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Working Hard?
Two related stories about working hard in the U.S.: U.S. workers are granted less (and take less) vacation time than workers in other industrialized nations. And if that wasn't enough, changes to the overtime laws will eliminate overtime pay for many workers.
Actually, the OT changes will benefit most Wal-Mart employees.
Under the current rules, any employee making more than $155 a week -- about $8,000 per year -- could be excluded from overtime...The good news is that the regulations would raise that cut-off amount to $425 a week -- about $22,100 per year -- actually adding about 1.3 million lower-wage workers to the ranks of people eligible for overtime."
The changes also make it harder for executives and those who make $65,000+ a year to claim overtime. Unfortunately, the majority of OT losses will come from "learned professionals", which could easily include computer techies.
Amazing! This is the direct opposite to the EU, where the employers power to demand you worked more than 40 hours, were stripped several years ago. I remember being asked by a former employer to sign a waver to allow me to work more than 40 hours if necessary. Naturally, guaranteed overtime was part of the deal.
Macka (UK).
We are a very materialistic nation -- the majority of us work to buy the things we want. The countries that take a lot of vacation days are generally the countries where the latest SUV and 5 bedroom house is not a necessity. Here in America, we need our ... STUFF!
Even with that said, America ranks up there with Japan and China (both very large countries surrounded by technology...)
Japan 10 days
China 15 days
U.S. 0 days
Besides, we go to work and read Slashdot -- the same thing generally happens during a 'vacation' day. May as well make money while you reload?
As long as it's either intellectually or monitarily fulfilling. I just wrote a long story about an all-hours project here, and despite some pain, I have nothing but positive things to say about the whole experience. One thing I didn't note in the article is that later that year my salary made a HUGE jump... the hard work paid off.
std::disclaimer<std::legalese> sig=new std::disclaimer; sig->dump(); delete sig;
Email them while you can. Or fax them at this number (202) 693-1432.
If you work in the IT industry at all, this promises to remove any right you have to overtime pay.
Actually, walmart gives 1 week a year to employees who've been there a year, full time.
After 2 years full time, 2 weeks paid off.
After 4 years, 4 weeks paid off.
After 7 years, 4 weeks off and 5 personal days guaranteed every year after.
Beat that.
That's also ontop of guaranteed 4 hours of holiday OT every major holiday, whether you work that day or not (you only have to catch a shift the day before or after to qualify)
And also in addition to the hefty profit sharing check that shows up in the mail 6 wks after you quit.
I received $3000 from Walmart when I quit 2 years ago. Enough money to buy a nice DV camera for myself.
Wouldn't ever work there again, but it was worth it for the money. Put me through college.
I was actually discussing this issue today with some friends of mine from Europe. The consensus was that yes, Americans work harder, but they're also rewarded more for doing so by being allowed easier upward mobility and better value for the money they earn.
:)
Work hard and smart in the US, and you'll find yourself retiring in your forties. The money that you make in a day will buy you more clothing, gasoline, food, etc., than most other places in the world.
As with anything in life, it's a trade-off. I have friends who take it easy at work. They come in late, leave early, etc. They're enjoying their lives, so to speak, but they'll have that same routine until they're all 65 (or older, if Social Security falls apart). Not me, bud. I'm working my ass off, and I'll probably retire within the next five years (before I'm 40).
If you don't like it, you can always move to somewhere more suitable to your work ethic, I guess. Personally, I'd move to Thailand.
Why are you letting these clowns ruin our country?
In fact, American workers are more productive per hour than their German and British counterparts.
Whoever modded the parent up got trolled hard.
Also check out this piece about minimum wage...
So, the EPI looked at only 3.3% (257 / 78)
Except you want to divide 78 by 257, which is 30%.
I never thought I would make one of those typical anal retentive slashdot posts correcting grammar, or some such, but it's actually a rather large point. 30% is a pretty large statistical sampling.
"Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean
You need to consider that the US compiles its unemployment statistics very differently than these countries. For instance, they consider those who don't receive unemployment checks any more as people who have stopped looking. Even though they don't have a job and are still looking for work, they aren't counted. The US is probably at least close if not above the 10% unemployment mark but there is no way to know.
<a href="http://www.joblessjimmy.com">Work is dumb and so is Jobless Jimmy.</a>
It'd be great to build furniture on your own time, you'd make good money (probably) and don't think you'd worry about OT.. I meant factory-style furniture work.. Which I have done before college.. Even the strongest guys get tired of pick up 100lb desk/table/cabinet.. whatever.. put down perfectly.. put in 5-10 screws and then pick it up and move it along all in less than 2 minutes.. It's boring, you're physically exhausted by bedtime, dirty as hell, and god help you if you're bothered by dust and such.. Physical work CAN be rewarding, but I still think most of the /. users would be in hell if they had to try most any manufacturing/factory job out there instead of doing what they do now.. I mean you can't sit on your ass, play with office toys, read slashdot, or eat twinkies while you work in many of the kind of places I'm talking about ;)
Wow, just wow. WHO modded this up and WHERE did you learn math? You do know that what you are actually saying is 257 of 78 job right, at least by your math.
