Adapted from LaGuardia Community College’s Nickel and Dimed at http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/nickeldimed/

Reading and Discussion Questions from LaGuardia Community College

Introduction: Getting Ready Discussion Questions

1. How does the author’s background prepare her to succeed in the low wage workforce? 2. Why doesn’t the author simply pay herself a low wage and charge herself a low rent and

stay at home? 3. Why doesn’t the author go to New York City or Los Angeles to conduct her low wage

experiment? 4. What does the author mean when she says that wageworkers are no more

homogeneous than people who write for a living? 5. Why weren’t the author’s co-workers more surprised when she told them she was

writing a book about the working poor? 6. Are there any characteristics that might give the author away, revealing that she is not a

full time wageworker? 7. Is it easy to tell if someone has a lot of education? Why or why not? 8. Do you think there are distinct classes in this society? 9. If you believe a class structure exists in America, does social mobility make it more

tolerable? 10. It used to be that rich college kids would have to work for low wages in the summer. Is

this an important experience for teaching how people on a low income survive?

Chapter 1: Serving in Florida Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the monthly meeting at the Hearthside with Phillip. What are the author’s expectations? What is the manager’s major complaint? How do the workers react?

2. Do you think that those in low-wage employment “crossover” to the corporate point-of-view when they become managers? Do you think that management serves an important function in a low-wage world? Is there a way to manage well in the minimum wage world?

3. In the book, Gail buys lunch for an out of work mechanic and Barbara buys his dessert. Do you think there is a considerable amount of “passing the hat” in the low wage working world?

4. Barbara walks out on two jobs at this point in the story. What is your opinion of her for this action? Is she justified?

5. What do you think about the author’s theory of unforeseen expenses? How do you manage unforeseen expenses? Name some of them.

Adapted from LaGuardia Community College’s Nickel and Dimed at http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/nickeldimed/

Chapter 2: Scrubbing in Maine Discussion Questions

1. What is the difference between the cleaning that is portrayed on the training tapes and the real thing?

2. How does the author portray Tammy, the office manager? 3. What are the author’s religious views? Why does she attend the tent revival? 4. What are the rates that the cleaning service charges its customers? What do the

workers get? 5. Describe how Barbara treats her own rash. Should she have gone to an emergency

room? 6. What does the cleaning crew do to “terrorize” the neighborhood? 7. What does Barbara think of the Accutrac test? 8. How do Barbara’s co-workers react when she tells them that she is a reporter?

Chapter 3: Selling in Minnesota Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the stress that Barbara’s living conditions create for her. What are her reasons for staying at the Clearview?

2. Discuss Caroline’s living conditions. Where does she work? What does her husband do? How much do they earn together?

3. What are some of Barbara’s opinions about the orientation session she attends? 4. On her personality test at Wal-Mart, Barbara gets some of the questions wrong. What

are they and how does she correct her answers? 5. Who is Howard and what does he do? 6. Do you think Barbara gets in touch with some of the real frustrations of working a low-

wage job, or is her experience still too far from the real thing Chapter 4: Evaluation Discussion Questions

1. What is your opinion about employee drug testing? 2. How would you react if your boss demanded to search your purse for stolen

merchandise or contraband? 3. Have you ever been warned not to “gossip” on the job? Did you ever pay the rule any

heed? Why or why not? 4. Do you believe that there is corporate propaganda on the job? How does it control

workers with buzzwords like “associate” and “team player”? 5. Do you ever think you have been punished on the job for not having the “right” politics?

Describe the punishment and what the exact roots of it might have been. 6. Have you ever avoided confrontation for fear of future reprisals?

Adapted from LaGuardia Community College’s Nickel and Dimed at http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/nickeldimed/

7. Have you ever had to lower the quality of your work so that you would fit in with your fellow employees?

8. How would you describe the ideal employee? 9. Have you ever had to quit a job on principle? Describe the situation. Would you do the

same thing again? 10. Describe the ideal boss? Who was the best boss you ever had? Who was the worst?