kerkko.fi

How many Americans actually know what labor laws are like in the rest of the developed world, and how many non-Americans know how bad it is here? Here are some details of the rampant unfairness in the American system:

1. Employers are not required to give any notice or any severance pay. Some do provide severance, but that is purely at their discretion and often accompanied with "sign or you don't get your money" waivers of corporate liability.

2. Employers are not required to provide any paid time off. No paid sick days, no paid vacation time, no paid maternity leave, no paid federal holidays. Many employers, even most, provide one or more of these things as a courtesy.

3. A company with fewer than 15 employees is allowed (in most states) to discriminate against employees on the basis of race, sex, national origin, pregnancy, etc. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act exempts small businesses.

4. Many, many jobs are not required to pay any overtime wage regardless of how many hours you work. This applies not just to executives and managers but to projectionists, carnies, cab drivers, and a host of other occupations.

5. Only 21 of 50 states require any meal or rest break time for adult employees (including both paid and unpaid breaks). Four more require breaks for minors but not adults. There is also no federal restriction on working hours.