Americans and Vacation Time. (Pelosi, vote, problems, pay)
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If you have something to bring to the table that the next guy in line doesn't, you have power. Whether or not you recognize that fact and use it to your advantage is up to you, but you don't get to use the force of law to compensate for your shortcomings.
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Originally Posted by Aldous9
Do you not understand that the 40 year old woman working in the garment factory has NO POWER when it comes to this negotiation?
Doesn't she? Does she have more experience than her coworkers? Does she do a superior job? Is she more efficient? I think you're selling garment industry workers short. Are you sexist or something?
I think increased consumer demand creates a desire for more product. Employers hire more people to meet the demand so indeed it`s the consumers that create jobs. Jr. High economics.
Show me one - just one - classified ad placed by a consumer looking to hire someone to build a DVD player, create an office software suite, work on an assembly line or design a sports car.
Consumers create demand. That's it. They don't provide jobs. And if you think that increased demand automatically means that production will increase to meet it, I challenge you to find the latest and greatest game console a week before Christmas.
1 in 4 American workers doesn't get any vacation time whatsoever. And it's probably worse than that since they aren't counting people hired as independent contractors.
Uh huh... That doesn't really answer my question. How many of the people not getting vacation pay just started a new job? Like I said, in my experience, even small employers offer vacation. Independent contractors work for themselves, but I don't see you complaining about other small business owners not getting vacation time.
Anything other than commission-based pay is somewhat stealing. No one should be paid for just showing up (hourly pay) and no one should be paid for just being employed (salaried pay). You should be paid for what value you add to the company. No more, no less.
Which is why I only pay for billable hours worked.
If you want to take time off, that is fine, just do not expect to be paid for it.
Show me one - just one - classified ad placed by a consumer looking to hire someone to build a DVD player, create an office software suite, work on an assembly line or design a sports car.
Consumers create demand. That's it. They don't provide jobs. And if you think that increased demand automatically means that production will increase to meet it, I challenge you to find the latest and greatest game console a week before Christmas.
Read what was said - that consumers create jobs, not provide them.
Why does almost every civilized, and many uncivilized countries in the world think differently?
Because we have something that they do not. A US Constitution that LIMITS the scope and powers of the federal government. You might want to give it a read sometime.
There are fewer of us producing more product than even 10 years ago. Luckily most employee's realize that the alternative to these changes is to not have a job.
And that's where they get you. And where a lot of the people posting in this thread come from. They know that they have the majority of the people out there by the balls and they will use that leverage in whatever way benefits themselves. And it will only get worse as time goes on.
And people wonder why the rich are "despised". It has nothing todo with them being rich or their success. It has to do with the ones who are *******s.
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Originally Posted by nononsenseguy
"Worker rights?" Since when is paid vacation a "right?"
In other countries, you don't get to decide when you want to go on vacation. Everyone goes "on holiday" at the same time. The businesses shut down for two weeks.
This is just plain false. I dated a girl from Sweden for about a year. She didn't have a corporate job. She was just a worker in a healthcare facility. We'd be talking on the phone at night when I might be in, say, Belgium, and she would say "Hey, you want me to come over for a few days?" I'd ask her if she had to work and she said "I'll just call in some of my vacation days". And the next day she'd be at my hotel. I asked her if she'd get in trouble for leaving work, and she always replied "absolutely not". It's just the way they worked. She didn't even have to give notice, much less only go one certain days. Nice try, though.
And everyone I met there was happy. Unlike the majority of slugs in this country.
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I have never in my life worked anywhere that didn't have paid vacation as part of it's benefit package, except when I worked on commission at a TV and Audio repair shop after I got out of the Navy. But the commission was good (50% if I remember correctly). This was in the early 70's. It was easy to make $200/wk on commission. That was good money in those days.
Congratulations. You work in an industry where that is the norm. The vast majority of people don't. And they can't, currently.
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Originally Posted by TriMT7
At least ten mandatory paid days off per year for full time employees is not unreasonable.
Then, if a company wants to add more to incentivize and attract better workers, they can.
Don't like it? Too bad. I'm sure many here are also against child labor laws and overtime laws as being restrictive of business, but looks like we adapted just fine to those "impositions".... with workers and quality of life (FAMILY VALUES) being better today than in the past because of it.
You don't even have to wonder. I've seen plenty of people on this board and others push for the abolishment of child labor laws and overtime laws. Anything that restricts a business from pure profit at the expense of others is wrong, in their eyes. I'll say it again, It has nothing todo with them being rich or their success. It has to do with the ones who are *******s.
