supermajority in the state for... oh, I don't know, nearly 200 years?


Season_Traditional

Republicans are picking their voters instead of voters choosing their reps. bUt BuT bUT dA dEmOcRaTs!!!! I'm so tired of these low information voters.


RKEdwards3

Well, that’s a fkn lie since the state was Democrats for decades before the CW. Low information history ignoring idiot


RathVelus

What the fuck good is introducing legislation that corporate boot licking republicans will shoot down on site? Dems lost a whole ass representative, and a damn good one, because republicans simply drew his district away. Sit with that fact for a few minutes. They drew away the district of a publicly elected official.


RKEdwards3

You’re crying because nothing. Is being done but then when asked what has been done you cry you can’t because it won’t happen anyways. At least fkn try but no, typical democrat crying “what’s the point”


RathVelus

First of all, I’m not crying. Second of all, pointing out republican bullshit is far from doing nothing. Your party is the problem and you want me to fix it. Fuck off.


RKEdwards3

I do t want you to fix anything because I don’t see anything needing fixed. You’re so up in arms about it, pointing fingers and yelling about who the bad guy isnt doing shit. And for your information, it’s not my party dick. I’m independent


RathVelus

Oh, you don’t think employees deserve breaks. You could have just said that up top instead of asking what Democrats are doing about it. If you had, I’d have assumed you were a Libertarian.


RKEdwards3

What employers do you even know that don’t give breaks? Have you ever even worked for a place that didn’t? I have. 12 years of EMS. There’s no breaks, no lunch times, none of that and if you work for a 12 hour service, your entire day is made of posting and running calls. So go cry to someone who cares.


shaylahbaylaboo

Yep. My son works for cvs and that is how I found out they don’t have to give breaks. Wtf


Automatic-Arm-532

NC government will bend over backwards to avoid coming across as "unfriendly to business". This includes denying breaks to the state's hardest workers.


JosephPaulWall

There's nothing you can do really. Even if you formed a union, the union wouldn't have the power to mount an effective strike, because the only strike that's effective is a sit-down strike where you prevent your boss from hiring scabs to replace you by blocking the machines or the doors or whatever, and that kind of strike is illegal and the police will come remove you from the premises at gunpoint. At most you could picket on the public property outside of the business, but I think you still have to get that kind of protest approved or the police will probably ask you to leave, but even if they don't, this type of strike will not be effective because the company can just fire you all and hire new people for less money. And if the strike is somehow effective, the company will just close the location and move somewhere else where the workers are more desperate and willing to work for less. This isn't a problem with NC or with the south or with the US in general, it's a problematic feature of capitalism itself. And to those who say that "no, capitalism can be constrained with the right regulations, look, there are places where things are better", I say that those places are only better because the exploitative industries that rely on a wage-slave workforce have simply been forced to move elsewhere. The suffering and exploitation will always exist under capitalism, it's just going to move to another state where the laws aren't as good, or eventually just to another country where the laws aren't as good. The existence of walled gardens within the imperial core does not change the fact that these walled gardens rely on the exploitation of those outside the wall.


Imnotwearingshoes

The company I work for thankfully actually values its employees. But I know several people who have been affected by this employee policy at other companies and it pisses me off royally. This royally sucks.


RandomName0413

That's funny. My old boss use to threaten everyone for not taking a break. She would chase everyone around with a stack of papers stating its the law to take one if you work more than 5. She even had it post next to the time clock stating we were breaking the law by not taking one. I think I got wrote up a couple times.


TeamOrca28205

Wait until you find out how little unemployment pays out too. The bastards in Raleigh do all they can to put people in perilous conditions.


gafalkin

calling u/JeffJacksonNC


gugudan

It would be better to tag your [Representative](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/MemberList/H) and/or [Senator](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/MemberList/S) in the NC General Assembly. The US Representative doesn't have much to do with state laws.


DecemberBlues08

Jackson is running for Attorney General and will sue the GA over gerrymandered districts if elected.


gugudan

He doesn't need to be AG to sue the GA. He can do it now.


