I have survived my second annual thinning of the herd

[MikeH]

Legislated protection for workers in the lowest quality jobs who have little or no power to negotiate terms.

Those are just the minimum rights, like I said most people in decent jobs will have something better.

[Dauphin]

Actually it's more complicated than 1 week per year service:
0.5 weeks pay for each full year of service where your age was under 22
1 weeks pay for each full year of service where your age was 22 or above, but under 41
1.5 weeks pay for each full year of service where your age was 41 or above

I think that will have to change due to age discrimination.

[KrazyHorse]

It should change because transaction costs of that magnitude are ridiculous

[Hauldren Collider]

The only good thing about the US minimum wage is that it is low enough to be virtually meaningless, and therefore doesn't cause much damage.

[Dauphin]

Yeah, you can't just fire someone for no reason.

You can if they've been employed less than a year IIRC.

[MikeH]

Yep.

And you can employ people on fixed term contracts... and various other exemptions.

[Hauldren Collider]

What's amazing is that people insist on these worker "protections" that really just make it harder for the less fortunate to get jobs.

[MikeH]

It should change because transaction costs of that magnitude are ridiculous

"of that magnitude"

It's not actually that much. In the vast majority of cases it's much less than 2 months wages.

[Dauphin]

It should change because transaction costs of that magnitude are ridiculous

It can result in odd employment decisions - including sacking people because their payout would be less than if they sacked others.

[MikeH]

What's amazing is that people insist on these worker "protections" that really just make it harder for the less fortunate to get jobs.

Proof please.

[MikeH]

It can result in odd employment decisions - including sacking people because their payout would be less than if they sacked others.

But people can make stupid decisions under any ruleset?

[C0ckney]

The only good thing about the US minimum wage is that it is low enough to be virtually meaningless, and therefore doesn't cause much damage.

yes heaven forbid people should be paid a living wage. imagine the damage that would cause!

[KrazyHorse]

Yep.

And you can employ people on fixed term contracts... and various other exemptions.

I seriously have no idea why you think workers should have more of a right to their employment than the unemployed person applying for work does.

[MikeH]

yes heaven forbid people should be paid a living wage. imagine the damage that would cause!

They'd have to reduce the number of servants?! How would all the bathrooms get cleaned?

[KrazyHorse]

"of that magnitude"

It's not actually that much. In the vast majority of cases it's much less than 2 months wages.

Given that the average term of employment is something like 4 years that is a transaction cost of 4-5%, which is quite large.