Tuesday, October 5, 2010

That's just sick

From the NY Post:

The City Council is playing doctor again, prescribing a bitter-pill bill that can only poison New York business -- especially small business.

The council's demands: five days of sick leave for companies with fewer than 20 employees, and nine days for larger firms.

Even part-timers and contractors hit the sick-day jackpot -- all they have to do is work 80 hours to start accruing their days off.

But the council forgot to mention the bill's side effects, catalogued in detail in a study prepared for the New York City Partnership:

*$789 million a year in extra payroll costs -- most hitting the 88 percent of employers who already offer sick leave.

* Sick "days" that can be taken an hour at a time. Imagine that.

* And an average extra cost of $0.48 per hour per employee.

The council knows it can't pass new taxes directly, as much as it would like to -- so it's pushing the Paid Sick Time Act as yet another back-door redistributionist scheme.

But don't be fooled: It's a tax by another name, and it will pour salt in the

wounds of New York's employers, already smarting from the poor economy.

The construction industry -- reeling from 30 percent unemployment -- will be hit hardest of all.

So instead of getting new work, plenty of jobless New Yorkers will get nothing.


Here's a question for you... why do some employees get 5 days of mandated sick time and others get 9? I mean, either you "need" 5 or you "need" 9, right?

This bill is a joke. Imagine if the six-figure freeloaders on the council had to get real jobs?

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

10% unemployment. LETS DESTROY THE NYC JOB MARKET!!! This goes beyond belief.

Anonymous said...

Employers will pink slip lots of people and replace them with illegals who won't say anything about sick days. This is a Sanctuary City and the City Counil is just doing its job.

Anonymous said...

Two sicks days a year is enough. We dont need anymore companies hiring illegals because they never call in sick. You would never see business in Houston or Dallas allow this.

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness we don't live in Houston or Dallas, but in NY. All your arguments against mandatory sick leave have been used against all laws that protect workers - the eight hour day and 40 hour workweek, child labor laws, overtime pay, meal and rest breaks, etc - and none of those laws caused the business world to stop. Workers should not worry about losing their jobs if they take a day off to stay home when they or their children are sick. I don't want a sick person cooking or serving me in my favorite restaurant, or handing me my receipt and change in when I shop.

FlooshingRezident said...

Sick days? That's crazy! Let's just bring back the robber barons of the 19th century. Oh wait - we already have.

This country treats workers so badly. Now let's hold up the fear of being replaced by illegals to prevent additional benefits from being provided.

It's always people with benefits or seniors with their hefty pensions and SS benefits that are most opposed to ideas like this.

How about demanding that business owners share the wealth - what an outrageous idea! You know they're making a fortune when just about every contractor's wife is driving an Escalade. These people have tons of money - five days of sick leave a year is nothing. Corporate employees take much more than that.

And BTW - not everyone can be replaced by an illegal.

Queens Crapper said...

No, not every job can be filled by an illegal. Well, that's what they thought in the construction industry at one time...

This bill is aimed at people in low paying, unskilled jobs. So illegals could replace a number of them.

And no one has explained why some employees should be entitled to 5 days off and others should be entitled to 9 just because their employer is larger. Either 5 is the appropriate number to keep the population healthy, or 9 is. Let's be consistent.

And no, none of the previous laws caused the business world to stop, but this is forcing employers to pay people for an entire week without getting any productivity in return. That's a little different from giving workers a 1/2 hour lunch break.

Anonymous said...

"This country treats workers so badly."

Yes, that's why American citizens sneak into China, Thailand, Russia, Mexico and so many other places, because we treat workers poorly.

Anonymous said...

Every stupid new rule and regulation government puts in place pushes small businesses to use labor from the underground economy. Rather than helping on-the-books low-wage employees in small businesses, this will hurt them. The law of unintended consequences cannot be vetoed.

Devil's Advocate said...

