Why are workers' rights so awful in the U.S?

[Deathknightish]

Well, I mean, everything is relative but lets compare to western Europe.

As I understand it, unions have little to no power in the U.S in comparison to Europe. Bosses can basically sack you on the spot, with no financial aid in your search of a new job (actually, how does that work outside of work? Here in Sweden, you get paid 80% of your salary (at least with some unions) for 1 year, which is meant to help you until you find something else), and they don't need much more of a reason than "I don't like you" to fire you. Vacation days are also extremely low in comparison, and I think I read that you need to take vacation days if you're sick.

This sounds insane as a European, where we traditionally have had strong workers' rights for quite some time now.
For instance, here in Sweden a boss can't simply fire you because he wants to. You either have to fuck up monumentally so that the business is heavily damaged, or your company has to run out of stuff for you to do (and the union will find out if the boss/company is bullshitting about that, so they can't lie about it). We also get 25 vacation days, and you still get paid 80% when you're sick.

We are so close culturally, but when it comes to workers' rights it's like night and day, why?

[Theodarzna]

Solidarity realistically does not exist for Americans.

[JohnBrown1917]

Because they keep voting for republicans and democrats keep trying to get the rich Republican voting base.

[Independent voter]

We have unemployment insurance, if you're laid off you get some money from the government for a some months, like six months while you look for a new job.

We have unions and if you're not in a "right to work" state the unions are similar to what they have in Europe. They have to get permission from the union to fire you.

If you're in a "right to work" state unions don't have much power.

[Worvon]

American voters are highly uniformed/apathetic + plus candidates/government can lie without any repercussions + voters happily voting against their own interests just to spite the other side + companies able to control politics due to citizens united = working class getting shafted without any chance of that changing. Just one of the reasons I left.

[schwank05]

As an Employer myself, why is it my job to keep paying for a shitty employee? If you want to live life stress free and know that every week you'll be making the same money and have no risk then you get a job and work for someone else, but accept the fact that these benefits of just showing up and collecting a paycheck means you have much less invested in the business as the owner, they have to work in most cases 7 days a week and most times 10+ hours per day to make sure they get all their employees paid and that they themselves get some compensation.

I don't believe in paid vacation, Paid insurance, or Sick pay. If you want to get paid you better show up for work. If you don't show up for work why is it my responsibility to pay you for no return on my end. Sadly I have to offer all of these things to get employees, but do so unhappily.

If you want to take on all the Risks of owning your own business and make all the decisions, Then good for you work hard and get rewarded for it.

[Kapadons]

We have unemployment in the states too. Unions aren’t much of a thing because they are typically more corrupt than the government.

And we don’t really have a “greater good” mentality when it comes to fellow citizens. More like “I’ve got mine, now go get yours. but fuck you trying to take mine” mentality. Personally, since I’ve got mine, I don’t mind this very much.

[Independent voter]

In the blue states unions have a lot of power.

In the red states unions don't have much power.

Notice it matches how people vote, left or right wing, the blue states being left wing.

[Deleted]

Why should a private business, or even a Government agency, have to pay for those it lays off? No ones business should suffer because of you’re not/no longer productive.

[igualitarist]

We have plenty of worker's right here, and people flee from Brazil, abandoning regular jobs and their worker rights, to work as gardeners and masons in USA, without any worker's rights. The opposite doesn't happen tho.

Point is, people from all over the world where workers right are strong, flee from their countries to America, where worker's rights are weak. Funny huh ?

[Tico]

Somehow I feel the US culture is so afraid of the left (which is not good I guess), that it must be in some connection to the issue.

[Deathknightish]

We have plenty of worker's right here, and people flee from Brazil, abandoning regular jobs and their worker rights, to work as gardeners and masons in USA, without any worker's rights. The opposite doesn't happen tho.

Point is, people from all over the world where workers right are strong, flee from their countries to America, where worker's rights are weak. Funny huh ?

Like I said it's relative. In comparison to Europe your worker rights are weak, but maybe not Brazil.

[JohnBrown1917]

As an Employer myself, why is it my job to keep paying for a shitty employee? If you want to live life stress free and know that every week you'll be making the same money and have no risk then you get a job and work for someone else, but accept the fact that these benefits of just showing up and collecting a paycheck means you have much less invested in the business as the owner, they have to work in most cases 7 days a week and most times 10+ hours per day to make sure they get all their employees paid and that they themselves get some compensation.

I don't believe in paid vacation, Paid insurance, or Sick pay. If you want to get paid you better show up for work. If you don't show up for work why is it my responsibility to pay you for no return on my end. Sadly I have to offer all of these things to get employees, but do so unhappily.

If you want to take on all the Risks of owning your own business and make all the decisions, Then good for you work hard and get rewarded for it.

People like you are the reason I became a socialist.

[schwank05]

People like you are the reason I became a socialist.

You just want to collect money and expect someone else to do the work for you? You want to look at someone elses stuff and say Hey I like that I am going to take it now? You think Government is good? I guess whatever floats your boat. Ill work for what I have and not depend on the government or anyone else to do it for me.

