However, if the whole shift calls in sick, somebody has to cover, and sometimes that means the manager.
I assume this is just restaurants, not construction as I think you referred to earlier, right?
Well, here if you work 32 hours per week, you are entitled to full-time benefits by law (one of the few sort of good things Obama did), and if you work more than 40 hours, you're entitled to 150% pay.
That IS pretty cool - though we don't have such a thing as "full-time benefits". No health insurance, and unemployment insurance is generally a percentage of what you earn (paid by the state).
I'd agree that we could use more paid vacation time, but if you've run out, it's pretty common for your boss to approve whatever unpaid time within reason. This is especially a thing for tipped workers, whose "paid vacation time" absolutely pales in comparison to what they make in tips, so unpaid vs. paid time off isn't a big difference to them. In my experience, it's very uncommon for the company to force overtime. For one thing, it's expensive, and for another, there will probably be at least a few willing volunteers who want that sweet, sweet paycheck.
I don't really get the impression that waiters are overworked, though they may be. But ordinary wage laborers, company men, etc.
I was once talking to a guy here who said that he has plenty of days off. 5 days PTO and 11 "sick days'. Of course, the concept of "sick days" was completely foreign to me. Here, you just call in sick as long as you're sick, there is no limit, which of course has its downsides as well - and above that you have several weeks mandatory PTO.
I don't think I'd want to do it like France apparently does; sometimes it's nice to have the option.
I actually agree. France is the other extreme. But workers shouldn't feel that they have to do it for their career. I've actually met people who do unpaid overtime just for their career, which I think is very bad (even if it were paid).
and that worker would get 5 sweet hours of golden time whenever it does happen.
Here, you pay 50% taxes on your marginal income, so it's not very "sweet" at all!
I assume this is just restaurants, not construction as I think you referred to earlier, right?
Restaurants, retail, hotels, casinos, golf courses, bowling alleys, movie theaters, call centers, and so on. I haven't worked construction, but I would guess that if the manager is a qualified welder, that he would fill in there as well. If not, well, either the project is getting delayed for a couple of days or they're going to be paying one of the other welders 150%. Which he could often then use to take unpaid vacation time, if he wants to.
unemployment insurance is generally a percentage of what you earn (paid by the state).
Yes, it's the same here, though the company is on the hook to pay at least some of it. (They tend to hate paying unemployment lol).
I don't really get the impression that waiters are overworked, though they may be.
Exactly. It depends on the restaurant in question.
But ordinary wage laborers, company men, etc.
Well again, if they do more than 40 hours, they're getting 150%. For company men (I assume you mean the laptop class), as a perk they will often get "unlimited" vacation time within reason, as long as their work is getting done.
5 days PTO and 11 "sick days'.
Yeah, that's a crappy company. It's very standard to offer 2 weeks PTO to new employees, often getting more the longer you work there. As far as sick days, it's not quite as bad as you think; usually you can use all of your sick time without any problems whatsoever, and going above that will start to get you written up, etc. You usually wouldn't get fired just for taking a 12th sick day. Also, if you call off 2 or more days in a row, you'll often get reduced penalties for the days beyond the first; they'll count it as a single incident. And if you bring a doctor's note, that usually helps as well. Finally, they'll sometimes throw in a few "personal days" per year as well. As I said, we could for sure use more PTO, but it's not as dire as I feel like you're thinking.
workers shouldn't feel that they have to do it for their career.
Yeah, I agree, but again, it's so expensive for the company that it's not a super common thing.
Here, you pay 50% taxes on your marginal income, so it's not very "sweet" at all!
No it isn't, and I'm pretty surprised that Europe doesn't pay OT. But now it's going to be extra sweet here, thanks to Trump's new no tax on overtime!
I assume this is just restaurants, not construction as I think you referred to earlier, right?
That IS pretty cool - though we don't have such a thing as "full-time benefits". No health insurance, and unemployment insurance is generally a percentage of what you earn (paid by the state).
I don't really get the impression that waiters are overworked, though they may be. But ordinary wage laborers, company men, etc.
I was once talking to a guy here who said that he has plenty of days off. 5 days PTO and 11 "sick days'. Of course, the concept of "sick days" was completely foreign to me. Here, you just call in sick as long as you're sick, there is no limit, which of course has its downsides as well - and above that you have several weeks mandatory PTO.
I actually agree. France is the other extreme. But workers shouldn't feel that they have to do it for their career. I've actually met people who do unpaid overtime just for their career, which I think is very bad (even if it were paid).
Here, you pay 50% taxes on your marginal income, so it's not very "sweet" at all!
Restaurants, retail, hotels, casinos, golf courses, bowling alleys, movie theaters, call centers, and so on. I haven't worked construction, but I would guess that if the manager is a qualified welder, that he would fill in there as well. If not, well, either the project is getting delayed for a couple of days or they're going to be paying one of the other welders 150%. Which he could often then use to take unpaid vacation time, if he wants to.
Yes, it's the same here, though the company is on the hook to pay at least some of it. (They tend to hate paying unemployment lol).
Exactly. It depends on the restaurant in question.
Well again, if they do more than 40 hours, they're getting 150%. For company men (I assume you mean the laptop class), as a perk they will often get "unlimited" vacation time within reason, as long as their work is getting done.
Yeah, that's a crappy company. It's very standard to offer 2 weeks PTO to new employees, often getting more the longer you work there. As far as sick days, it's not quite as bad as you think; usually you can use all of your sick time without any problems whatsoever, and going above that will start to get you written up, etc. You usually wouldn't get fired just for taking a 12th sick day. Also, if you call off 2 or more days in a row, you'll often get reduced penalties for the days beyond the first; they'll count it as a single incident. And if you bring a doctor's note, that usually helps as well. Finally, they'll sometimes throw in a few "personal days" per year as well. As I said, we could for sure use more PTO, but it's not as dire as I feel like you're thinking.
Yeah, I agree, but again, it's so expensive for the company that it's not a super common thing.
No it isn't, and I'm pretty surprised that Europe doesn't pay OT. But now it's going to be extra sweet here, thanks to Trump's new no tax on overtime!