I mean, you didn't even do it quickly in your head before you posted? It didn't even occur to you that 78 is kinda close to 80 and that 257 is kinda close to 240 and that 80 out of 240 is 33% and that its WAAAAY different than 3.3%?
Where do you work?
You need to consider that the US compiles its unemployment statistics very differently than these countries. For instance, they consider those who don't receive unemployment checks any more as people who have stopped looking. Even though they don't have a job and are still looking for work, they aren't counted. The US is probably at least close if not above the 10% unemployment mark but there is no way to know.
You are wrong. This is a misconception that a lot of people on here seem to have. Just because you are no longer collecting unemployment benefits doesn't mean that you aren't counted as umemployed. Here is a link from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Website that describes exact how they calculate the unemployment rate.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_faq.htm
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www.moneybythenumbers.com
Sir, you are mistaken. I did not make enough money to pay taxes, thus I was not eligible for the earned income tax credit. See, you have to "earn" income to get it.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
When you have more money to spend you can find more tax loopholes, so you pay less tax per dollar earned.
You are talking out of your ass. Lets look at the real numbers, ok?
In 2001, the average tax burdon as a % of income for all tax returns was 16.1%. Here are some examples to see how that breaks down:
- People that made between $19k-$22k/year paid 7.6% in taxes
- People that made between $40k-$50k/year paid 10% in taxes
- People that made between $100k-$200k/year paid 17.3% in taxes
- People that made between $1.0M-$1.5M/year paid 29.2% in taxes
What do you know- the more money you make, the higher your tax burdon is. In fact, the richest 1% of taxpayers account for about 20% of all income, but they pay over 37% of all income taxes in this country (Source).
In fact, most people who make really excessive amounts of money per year pay less taxes per dollar than those in lower tax brackets as a result.
Wrong. The highest income group (people that made over $10M in 2001) paid about 25.4%. Compare that with the 2.0% paid by the lowest income level.
The next time Daschle is on TV whining about the "tax cuts for the rich", keep these numbers in mind...
"The defense of freedom requires the advance of freedom" - George W Bush
Although I worried like hell about finding another job, the hours that I was working up until now were killing. 12 to 14 hour days regularly 7AM to 7PM with a boss that got upset if I applied for overtime. This was so bloody exhausting that I might very well have had a breakdown if I hadn't been canned.
This is in Switzerland, and you'ld be surprised at how many workers here in Europe will do this in order to hold on to their jobs.
You might want to take a look at how each country calculates its unemployment numbers. We are actually about even.
Well I'm the doctor and I say you're dead, so shut up and take it like a man!
According to a pie chart that came with my IRS tax paperwork, ~35% of the 2001 federal budget was spent on "social programs" (which doesn't include an additional ~17% spent solely on Social Security). Which is about twice as big as the ~17% spent on the departments of state and defense combined (you know, those things that everybody "knows" gets the most federal money spent on them). And that doesn't even go into state and local spending.
Of course, if you think one-third is a "very small amount..."
The quote is:
"People who work all day have no time to earn money."
by
John D Rockefeller
Well... a lot of leases include non-compete agreements. Meaning that the landlord will not lease space to two clients selling similar products/services.
Sure, it's what should be, and probably is, an unlawful agreement in restraint of free trade. Of course I wouldn't expect to actually win such a case. That would require way too much money.
That and, while you might not like to hear it, Blockbuster pretty much has it sewn up as far as what it takes to get the maximum profit and maximum customers on DVD rental.
As in, be a monopoly? I think we could definately undercut them and make a profit.
Basically, unless your plan included a special, never done before way that you could beat blockbuster's business plan, it's a hard sell to convince the landlord that you'd be successful and be able to pay him
Well, it does. As for convincing the landlord I could pay him, I have excellent credit and would be willing to put a year's rent in escrow. I could probably even get a few cosigners. The point is it never even reached that stage.
Well, I hear this, but then I see a local electronics store that happens to rent DVDs (Steve's TV) and they have at least 300 DVDs for rent. I know it probably isn't easy, but where there's a will, there's a way. ;-)
I wouldn't need or expect wholesale prices for dvd rental. I can easily obtain 300 DVDs at dirt cheap prices from Columbia House. I'm talking about thousands of DVDs, with hundreds of the same title. Columbia House doesn't allow that, and that in itself is a restraint on free trade.
Yes and no. Blockbuster is a natural monopoly, unlike some other ones, such as most phone companies. They're a monopoly because most customers like them (although I don't), not because they use underhanded tactics to force others from being unable to compete.
