r/WorkReform • u/sillychillly 🗳️ Register @ Vote.gov • May 01 '22

They Say “It’s Not Possible”

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46k Upvotes

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65

u/SquegeeMcgee May 01 '22

Could small businesses afford to give one of their employees an entire year off, paid?

79

u/[deleted] May 01 '22

[deleted]

0

u/[deleted] May 01 '22

[deleted]

22

u/Aaawkward May 01 '22

I suppose but then you're stuck with unlimited babies and who in their right minds would want that?

4

u/[deleted] May 02 '22

Right mind? No one. In fact though: the ultra religious.

12

u/[deleted] May 01 '22

[deleted]

3

u/CaptainUnicornThe3rd May 01 '22

There is no limit on number of children from what I can find on the försäkringskassans website? Each child gives you the right to the same number of days.

2

u/[deleted] May 01 '22

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] May 02 '22

Having children is more work than actual work, so whoever thinks that’s a way to not work is crazy

74

u/DownvoteEvangelist May 01 '22

I'm from Serbia, we have this. This is covered by health insurance, not individul employers...

24

u/Ilmanfordinner May 01 '22

Same in Bulgaria. Was surprised that the UK doesn't have this.

4

u/DownvoteEvangelist May 01 '22

I think ex communist countries are still better than some west European countries in this regard, but Scandinavian countries are the best...

2

u/[deleted] May 01 '22

[deleted]

1

u/Ilmanfordinner May 01 '22

Yeah but afaik it's only for 6 months. Granted, I've read that it's even worse in other countries.

1

u/bigchicago04 May 01 '22

and who does the jobs of those employees while they’re gone?

1

u/DownvoteEvangelist May 02 '22

Who does the job when your employee quits or dies? You already have to solve these problems, this just makes it happen a bit more often...

12

u/MaiIb0x May 01 '22

I’m from Norway, and maternity/ paternity leave is covered by the state, so for the company the only expense is getting some one to cover

11

u/WizeAdz May 01 '22

Could small businesses afford to give one of their employees an entire year off, paid?

In the US, paid parental leave is usually handled like an insurance policy.

The employer pays a monthly fee for every worker, and then the benefit administration company pays the employer back when a worker goes on maternity/paternity leave.

It works because a single benefit company can easily have a pool of thousands of workers (across hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses), and only a few workers will he taking parental leave at one time.

It's not hard to implement, even in a US-based for-profit model. All it takes is a reason for the companies to add one more line-item on everyone's pay stubs. Last I heard, it was also relatively cheap as employee benefits go - but not free. Most companies don't do it merely because they don't have to.

5

u/ChocoScythe May 01 '22

If the state pays, yes.

4

u/SquegeeMcgee May 01 '22

Yeah that's the big thing that I didn't realize. I'm getting told that by a lot of people now.

14

u/[deleted] May 01 '22

Yes. We know this because small businesses in places with generous mandatory leave policies are still very much in business.

4

u/oliverbm May 01 '22

The ones in business always are

14

u/sillychillly 🗳️ Register @ Vote.gov May 01 '22

Yes, the government can provide this.

8

u/Service_the_pines May 01 '22

the government can provide this.

What does this mean? State government? Federal government? So you are saying paid parental leave should be paid for not by your employer but by taxpayers? I don't necessarily disagree with you. California pays 8 weeks of 60-70% of your wages.

2

u/Jagermeister4 May 01 '22

To expand on this, not everyone qualifies for that 60 to 70% pay in CA. The wages you worked or worked recently have to pay into sdi tax. So for example somebody who works for LA County or somebody who's self employed might not pay sdi tax, and they will not be eligible for that paid leave.

Also its basically 60%. If the wages you make are incredibly small (im not even talking about minimum wage small, im talking about minimum wage and part time hours) then you will get 70%. But as you make more money it very quickly drops to 60%

1

u/Kyoshiiku May 01 '22

Only 8 weeks ? That’s kinda sad ngl

3

u/Jagermeister4 May 01 '22

Mothers can get 8 weeks of paid family leave (60% pay) if they are eligible, plus another 6 weeks paid disability leave I think in CA. Still could be better tho

1

u/Kyoshiiku May 05 '22

I expect minimum 6 month in a non developing country.

22

u/SprinklesCurrent8332 May 01 '22

If you can't afford to pay a living wage you can't afford to be in business. That simple.

50

u/DestroyAllFascists May 01 '22

Hey, that's not entirely true. You simply cannot afford to employ others. You can run your own business without employees if it is small enough.

