New Zealand 2017 Election

[Sparko]

The poor and uneducated need time off and sick days as well. Additionally, tax payers end up footing the bill for the depredations of such employers.

The McJobs as you called them are lucky to get 20 hours a week in the first place. They have plenty of time off. What they would like is a full time job.

[guacamole]

They can take time off, they just may not get paid for it. Most service jobs aren't 40 hours/week anyway (especially thanks to Obamacare's requirements), so they can usually work around their schedule to do things most people would need to take time off to do.

Most weren't 40 hours a week before Obamacare. People who make their living in service industry often have to work two or three part time jobs to make ends meet.

What "depredations"? What bill?

Under paid service workers cost taxpayers money in things like medicare and food stamps. Places like Walmart often refuse to give people full time hours because then they have to pay benefits. We taxpayers subsidize the profits taken from such activities.

fwiw,
guac.

[guacamole]

The McJobs as you called them are lucky to get 20 hours a week in the first place. They have plenty of time off. What they would like is a full time job.

No. They work 2 or 3 jobs if they are trying to make ends meet.

[Sparko]

No. They work 2 or 3 jobs if they are trying to make ends meet.

Some do. But the jobs are not designed for a career (except maybe management positions) they are designed as cheap labor for people starting out in the job market with no experience, like teenagers or people who need a part time job (like students or retirees) and they fill their niche quite well.

[rogue06]

Walmart. A lot of other service McJobs.

IIRC, Wal-mart gives you a week's vacation during your first year and 2 weeks after your first year (and more as time goes on).

[Zymologist]

IIRC, Wal-mart gives you a week's vacation during your first year and 2 weeks after your first year (and more as time goes on).

For comparisons' sake, I work for an engineering firm, and after 6 years of experience I get 3 weeks a year. I got 2 weeks a year for my first 5 years.

[guacamole]

IIRC, Wal-mart gives you a week's vacation during your first year and 2 weeks after your first year (and more as time goes on).

If they give you full time work with benefits.

[guacamole]

Some do. But the jobs are not designed for a career (except maybe management positions) they are designed as cheap labor for people starting out in the job market with no experience, like teenagers or people who need a part time job (like students or retirees) and they fill their niche quite well.

And yet there are a staggering number of people who are not teenagers or retirees who are forced into such work by circumstances.

[Sparko]

And yet there are a staggering number of people who are not teenagers or retirees who are forced into such work by circumstances.

There are a staggering number of people who never bothered to learn any skills and have to take whatever unskilled jobs they can. That doesn't change what types of employees the fast food places designed their business model to utilize. Just because people have no skills doesn't mean the fast food place owes them anything special.

If I lost my nice skilled job today and had to get any job to hold me over until I could find another skilled job, I would gladly take a job at McDonald's as offered and not complain about it. I would thank them for what they gave me. It would be up to me to improve my situation, not them.

[rogue06]

If they give you full time work with benefits.

Again, FWIU, the full timers actually get more vacation time and some more benefits (since they usually make around the same pay as the PT workers).

[rogue06]

There are a staggering number of people who never bothered to learn any skills and have to take whatever unskilled jobs they can. That doesn't change what types of employees the fast food places designed their business model to utilize. Just because people have no skills doesn't mean the fast food place owes them anything special.

If I lost my nice skilled job today and had to get any job to hold me over until I could find another skilled job, I would gladly take a job at McDonald's as offered and not complain about it. I would thank them for what they gave me. It would be up to me to improve my situation, not them.

And a good number of these employers also offer financial assistance and other forms of support to those seeking to go to (or remain in) college

[Sparko]

And a good number of these employers also offer financial assistance and other forms of support to those seeking to go to (or remain in) college

When I was going to school I had to pay my own way. I worked at a KFC for a while. The job sucked, the pay sucked and the manager sucked. But it was all I was qualified for at the time. The job really incentivized me to complete my training and get a skilled job. Thank you KFC.

[rogue06]

When I was going to school I had to pay my own way. I worked at a KFC for a while. The job sucked, the pay sucked and the manager sucked. But it was all I was qualified for at the time. The job really incentivized me to complete my training and get a skilled job. Thank you KFC.

When I went to school we had to walk uphill - both ways. In waist deep snow in searing 90 degree heat.

[Sparko]

When I went to school we had to walk uphill - both ways. In waist deep snow in searing 90 degree heat.

Yeah me too. In fact, I remember you making me carry you because you didn't want to get your feet wet.

[guacamole]

There are a staggering number of people who never bothered to learn any skills and have to take whatever unskilled jobs they can. That doesn't change what types of employees the fast food places designed their business model to utilize. Just because people have no skills doesn't mean the fast food place owes them anything special.

If I lost my nice skilled job today and had to get any job to hold me over until I could find another skilled job, I would gladly take a job at McDonald's as offered and not complain about it. I would thank them for what they gave me. It would be up to me to improve my situation, not them.

Easy to say if you're not in the situation. My cousin lost his job and worked a year part time at Wally World before they gave him the chance to come on full time. They were hard years for him and their family. He had no benefits. No sick/vacation time. His hours could be reduced or changed at a moments notice. Despite his wife's job, they lost their house and had to move back in with his parents. He was dependent upon the good graces of management if he or one of his kids got sick. This was at the height of the recession. There were no other jobs to be had. Walmart had, and still has, low wage workers over a barrel--these are people with, for whatever reason, no other prospects (my cousin had a four year degree from a fundamentalist bible college, for whatever that's worth). These people still need paid time off. Because employers like Wally don't pay for their benefits (it's cheaper to have two or more part time people do one full time person's job), the rest of us pay for their food stamps and medicare. This is the plight of the "working poor"--people who work full time at multiple part time jobs because they have no other options.

fwiw,
guacamole