Oh By The Way...

[exchemist]

I've mostly been ignoring a lot of the hullabaloo about this, but there was one interesting opinion piece I ran across the other day. One of the reasons why America in particular is ill-equipped to handle these sorts of things is because we have very weak workers rights right now. Specifically, paid time off and sick leave are not universal. They should be. Especially since the groups who are most vulnerable financially - those in the service sector working hourly wages - lack this basic right. If they get sick and don't work, they don't get paid and they're among those who can least afford to not get paid.

If Congress actually wants to deliver a meaningful spending package to help with this, something like universal basic income or requiring all employers to provide two weeks paid time off or sick leave would go a long way.

Yes, this is a real issue. In the UK there has already been a move to give sick pay immediately instead of after 3 days as normal.

The last thing we want is for people who are infectious to continue to go to work, because they are afraid of having their house or car repossessed!

Has the US yet sorted out free testing for Covid -19? That seems to be vital.

 

[Kenny]

Their employers should not buy that summer home or sell their third luxury sedan if they cannot afford to pay their workers a decent wage.

Yes... taking care of your employees should be part of doing business.

I think the other end of the spectrum are employees who live beyond their means and then blame others for their lack. And then covet what they aren't willing to work for as their employers did.

It is a balance between the two.

 

[Revoltingest]

What I referred to was "standard forum etiquette". At least, it is standard on the other forums I being to. Although I suppose, thinking about it, that those are all science forums.

It's still the standard here, albeit with non-conformists. I recently
conversed with a poster making a grandiose claim without support.
When I questioned it, I was told that the information is obvious,
well known, & readily available on the internet.

Perhaps I should fully adopt this style....
"XYZ is true. This is fact...not opinion."
"To any challengers, go to the internet for evidence."
"You'll see that I'm obviously right."
"But if not, you're too biased for me to bother discussing it."

 

[Quintessence]

Yes, this is a real issue. In the UK there has already been a move to give sick pay immediately instead of after 3 days as normal.

The last thing we want is for people who are infectious to continue to go to work, because they are afraid of having their house or car repossessed!

Has the US yet sorted out free testing for Covid -19? That seems to be vital.

I don't know about free testing, but some private corporations are actually being bothered to do the right thing about this for once. Yesterday, Walmart announced it was going to provide paid sick leave, but the downside is that they are only doing it for this specific issue rather than bothering to provide it as a whole. Still, this situation has revitalized a much needed conversation to further worker's rights and hopefully a national law mandating 2 weeks paid leave regardless of crises will be coming soon.

 

[exchemist]

I don't know about free testing, but some private corporations are actually being bothered to do the right thing about this for once. Yesterday, Walmart announced it was going to provide paid sick leave, but the downside is that they are only doing it for this specific issue rather than bothering to provide it as a whole. Still, this situation has revitalized a much needed conversation to further worker's rights and hopefully a national law mandating 2 weeks paid leave regardless of crises will be coming soon.

I suspect a lot of stones will get turned over in the course of this episode. Social provision is one. Trump's cutbacks on federal disease prevention capacity - and maybe even the US private healthcare system - may be another. I don't know if this is still accurate but I read that the US has only tested 1700 so far, and they've already had 25 deaths from it. The UK, with a population of 25% or so of the US, has had 6 deaths (so at the same stage, proportionately to the population) but has tested 26,000. I read yesterday the NHS is ramping up capacity to test 10,000 samples per day, to get ready for the expected exponential rise as it takes hold. It has to be a lot easier with a national health system to deal with things like this. With a bit of luck this will serve to entrench expectations in the US that medical care is something every citizen should have by right, and should pay for via taxation.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Yes... taking care of your employees should be part of doing business.

I think the other end of the spectrum are employees who live beyond their means and then blame others for their lack. And then covet what they aren't willing to work for as their employers did.

It is a balance between the two.

I agree it's a balance. There certainly are cases of folks--especially caught in the cycle of generational poverty--who cannot budget properly and spend money they can't afford on luxury items.

But I feel there is a certain classism in chiding the working poor when they do splurge on an item that is often a symbol of participation in society: phones, TVs, the internet.

There is a good percentage of folks who work damn hard but are still poor. Bad decisions or not, they are participating and contributing to society--a highly commercialized society that espouses hard work to earn rewards.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Four hundred dollars is peanuts, but over 40% of Americans would be incapable of coming up with such a small sum of money without borrowing it from friends, family, or institutions.

"Peanuts"? "A small sum"? Excuse me? Have you ever been in real poverty in your life? I'm guessing not!

 

[Kenny]

I agree it's a balance. There certainly are cases of folks--especially caught in the cycle of generational poverty--who cannot budget properly and spend money they can't afford on luxury items.

But I feel there is a certain classism in chiding the working poor when they do splurge on an item that is often a symbol of participation in society: phones, TVs, the internet.

There is a good percentage of folks who work damn hard but are still poor. Bad decisions or not, they are participating and contributing to society--a highly commercialized society that espouses hard work to earn rewards.

No doubt and no argument.

There are all types of people in all of the spectrum of society. I have counseled people in the 6 figure range who were as incapable as the one making 16,000... You could say that guy at the 6 figure was poor but it was bad choices that got him there as it could be bad choices in the 16,000 range.

I was in the 16000 range at one time placing $3 a week per account: savings account, clothing, medical; entertainment making good choices. While we were raising 3 children and sometimes more. We were contributing to society.

However, today we are debt free and investing.

Today, people are judging the fruit of someone who worked for 50 years without considering what it took for us to get there.

BUT!!!

We do consider those who are at the beginning of the journey with love, consideration and helps.

 

[Sunstone]

"Peanuts"? "A small sum"? Excuse me? Have you ever been in real poverty in your life? I'm guessing not!

Your irony meter must be turned off.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Your irony meter must be turned off.

I guess so. How is it ironic?