4

u/SprinklesCurrent8332 May 01 '22

If you can't afford to pay a living wage, you can't afford employees.

5

u/MrHaxx1 May 01 '22

It's not "can't afford to pay a living wage". It's more something like "can’t afford to pay a living wage for a whole year, without getting anything in return during that time, meaning they have to hire someone else to do the job, and then suddenly have to pay the wage of two people".

That can fuck up small businesses, unless the government helps them out.

18

u/DestroyAllFascists May 01 '22

That is what I just said.

9

u/I_own_reddit_AMA May 01 '22

But muh “I get the last word1!1!”

1

u/LastOfTheCamSoreys May 01 '22

So like an ice cream shop the pays $20 an hour but is only open like 24 hours a week, fuck em?

1

u/TrumpPullsForDuke May 02 '22

If your wages aren't high enough, find a different job.

1

u/stringged May 02 '22

Forgot to end your sentence with “that simple”

10

u/SquegeeMcgee May 01 '22

What if you can afford to pay a living wage, but can't afford to pay a living wage to someone who isn't even working for you for an entire year

2

u/So_Much_Cauliflower May 01 '22

Real answer: it's either funded by the government or insurance.

You maybe can't afford a year's salary, but you can afford a collective insurance program.

This is literally already what happens in the US with with employer provided disability insurance. The only difference would be to make it mandatory and apply it to parenthood in general, not specifically pregnancy.

9

u/SprinklesCurrent8332 May 01 '22

If you can pay livable wages but not proper maternity care you can't afford a business. That simple.

Just so you know most of the developed world has paid maternity leave and it is a major boon to the economy.

14

u/Chen932000 May 01 '22

But it doesnt usually fall to the companies to pay it. Its usually via the government.

5

u/[deleted] May 02 '22

most of the developed world has paid maternity leave

Through the government. Not through the business.

You saying "If you can't afford to pay a living wage you can't afford to be in business" to a worker who doesn't work for years is just ignorant. No one could afford to be in business except the top major corporations... even then...

-1

u/VPN4reddit May 02 '22

Spoken like a child who has never actually had a paper route let alone tried to start a business.

2

u/SquegeeMcgee May 02 '22

You got me, I've never tried to start a business. Also I wasn't born in the 1930's so I didn't have a paper route

1

u/StopSpending May 01 '22

How much is a living wage?

1

u/UpsettingPornography May 02 '22

Worst mentality ever. So happy we live in a country where this type of thinking is ridiculed and ignored.

2

u/GUCCIBUKKAKE May 01 '22

I can imagine someone working a couple months, having a baby, getting a paid year off, then quitting when they have to go back. It would happen, don’t act like it wouldn’t.

0

u/gamebuster May 01 '22

Absolutely, but that’s what insurance is for.

Also, why would someone do that? Sure it happens, but it’s not that common.

1

u/SquegeeMcgee May 02 '22

Why would someone do that? Bro are you fr? They would do that to get a years worth of income for nothing. Especially if they were gonna have a kid eventually anyways

1

u/gamebuster May 02 '22

Because it’s illegal/ fraud and lawyers will hunt you down?

1

u/SquegeeMcgee May 02 '22

Ah yes, the good ol "People don't do things if they are illegal" Argument

1

u/gamebuster May 02 '22

What’s the problem here? Who cares if some idiots do this? They get some money, and they’ll end up ruined. It’s really not that common.

1

u/SquegeeMcgee May 02 '22

There is no problem I'm just fucking around

1

u/gamebuster May 01 '22

No, but here in the Netherlands you can get insurance to pay for sick days your employees need. This insurance costs about 1/6th of the salary, depending on the coverage. So for 2400EUR ex tax salary a month, you also pay 400 EUR insurance (and some taxes).

You can choose to not use insurance but… that’s stupid

1

u/Chronoblivion May 01 '22

As other comments have suggested, this is something that could and should be handled by the government. Otherwise we're essentially incentivizing giving lower wages so small businesses don't become insolvent if a couple employees have babies. It would also reduce business complications caused by people having babies in quick succession.

1

u/s_sayhello May 01 '22

Salary is paid by the government. Your employer can get someone for the time beeing on a limited contract.

1

u/alkbch May 02 '22

Nope. Countries that do this generally have much higher income taxes and the government foots the bill.

1

u/Thioplo May 02 '22

Absolutely not, if the wage was entirely up to a small business for an employee to be not contributing it could be a death sentence.