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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?
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.
In fact, American workers are more productive per hour than their German and British counterparts.
Whoever modded the parent up got trolled hard.
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
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
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!
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