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Yeah, and I'm not even talking about unions. I think there is a legitimate argument about public unions and how democratic politicians give favors to them. Maybe I'm unique when it comes to liberals having a problem with public sector unions, I dunno.
I'm talking about basic worker rights. It's shocking to me that some people are so apathetic when it comes to workers getting vacation time. I've lived and worked in other countries and you don't see it there. Conservatives in Britain don't look at the factory worker slaving away 50 hrs a week and say, "ha!!! no vacation for you!"
This apathetic strain seems to be unique to the American right and its really sad. It's more than sad. It's sinister actually.
And if you don't believe that there should be laws requiring vacation time then please explain why. If you're argument is that government should leave business and people alone you should know that there are already laws on the books regarding overtime.
No, there should be no such law.
Nor should there be minimum wage laws, nor 40 hour weeks, either.
What people work for should be wholly between the employer and employee. Nobody else has ANY right, business, poking their nose into it. At all.
Yeah, and I'm not even talking about unions. I think there is a legitimate argument about public unions and how democratic politicians give favors to them. Maybe I'm unique when it comes to liberals having a problem with public sector unions, I dunno.
I'm talking about basic worker rights. It's shocking to me that some people are so apathetic when it comes to workers getting vacation time. I've lived and worked in other countries and you don't see it there. Conservatives in Britain don't look at the factory worker slaving away 50 hrs a week and say, "ha!!! no vacation for you!"
This apathetic strain seems to be unique to the American right and its really sad. It's more than sad. It's sinister actually.
No, you're just a hater.
I worked for myself. My own business. I have put in 80 hour weeks. 22 hour days. No minimum wage. No unemployment if the business fails. No insurance. No workmen's comp. No vacation.
Why the BLOODY HELL should someone who has invested absolutely nothing be entitled to all those things at my expense?
Sure, the government needs to step in and MANDATE that every employer give 6 week vacations.
Then these workers will have enough time to mingle with those not working and they all can "pursue their passions".
Go on, urge your Congress critter to push this proposal.
Those "greedy CEO's" can surely absorb that cost.
Took me 20 years to earn 5 weeks vacation but I guess times are different. People want all those goodies right away.
As a part time, non benefited employee I get no vacation time. It would be hard on my employer if I took extended time off but that's the system they choose to set up to save $$. Fortunately for them I haven't gone anywhere or taken time off (besides my normal days off) in a year. It's a specialized customer service position that they can't just plop someone in and say "go!". There used to be 2 of us plus a supervisor, but because of budget cuts, weird hours, zero potential for growth and low pay it's just been me for awhile.
You forgot to mention the really crappy or nonexistent maternity leave.
What are you talking about? Family leave and maternity leave:6 weeks. Even dads go on maternity leave so mom can go back to work.
IIRC you don't live in the U.S. Why do you have so many complaints against a country you don't even live in?
The United States is the only developed country that does not guarantee by law paid vacation for full time workers.
That does not mean American workers do not get paid vacation. Statistics show that 77% of employees get paid vacation. How much paid vacation? An avg of 13 day a year. Not much when compared to Europe and Asia. When I worked in England I was guaranteed by law 28 days of holiday time. I work a similar job in the U.S and I get two weeks vacation but am forced to take it during the Christmas and New Years holiday, when we are slowest at work.
But I'm still one of the lucky ones in America. See that 77%? It only includes employees. The trend in American business has been for some time to hire workers as "independent contractors." This is happening in industries like health care,logistics, and IT. It's happening everywhere. Why is it happening? Because if you are hired as an independent contractor the company doesn't have to pay you overtime by law. And they won't be giving you paid vacation either. So that 77%? If you factor in all American full time workers it's probably closer to 65%. And that's a whole lot of American workers that are getting no paid vacation.
I think this is immoral. And I thought the reason I thought it was immoral was because I'm a liberal. But then I talked to my conservative friends in Britain and Australia, and guess what? They thought it was immoral too. Actually, they were much more angry about it than I was. As an American we're pretty much used to being overworked. They not only thought it was immoral. They thought it was really bad for business. Overworked employees that don't have a chance to re-charge their batteries in the long run are not efficient employees. This was their argument.
I have a friend who has been looking for a job for quite some time now. I recently phoned him up to ask how the search was going and he informed me that he had gotten a job at FedEx Home Delivery as a driver. My friend, who previously worked as an account manager and made a pretty good salary was perhaps over-qualified,or at least out of his element, but he has a family and needed any work he could get. I told him I was happy for him, that with FedEx he'll at least get benefits.
Well, I had really jumped the gun. He shot back instantly, "No benefits.No overtime pay. No paid vacation." I was pretty shocked. "Why not?" I asked. He replied that he was hired as an independent contractor. That even though some weeks he worked 55 hours, he was not given overtime pay, and that because he was an independent contractor he was not considered an employee and thus not given any benefits. So, my friend, who will work his tail off this year (if he stays for the year) will never get paid time off.
Many will consider this wrong. I do. But, there are some American conservatives that will say that no one is forcing people to work for companies that deny them time paid off. This is true, no one forced my friend to take this job. No one forced the woman who works in a hot factory making t shirts 50 hours a week. "Get a better job" will be the response from some. As if getting a better job would eliminate the problem of workers being denied vacation. Someone has to do the job. If my friend gets a better job his old job will be replaced by someone who will then be denied vacation, overtime pay etc. Is the "get a better job" argument even an argument? Or is it just schadenfreude?
So, here is my question. And as usual, I've gone on a bit of a chin-wag to get to it. Should the government guarantee that all workers be allowed a certain amount of paid vacation by law? And what should that amount be?
And if you don't believe that there should be laws requiring vacation time then please explain why. If you're argument is that government should leave business and people alone you should know that there are already laws on the books regarding overtime.
"The United States is the only developed country that does not guarantee by law paid vacation for full time workers."
Then I suggest you move to one of those "developed" countries and find out that many things we DO have and they do NOT.
The grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side of the fence until you find out the "real" details.
Ohhhh, so sad for you that we humans choose to live in civilization.
"Civilization", to you, is a mob making your decisions for you?
You are truly warped.
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