On the other hand, is it fair for an employee to go to work with a contagious disease because they can't afford to stay home? Just sayin'...

Damn if ya do, damn if ya don't.

'Snot fair.

Achooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Devil's Advocate said...

On the other hand, is it fair for an employee to go to work with a contagious disease because they can't afford to stay home? Just sayin'...

Damn if ya do, damn if ya don't.

'Snot fair.

Achooooooooo!!!!!!!!

georgetheatheist said...

"Let's bring back the robber barons of the 19th century."

There were no robber barons. There were Captains of Industry.

Frank said...

I don't see how folks who live in a primarily working class borough can be against measures that help protect workers from being exploited by their bosses.

Anonymous said...

I don't see how folks who live in a primarily working class borough can be against measures that help protect workers from being exploited by their bosses.

http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2010/09/progressives-looking-to-hurt-small.html

In case you missed the earlier discussion.

Queens Crapper said...

How exactly does this measure prevent exploitation? There's a rule that says if you show up for work, you get paid. If you don't show up for work and get paid, that's called a benefit. We should not be mandating benefits.

Anonymous said...

This issue is nothing to sneeze at.

Anonymous said...

"I mean, either you "need" 5 or you "need" 9, right?"
--------------------------

EXACTLY..... That is the most important point of all. If this is 'needed' than why vary it?

Anonymous said...

"I don't see how folks who live in a primarily working class borough can be against measures that help protect workers from being exploited by their bosses."

Not getting paid sick leave is "explotation"? Wow. We have become a nation of the entitled. I wonder who paid the pioneers as they crossed the Rockies their sick days?

Anonymous said...

I have a job for all New Yorkers. Disband the City Council! They are a waste of taxpayer dollars. Let's use that money for lowering our real estate taxes.

Anonymous said...

Wow. We have become a nation of the entitled.

Yes, its what differentiates us from foreign countries where people work 12-14 hour days in shitty conditions and no protections for pennies an hour.

Anonymous said...

georgetheatheist said...

"Let's bring back the robber barons of the 19th century."

There were no robber barons. There were Captains of Industry.


Yes I suppose when you read the Reason magazine you might think that way.

Yes you needs child labor laws, OSHA, and worker protection when there were never any Robber Barrons treating were workers extremely bad in the 1920 and 30's.

velvethead said...

Pizza will become $5.00 a slice and all the dim witted ones will wonder why.

Frank said...

Working class folks should support measures that make life better for other working class folks. I worked for plenty of places that provided sick days and I'm sure many of you did as well. Did your offices grind to a halt because some folks called in sick?

And yes, I would call forcing sick people to choose between going to work or being able to afford rent exploitation. Besides that do you want a guy sick with the flu making your pizza?

Anonymous said...

Me:

-Highly educated
-Highly experienced
-Highly Skilled
-Millions in revenue for my company depends on what I do.

Number of paid sicks days I get: 0
Number of paid vacation days: 0

I'm sorry but anyone who's against this as a law is out of their fucking minds. I'd be a-ok with 5 paid sick days a year, but zero is ridiculous.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in my shoes in NYC right now. Big companies refuse to hire people now. Instead we're all fucking permatemps who just have to pray we never get sick, injured, etc.

georgetheatheist said...

Not to worry. You'll make big bucks soon at the Aqueduct "racino".

Anonymous said...

Why stop at 9 paid sick days? Why not 8, why not 10? Hey, why not make it 90 paid sick days? People can be sick for 90 days. It costs ZERO for the city council to pass these laws.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Why stop at 9 paid sick days? Why not 8, why not 10? Hey, why not make it 90 paid sick days? People can be sick for 90 days. It costs ZERO for the city council to pass these laws.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Sure five is enough. And if you need minor surgery just forget about your job and you can stay home and recoup for a long while.

This sounds like quiet fed influence from the upper echelon like those who complain about minor minimum wage increases ruining a business which is nonsense.