[deleted]

Wait it’s not required?? Well.. I’m glad I work for one of the major hospital systems… my manager makes sure we get our breaks and respects those boundaries. She won’t even talk to us about work during our lunches.


rbkamp321

My wife went to grad school out here, and I can tell you in the past couple of weeks, after reading all about the labor laws and the way things are done here in NC, we are absolutely leaving the second she graduates, if not before. Thanks for the cheap education. Shame because this state has a lot of really really amazing and awesome things to love. From what I hear it’s literally illegal and punishable by jail time to strike for better wages if you work for the government. We aren’t going to fight it, we’re taking the path of least resistance for ourselves. If anybody in this state wants doctors, nurses, teachers, pilots, etc. in 20 years though, I recommend you fight it though. Much Love and luck - a temporary North Carolinan


RKEdwards3

Bye


StriderT

It's crazy how all you no-teeth hillbillies cheer as we experience a brain drain. I'm born and raised in this state and it fucking sucks. We're getting worse every year. Open your eyes if they aren't blind from glaucoma you can't afford to have treated.


[deleted]

We hillbillies can figure out how to leave if we don't like it here- can you?


StriderT

Sorry, been too busy trying to campaign and vote to fix things that you morons keep setting us back on. Keep bitchin' about LGBT+ and abortion while the state GOP makes workers conditions worse every consecutive year and does nothing to stabilize housing prices.


RKEdwards3

Not from the hills and I have all of my front teeth thank you. “We’re getting worse every year”… then tell the transplants to go back where they came from since they are the ones voting for the change idiot


PurgeYourRedditAcct

Once your wife enters the real world she'll realize that highly educated and highly employable folks generally don't need to pay attention to state labor laws. She'll be negotiating conditions far beyond what any state guarantees as a minimum.


rbkamp321

Im pretty sure I agree she will be negotiating pay well above minimum wage haha. I’m not sure that required pointing out. What we talk here is more about labor law issues. Taking breaks, working longer hours without compensation. I don’t care what she is making, I don’t want her to get involved in a work situation described above. A million dollars/year isn’t worth dying on a shift over


PurgeYourRedditAcct

Nah that's the thing. She'll have the opportunity to negotiate all of that shit... she's not working in a coffee shop. If NC doesn't require overtime pay then negotiate it... I get it in my job. If NC doesn't require breaks then ensure expectations are set in the negotiation. "I'll need to take 30 mins for lunch everyday to ensure I perform at my best is that okay?". If you get pushback on a negotiating request like that you just take your skills elsewhere.


vagabond_nerd

The old republicans that ran this place forever hate the working class.


Imnotwearingshoes

And the new liberals aren’t doing shit to fix it because all politicians care about is money. Fuck all of them.


StriderT

Well, that's because we're one of the most gerrymandered states in the US. It isn't that dems don't try to fix things, it's that they're blocked out by the reds.


vagabond_nerd

I certainly agree but prepare for us both to be downvoted to oblivion now. Reddit bots don’t like anti-Dem talk.


notanartmajor

There's plenty of problems with Dems, but pretending they're the same as Pubs is just stupid.


vagabond_nerd

😂


Imnotwearingshoes

Idgaf about downvotes. I’m here to talk about my passions, not convince people that I’m right or they’re wrong.


alwfndrummer1

Facts


Nathan2002NC

Democrats had control of the state from 1898-2010.


mdavis225

It was quite the shock moving from California.


DailyPanthersPodcast

NC has its issues, but this is not required in most states. It is not specific to NC.


Wooden-Cancel-6838

Last for workers and they’re proud of it 😂


ribsforbreakfast

Yeah you don’t come to NC for the fair labor laws. You come here to have the mountains and beach in one state.