I'm not saying they use underhanded tactics to force others from being unable to compete. I'm just saying that the system itself discourages small businesses and competition. Between zoning laws and licensing issues, the things I've already mentioned and the many more that I haven't even brought up, it's very hard to compete with any large company. On top of that, most businesses utilize economies of scale. Without millions or even billions of dollars, or the connections to borrow it, you can't even think about competing.
By the way, the term natural monopoly is commonly used in economic theory, and it doesn't mean what you're using it to mean. In economic theory, local phone companies are a natural monopoly, and Blockbuster is not. This is because it would be terribly inefficient to have multiple companies running telephone lines down the same street. It's not so inefficient to have multiple rental places in the same area, however.
I generally have no problems with natural monopolies. Of course, perhaps I missed something, and Blockbuster is really a big bully...
I don't have a problem with Blockbuster per se. It's more with the regulations and agreements which make it so hard to compete with it.
Your math is wrong. what that says is that for high-income citizens, they could only defer up to 50% of their taxes (Roth IRAs, 401K, etc). They still paid tax on the rest of their income.
you also miss the point that the guy who's paying 30% of 50% of 200k/yr paid 30k in taxes. That's more than the total tax burden for 20 guys each making 15k/yr. Hell, his taxes could have _directly_ paid two of their gross incomes for that year.
And I guarantee, the guy making 200k/yr (or more) uses significantly fewer of those social programs he's paying for.
So to answer your question, I sell my consulting service to a specific type of professional. It's actually a market that gets little attention from small-time consultants, yet could really use their help. Consulting the individual professional in the field is the hot thing. So I sell that service, and then I consult and help their businesses so they can be better at what they do. And then I get a check.
The selling part, the part that eats the soul and carries a dark stigmatism with it, is the major part. I could sell vacumes but sell enough and you can pay the rent! However, I am always nice, professional, and when someone doesn't want something, or need it, I tell them up front.
Selling at first involved cold calling proferssionals at work, simply saying I though they might be interested in meeting to see if I can make their lives easier, etc, and if they want to meet we meet. If not, I say "Thank you and have a nice day." No problem. After hundreds of calls I've NEVER had someone irritated. Becauyse i don't bullshit. I say simply I want to meet to talk about helping them. STRAIGHT to the point in 10 seconds. And believe it or not, if I talk to 10 people, 2 will meet. So its a numbers game from there.
And the cold calling dwindles down a LOT once you work with someone and ger referrals. Service a client, get 5 referrals (lots of good books talk about how to get them easily and without irritating the client) and then I have 5 strong leads to call. Start getting refferals and you don't have to cold call.
So I'm a little vauge in answering exactly what I sell for my own reasons, but it's a consulting service for the individual professional of a specific profession. With that in mind, ask what you are good at? Learn a bit about selling and how to inform people that you are good at it, and know how to convery that your skill can help them save money, be better at thier jobs, and you can get checks for your work. That's the essence to self employment I'm talking about and that I do. And with that, you work harder, but not for less vacation time, as the post discusses. You get much more freedom than any 15 day pool of "days off" could ever give me in the corporate world.
I'll shut up now. One size does not fit all, this is just my expierience and the ways in which I think others can also help themselves.
RTT is for "Reduction du Temps de Travail" (Work time reduction).
These have been introduced with the 39->35 hours work week transition : in many positions (managerial, tech workers) where it's just not practical to work only 35 hours a week, people still do the 39 hour week, but are awarded "RTT" days in compensation.
You're misusing the phrase "natural monopoly." Normally, it's used to refer to something exactly like the phone company -- a company that is granted exclusive use of a (theoretically) limited resource, in this case the space for phone lines. The idea is that we can't have everyone stringing their own lines all over the place, so the government has to pick one company, or a small number of companies, to use the available space. Other examples include railroads and TV and radio broadcasters.
The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
This is because your HR department is hiring based on who can throw the most buzzwords on their resume and who can exaggerate their experience. Just like most of the companies out there.
For example, your "network engineer" bought a cert from Cicso and turned "hooked up some patch cables to a router" into "devised networking solutions utilizing Cisco technology" or some other such nonsense.
It is basically hit or miss with hiring, it seems. Everyone's resume looks the same and if you're lucky you'll actually get someone on board who cares about their job.
Java coders tend to be bad, because Java is so easy to learn that anyone can pick it up and take advantage of the "buzz wordiness" of it. Ask one of these guys to pick up another language or code something in C and they'll literally give you blank stares, though.
This problem effects job seekers who are truly motivated and want to do their jobs for real. Because they have to compete with people who hype their skills based on buzzwords. HR departments can not seem to discern between the real coders and the slackers.
