The race to the bottom? Nothing new. For decades management at national chains to small stores (less than 100 workers) has systematically stolen from their workers. It’s part of their code of conduct. All it takes is a few key strokes to fudge payroll hours–42 hours becomes 38. If the night crew can’t go past 38 hours one week, make them work off the clock (they’re locked in anyway). Labor costs are often a small percentage of a company’s overall cost to stay in business–if they can’t cut it, let a new lawful business emerge in its place. Laws are in place to protect us–it’s not hard to abide by them and there are no excuses. Our economy would be better off if abusive companies played by the rules.
The majority of these types of workers are treated as throw away pieces rather than employees. Miss a day of work, you’re fired. Be late, you’re fired. Don’t agree to ignore safety issues, you’re fired. I think this goes way beyond WC issues. This seems like the underbelly of our economy. How do you change this system without killing thousands of businesses who depend on using, and I mean using, low end employees with less care than they do their equipment. Tough issue.
And how do you compete for jobs being lost to countries with even lower standards of treatment of employees? As long as we will outsource our conscious, as long as we’ll have our $12 shoes or our $6 buffet at the expense of someone else being treated inhumanely, here or abroad, don’t expect things to change. The reality is that there is always someone willing to exploit others and someone in the position of being exploitable.
It’s sickening to think that ANY U.S. Employers are willfully violating U.S. Labor laws regarding Minimum Wage, Overtime, Meal Breaks and especially Workers Compensation but what the article conveniently did NOT cite is the % of the “wronged” employees that are legal U.S. Citizens vs slave labor in this country illegally.
As long as we turn our heads to existing Immigration Laws, there will be predatory employers who find that ways to exploit “the workers who’ll do the jobs that Americans won’t do”.
Slavery is Slavery & was SUPPOSED to have been aboloished in 1865. Too bad so many that think they’re doing a favor to “undocumented workers” by turning a blind eye to them, are actually enabling human rights violations.
With some where between five and fifteen million illegal immigrants, labor markets are tough for low skilled workers.
As a result, competition means that everyone has to ‘cheat to compete’ so that paying for workers’ compensation or SS taxes or unemployment taxes or over time cannot be done.
I wonder what will happen when/if we have national health care? Will these same employers shoulder an additional cost? Or will they simply continue to operate out side the law?
E Verify, Enforcement are the only ways this can be reversed.
Isn’t it just a little disingenuous that all of the statstics were gathered from interviews with the workers who were being denied benefits?
Even though there is obviously some abuse of the system and disregard for the law by employers and employees alike, there are often two sides to a story.
Where was the reference to reference to the author attempting to get any information from any of the employers who allegedly withheld benefits to their employees to see if there was a valid explanation.
So how would a reader even know if the information was, in fact, even true?
WC is a disease and dis-incentivizes people from working low paying jobs. Often the benefits are more than what they make if they work. The WC system is rooted in the manufacturing sector of the 1900’s. It was intended to prevent workers from suing their employers. Now, it’s morphed into another welfare program. If a worker is injured on the job because of his/her own stupidity or negligence, the employer shouldn’t have to pay for their mistake. I’ve had the misfortune of having to handle hundreds of WC claims and would estimate 50% shouldn’t be paid.
I saw a recent investigation of the gov’t entity in charge of handling such complaints… I forget the specific name of it…
Anyway they found that the government employees responsible for investigating these kinds of illegal employment practices encouraged callers not to file complaints and did everything to get them off the phone. When a complaint was filed it was never handled. Even complaints like “my employer hasn’t paid me in 90 days” were completely ignored.
There is no incentive to follow the law when there are no likely repercussions for not doing so.
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The race to the bottom? Nothing new. For decades management at national chains to small stores (
The race to the bottom? Nothing new. For decades management at national chains to small stores (less than 100 workers) has systematically stolen from their workers. It’s part of their code of conduct. All it takes is a few key strokes to fudge payroll hours–42 hours becomes 38. If the night crew can’t go past 38 hours one week, make them work off the clock (they’re locked in anyway). Labor costs are often a small percentage of a company’s overall cost to stay in business–if they can’t cut it, let a new lawful business emerge in its place. Laws are in place to protect us–it’s not hard to abide by them and there are no excuses. Our economy would be better off if abusive companies played by the rules.
The majority of these types of workers are treated as throw away pieces rather than employees. Miss a day of work, you’re fired. Be late, you’re fired. Don’t agree to ignore safety issues, you’re fired. I think this goes way beyond WC issues. This seems like the underbelly of our economy. How do you change this system without killing thousands of businesses who depend on using, and I mean using, low end employees with less care than they do their equipment. Tough issue.
And how do you compete for jobs being lost to countries with even lower standards of treatment of employees? As long as we will outsource our conscious, as long as we’ll have our $12 shoes or our $6 buffet at the expense of someone else being treated inhumanely, here or abroad, don’t expect things to change. The reality is that there is always someone willing to exploit others and someone in the position of being exploitable.
It’s sickening to think that ANY U.S. Employers are willfully violating U.S. Labor laws regarding Minimum Wage, Overtime, Meal Breaks and especially Workers Compensation but what the article conveniently did NOT cite is the % of the “wronged” employees that are legal U.S. Citizens vs slave labor in this country illegally.
As long as we turn our heads to existing Immigration Laws, there will be predatory employers who find that ways to exploit “the workers who’ll do the jobs that Americans won’t do”.
Slavery is Slavery & was SUPPOSED to have been aboloished in 1865. Too bad so many that think they’re doing a favor to “undocumented workers” by turning a blind eye to them, are actually enabling human rights violations.
With some where between five and fifteen million illegal immigrants, labor markets are tough for low skilled workers.
As a result, competition means that everyone has to ‘cheat to compete’ so that paying for workers’ compensation or SS taxes or unemployment taxes or over time cannot be done.
I wonder what will happen when/if we have national health care? Will these same employers shoulder an additional cost? Or will they simply continue to operate out side the law?
E Verify, Enforcement are the only ways this can be reversed.
Given the options of:
1) employers shoulder an additional cost? Or
2) will they simply continue to operate out side the law?
I can guarantee you #2)’s is the BIG winner!
Why do you think proponents of a Government Option keep using the 46,500,000 uninsured number?
Because it includes illegal aliens!
Isn’t it just a little disingenuous that all of the statstics were gathered from interviews with the workers who were being denied benefits?
Even though there is obviously some abuse of the system and disregard for the law by employers and employees alike, there are often two sides to a story.
Where was the reference to reference to the author attempting to get any information from any of the employers who allegedly withheld benefits to their employees to see if there was a valid explanation.
So how would a reader even know if the information was, in fact, even true?
WC is a disease and dis-incentivizes people from working low paying jobs. Often the benefits are more than what they make if they work. The WC system is rooted in the manufacturing sector of the 1900’s. It was intended to prevent workers from suing their employers. Now, it’s morphed into another welfare program. If a worker is injured on the job because of his/her own stupidity or negligence, the employer shouldn’t have to pay for their mistake. I’ve had the misfortune of having to handle hundreds of WC claims and would estimate 50% shouldn’t be paid.
I saw a recent investigation of the gov’t entity in charge of handling such complaints… I forget the specific name of it…
Anyway they found that the government employees responsible for investigating these kinds of illegal employment practices encouraged callers not to file complaints and did everything to get them off the phone. When a complaint was filed it was never handled. Even complaints like “my employer hasn’t paid me in 90 days” were completely ignored.
There is no incentive to follow the law when there are no likely repercussions for not doing so.