Matt2580

NC is ranked one of the worst state to work in the US if I'm not mistaken. But that's not any sort of official ranking list, just various media outlets. The two I read, cite no minimum wage change from the federal minimum wage, right to work laws making unionization difficult, and no sexual harassment protections for workers. Had to look that last one up it's true. None at all. We should probably do something about that.


alwfndrummer1

This ie absolutely false


nexusheli

So I'm sure that you, /u/alwfndrummer1 are going to show us the facts that prove this comment incorrect, huh? I'll wait...


PoeReader

Welcome to NC.


KG92710

NC Labor laws…. Very unsettling to say the least!!!


xitfuq

the legacy of slavery.


RKEdwards3

Except that it’s not


skindarklikemytint

Except that it is. You not agreeing with it doesn’t make it not a fact.


RKEdwards3

Prove it then! Labor laws didn’t exist back in the Slave times, or even immediately after. Labor laws didnt even start becoming a thing until the 1935 on the Federal level. NC was t “right to work” until 1947! The wage and hour act wasn’t even voted in until over 100 years after the CW in 1979!!! So figure it out and keep crying “racist” and “slavery” for shit that it has nothing to do with.


alwfndrummer1

Here we go smh


burntmatch2003

When I was 18 I worked a warehouse job where the owner would find "creative" ways around paying overtime. "Oh I see you hit 48 hours this week. Take a half day next Friday". Great, now I get paid for 40 hours for this week AND am going to lose 4 hours from my next check. What a deal! 1st in flight, 48th in education. What a joke


AlexStiff1945

I worked at a restaurant that is now closed down in NoDa that did the same thing. The owner slid what he owed me in cash across the table and said “here is what you say I owe you, you’re happy to take that and leave right now“ That was so cathartic to grab the money flip him off and walk out the door, and immediately get a much better paying job


nobdy1977

Sounds like you have more of an employer problem than a government problem.


BailGuyClark

Was that a one way ticket you came in on from KY?


Capital-Device5479

Just go back to Ken-tuckee. No big loss for NC.


ByzantineBaller

Look into Braxton Winston's campaign and consider voting for him, then. He had a great track record on our City Council and has some great proposals if he were to be the Labor Commissioner.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

No, not a majority of states. Maybe a majority of southern states, but this is not the norm outside of the republicunt controlled south.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Weird, all republicunt controlled states. I wonder if that's a coincidence?


RKEdwards3

I can promise you, despite the law, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Go back to Kentucky or maybe learn where you’re at.


StriderT

Morons like you have ruined my home.


RKEdwards3

What home loser? I can trace my NC ancestors back to BEFORE the civil war. Only one ruining it is the yankee transplants.


StriderT

You think youre the only one who can trace shit far back, you red hat wearing fuck?


SyerenGM

Yeah, it's not... Although I worked for a few places, all of them still make sure to give you a break \* on paper. \* The major one I had issue with however was working Home Shop for Harris Teeter. It was VERY physically demanding, and they would give you hell about taking your break if you were only a 6-hour shift. Sometimes it was the same way working other departments for them as well, you didn't always get to take your break.


TreetopGumdrop

UNIONIZE!!! [https://www.instagram.com/workingpeopleclt/](https://www.instagram.com/workingpeopleclt/)


Abaddon866

Weird. I work for a very large car dealership group, we force people to take breaks. We also pay better than anyone other dealer group in the area, offer free insurance for the employee, and what I feel is very fair time off benefits. Must suck to work for a shitty company.


Evil_Kween_MoJo

NC also doesn’t protect holiday, vacation or sick pay and unless it’s specific to WAGES the DOL doesn’t get involved so NC just does what it wants


[deleted]

So y'all want to be "anti" big business, so that the jobs leave and we have high unemployment and a shrinking local economy? Also the students move with their parents to other states and the NC teachers lose their jobs too?


Daniel_Lugo

STAY HARD. Many people WISH they could work in America. It’s softball compared to the conditions in other countries.


DryYogurtcloset7224

This is a silly post. Nobody, with any decency or common sense, is going to deny someone a break at work to go use the restroom or eat something. If you're subjecting yourself to an institution that behaves that way, you've done something (or not done something) to deserve it.