One time a couple years ago I applied for a particular job. In the "phone interview" the guy repeatedly asked me if I was a "Java Professional." The fact that I have experience with a myriad oflanguages/technologies (including Java) was irrelevent to the guy. He wanted a "Java Professional" (i.e. someone who used Java exclusively for everything, even if it made no sense to use Java for a task), or in other words a one trick wonder.
When the people doing the hiring have that mentality, you're not going to get good software engineers.
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
It was meant to be funny but all these jokes are quickly becoming boring:
From http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004619.html
Casualties in World War II
Country Men in war Battle deaths Wounded
France - 201,568 400,000
Germany 20,000,000 3,250,0004 7,250,000
U.S.S.R. - 6,115,0004 14,012,000
United Kingdom 5,896,000 357,1164 369,267
United States 16,112,566 291,557 670,846
So the French army fighted only a few months (mainly Spring 1940) but had 2/3 of the whole casualties of the US for the whole war (Pacific included).
The myth of French blind surrendering was a legend born from at end of the disaster, when fron lines collapsed, Germans were everywhere and everything was lost, and from the following pro-Germans government of Petain, who said that the causes of the disaster were lazyness and a lack of will.
The causes of the defeat (the worst in our history) are more in the way the Germans organized their army than everything else.
Christophe (Don't hesitate to point out my spelling and grammar mistakes, I want to learn - Thanks).
Uh, isn't that where you find the problems that need solving?
re: executive compensation:
This article (quoted above) has only the virtue that it was first in my google results, but it does support my assertion.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Writing from Australia, I am unsure how relevant my post is for you guys in the US and the rest of the world.
The interesting thing I have found about the IT industry in Australia is the divide between people who joined a union and those who didn't join any union.
In Australia, as far as I know, there is no union directly for IT staff, but I know a few people who joined the ETU. This is the Electrical Trades Union, which is about the most left-wing, hard core union in Australia. Those that did this are on easy street. They had the ETU negotiate their pay and conditions and those guys take no prisoners. If the ETU blackbans a workplace, you don't get electricians to fix things, you lose your unionised IT staff, you effectively stop functioning.
Those who are not unionised have really fallen apart in terms of pay and conditions.
As for me? Well, I am joined another union, for media workers, and now enjoy nine weeks per year guaranteed holidays. So am I complaining, yeah, from my kabana in Cuba!
Is there a union just for IT staff in the US, and if so, what is the density of membership?
If the pattern goes 9am, 10am, 11am, why isn't noon 12am?
The problem with this article is that it does not reveal all of the changes that the Bush administration is planning on making to the FLSA. In a column by Molly Ivins published in the middle of last month (unfortunately I can't find a link to it at her site at www.creators.com, nor is there a link at www.sacbee.com where I normally read her column) she described a bill making it's way through Congress which will allow employers to give TOIL (time off in lieu) rather than paying overtime. This bill will also allow employers to defer awarding the TOIL for up to a year.
The upshot of these two proposals is to deny more workers the right to overtime and to allow employers to pay straight time for those workers who are entitiled to overtime. When you consider that the overtime rules were passed to encourage employers to add more workers (creating more jobs) rather than forcing their workers into overtime, which has costs to the workers far beyond the mere hours worked. In the end, this will have negative consequences for employment and will exacerbate the growing rich-poor gap in the US. It is not good policy.
Isn't theory a great place? Everything works in theory.
Nope.
His employees, who make $19 to 30k plus the income of their working spouse, are typical Americans.
[Set Cain on fire and steal his lute.]
So people relaxing on a porch are your reason for being an elitist dickhead?
Dude, I've lived in "the ghetto." A lot of people who live there work weekends and nights. Some people work jobs that call you in -- part time laborers who make a lot of money but only work a very slim amount of the time. You caught them in their relaxation time. So of course, they were relaxing.
Some of them are unemployed, but because they're in college, they're living off loans and their parents' assistance. They're studying to be doctors, lawyers, news photogrpahers, that sort of thing.
I live in the suburbs now, and occasionally take off on work days to fix things, etc. And yes, i like to sit on the stoop with the radio bumpin' and a cold coors six. I get 12 vacation days a year and hardly ever take them. Sometimes my neighbours aren't doign anything and they come over. One guy's retired at 55, worked his ass off for the state. Another's an electrician, he works 20 precise hours a week for $50 an hour and spends the rest of the time hoping somebody's wiring was done by the cutrate guys isntead of him. And there's kids on break from school, still looking for work; people who work on saturdays and get thrusdays off, all sorts of nonsense.
Working as a photographer is a pretty fun and stressful job, I've done it, but it doesn't give you the right to criticize people because of WHERE they live and WHEN they're outside. You're supposed to be discovering truth and beauty. Stop trying to make the world into some 700 club infomercial.
Hey freaks: now you're ju