Please define "paid badly" and in reference to what position.
Why is it that some feel that every single "job" has to be household supporting? Some positions were never meant to be household supporting, they were meant to be first jobs for teens, supplemental as in a part time job in addition to ones primary work or as a full or part-time supplement to the primary earner in a household. Want to know why we now have to self checkout in supermarkets? Because someone decided that the wage for that position should be able to support a household. It costs less to implement the technology (and increased theft loss) versus pay exaggerated wages for near zero skill positions.
IMHO the vast majority of retail checkout positions or flipping burgers at McDs qualify as the above, they are not meant to support a household or be a career, nor should they.
PS - Retail positions are widely available! Almost every retail establishment I walk into has a help wanted sign in it so if one gets fired for asking for higher compensation they will easily find another position.
I sell products to retail stores and their #1 challenge right now is finding staff, no one wants to work. A certain generation feels entitled to $20/hr with a full benefits package for entry level retail work, they refuse to work more than 6hr shifts or weekends or clean the bathrooms and the second they are challenged about spending too much time on their phones they quit. A lot of my retailers are actively hiring seniors as they have a work ethic.