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Why should a private business, or even a Government agency, have to pay for those it lays off? No ones business should suffer because of you’re not/no longer productive.

Exactly, why should the employer be penalized for a shitty lazy employee?

[dayne87]

As an Employer myself, why is it my job to keep paying for a shitty employee? If you want to live life stress free and know that every week you'll be making the same money and have no risk then you get a job and work for someone else, but accept the fact that these benefits of just showing up and collecting a paycheck means you have much less invested in the business as the owner, they have to work in most cases 7 days a week and most times 10+ hours per day to make sure they get all their employees paid and that they themselves get some compensation.

I don't believe in paid vacation, Paid insurance, or Sick pay. If you want to get paid you better show up for work. If you don't show up for work why is it my responsibility to pay you for no return on my end. Sadly I have to offer all of these things to get employees, but do so unhappily.

If you want to take on all the Risks of owning your own business and make all the decisions, Then good for you work hard and get rewarded for it.

Well, I think this embodies the attitude of MANY companies/owners in America.

However, dear Employer, you fail to understand that paid vacation, paid insurance and sick pay are necessary for the health of your employees. Do you want employees coming to work when they're barfing, have the flu or some other problems? No? So you expect them to stay home unpaid if they're not safe to come to work? Yes? Then don't be surprised when said employees come to work sick because they don't want to be unpaid. Then don't be surprised with either their productivity is lower or MORE employees get sick (from the flu, for example) and suddenly your whole office is sick because people feel compelled to come to work sick.

As for vacation, why shouldn't people be entitled to time away from the office that is paid? If people didn't get paid vacation they would never take vacations (or far less often) and then the vacation spots around the nation (even places that rent cottages during the summer) would dry up because people would not WANT to take vacations.

I mean, I get it. We don't get paid for weekends, but come on, there is such a thing as employee mental health. And I guarantee that if employees are offered the choice of unpaid time off and working they'll work unless they're literally hospitalized.

As for insurance, are you for socialized healthcare then? Or just single payer? Because if you don't offer employee-sponsored health plans and the employee doesn't have it through a spouse or another job then it either needs to be provided by the government or by the employee through the health insurance marketplace (in the United States, anyway).

I feel that many, many employers probably feel the same as you, and it boggles my mind but thank you for being so honest.

[Altrec]

Well, I mean, everything is relative but lets compare to western Europe.

As I understand it, unions have little to no power in the U.S in comparison to Europe. Bosses can basically sack you on the spot, with no financial aid in your search of a new job (actually, how does that work outside of work? Here in Sweden, you get paid 80% of your salary (at least with some unions) for 1 year, which is meant to help you until you find something else), and they don't need much more of a reason than "I don't like you" to fire you. Vacation days are also extremely low in comparison, and I think I read that you need to take vacation days if you're sick.

This sounds insane as a European, where we traditionally have had strong workers' rights for quite some time now.
For instance, here in Sweden a boss can't simply fire you because he wants to. You either have to fuck up monumentally so that the business is heavily damaged, or your company has to run out of stuff for you to do (and the union will find out if the boss/company is bullshitting about that, so they can't lie about it). We also get 25 vacation days, and you still get paid 80% when you're sick.

We are so close culturally, but when it comes to workers' rights it's like night and day, why?

We have all of that in the US although the specifics differ from state to state. Unions still have a fair amount of power in particular the private sector unions(personally I think public sector shouldn't exist in most cases). We have unemployment that helps with finances when fired(although the employer can fight it if the reason you were fired was for a good reason).

As for vacation on average we tend to have less, but that is cultural and also depends on the job. Myself I have 3 weeks plus 10 holidays, and that goes up another week next year. When I am sick it doesn't use my vacation time and I still get my full pay, but I am also on salary rather than hourly so it is different for different people.

[Hilhen7]

People enjoy working for 25 years and then getting fired just before retirement in the states.

Don't ask us why.

[dayne87]

Exactly, why should the employer be penalized for a shitty lazy employee?

Okay, I'm not saying we should be penalized for shitty lazy employees. Unemployment isn't always justified. But you advocate getting rid of vacation/PTO and insurance. Get rid of that and all you'll GET is shitty lazy employees.

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People enjoy working for 25 years and then getting fired just before retirement in the states.

Don't ask us why.

Yep, it happens all the time (I see it happen). Sometimes if you're lucky they'll offer you a "buy out" where they offer 50% or 100% of your yearly salary or something to get you to retire. That's typically at the automotive companies where the unions are still halfway strong. But elsewhere? There's the door!

[Phorest]

I don't believe in paid vacation, Paid insurance, or Sick pay. If you want to get paid you better show up for work. If you don't show up for work why is it my responsibility to pay you for no return on my end. Sadly I have to offer all of these things to get employees, but do so unhappily.

How do you handle all of those people lining up to come work for you? With that attitude I imagine you get 50+ applications a day!

[JohnBrown1917]

How do you handle all of those people lining up to come work for you? With that attitude I imagine you get 50+ applications a day!

People are desperate enough to work for people like that, they need money to survive.