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Originally Posted by aoibhd84
You don't pay overtime? I wouldn't work extra hours on double pay, never mind flat pay.
You're too harsh. You don't pay for holidays or employee health insurance, fair enough. At least give your employees some kind of indication that they are valued for their hard work and contribution towards your company/business's success, not to mention their mental and physical wellbeing.
A business owner's relationship with their employees (particularly small business') plays a big part in the reputation of the business.
Indeed. Someone tells me they don't pay overtime, just a flat fee, I don't work for them. They can shove it up their piehole. I don't care if they are a "job creator" or "business owner" or who the hell they are. Just because you own a business does not make you a god, or even admirable for the most part. There are millions more just like you and better.
Too many out there seem to think that because they run a business that they are somehow to be worshipped for their contribution to the world and they they owe nothing to anyone, anywhere, about anything.
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Originally Posted by TrapperJohn
Quit posting and crack the books. There is a huge shortage of skilled trades in many parts of the world. Certain professions as well.
I just read an article that companies need 500 million skilled employees globally - right now.
Horses**t. Are you trying to tell me that companies right now are short 1/14th of the entire world's population in skilled labor? Do you honestly believe that???
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Originally Posted by swagger
That's a good question - I work 60-70 hours per week, and you don't see me complaining about it.
I bet you do. Especially in your head. Whether you say it out loud or not, I don't know. But everyone I ever knew who worked those kinds of hours hated their life. But, they acted all high and mighty because "look at what I do!" And they never let a time slip to make sure everyone else knew it. Also, I think a lot of people work those kinds of hours on a regular basis because they have nothing else in their life, and it fills the void. I've known plenty who actually make things much harder on themselves than they need to be so they they can then turn around and show how hard they have it, to what they hope is admiration from me. I just think they're idiots.
In the end, I think the people who push hard and work to the death are scared of any "normal" person getting any sort of benefit because it makes their own accomplishments seem lesser and they won't have anything to hold over others' heads. They're frightened of other people having a somewhat normal life and still making a living while they push their 80 hours a week proving their worth. They're scared.
It's almost like those CrossFit apostles (otherwise known as bat**** crazy people): "Crawling is acceptable. Puking is acceptable. Tears are acceptable. Pain is acceptable. Quitting is not acceptable." If that's the mantra you live your life by, you have some effed up priorities. And I hope I never have to work around you, much less for you.
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Originally Posted by Glitch
Which is why I only pay for billable hours worked.
If you want to take time off, that is fine, just do not expect to be paid for it.
It sounds to me like you don't have employees, but contractors.
And that's where they get you. And where a lot of the people posting in this thread come from. They know that they have the majority of the people out there by the balls and they will use that leverage in whatever way benefits themselves. And it will only get worse as time goes on.
And people wonder why the rich are "despised". It has nothing todo with them being rich or their success. It has to do with the ones who are *******s.
Sorry, we do not live in some dream world where competition does not exist.
You don't pay overtime? I wouldn't work extra hours on double pay, never mind flat pay.
You might if you were collecting a minimum of $75/hour for every hour you work. Unless informed in advance, I expect every employee to put in a minimum of 20 hours per week, with no upper limit. If they want to take a week off, for whatever reason, if they let me know at least a week in advance so I can rearrange the schedule, I have no problems with it. But they also should not expect to be paid.
The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25/hour. According to the IRS, if I pay my employees a minimum of $50.75/hour (seven times the federal minimum wage), I do not have to pay overtime.
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Originally Posted by aoibhd84
You're too harsh. You don't pay for holidays or employee health insurance, fair enough. At least give your employees some kind of indication that they are valued for their hard work and contribution towards your company/business's success, not to mention their mental and physical wellbeing.
I indicate their value to me by paying them 91%+ of my billable rate and keeping my overhead to an absolute minimum. I am required by Alaska law to provide liability and worker's compensation insurance, and I voluntarily provide my own performance surety bonds (but that is more of a selling point for my clients than for my employees).
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Originally Posted by aoibhd84
A business owner's relationship with their employees (particularly small business') plays a big part in the reputation of the business.
Indeed, which is why I only hire the best. Even though I live in Alaska with a very little population, I have no shortage of applicants from all over the world. In the last ten years I have sponsored two H1-B Visas. One from the Czech Republic, the other from Russia. Both were outstanding employees.
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