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eCounsel group

A boutique firm with unparalleled expertise in business and technology. We have good command of industrial ecology and legal practice, and have undertaken highly regarded cases. Because the small business scope, we pay more emphasis on effectiveness and efficiency, and choose clients with deliberation. The managing partner not only has extensive experiences in various legal issues more over than 20 years, but invests and manages several technology companies. In addition, he always checks each case rigorously. Clients’ business objectives are our primary focus. To achieve the same in the most cost-effective fashion trumps all seemingly sophisticated legal discussions.

Part-timers' Rights

2016 - 11 - 27

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US unemployment rate is looking good. It rose to 10% in 2008 but has been at around 5% over the past two years.

美國的就業數據表面看來不差。失業率,08年金融海嘯後曾飆上10%,但最近這兩年都落在5%左右。

然而,因為失業數據裡不包括「對人生絕望不再求職的」、「打零工的」、「每月工資無法滿足食衣住行的」那些人,而他們也正是希拉蕊口中低教育程度、低工作技能、既可悲又沒尊嚴的”Deplorables”。看不見自己的未來,於是大家就送給了川普四年「讓美國再次偉大」的未來。

計時工必然賺很少嗎?

美國餐飲業普遍的現象,小費(通例是收銀機帳單金額的10%以上),是顧客在付帳時隨自己開心給的。如果不算速食業,那種坐下來好好吃頓飯、有服務員去桌邊幫你點菜的餐廳,在大城市裡,平均每餐加上非酒精飲料和甜點,一個人吃到US$40(不提中餐晚餐價格差異、也更不提開上一兩瓶葡萄酒動輒餐費翻倍)以上根本不算件事。服務到讓客人開心,小費給15%同樣也不算件事。以平均每桌二人、五名服務員伺候二十桌、每天每桌從中餐到晚餐總共做了三輪來計算,那家餐廳當天的小費會收到:

20 * 3 * 2 * $40 * 15% = $720
這金額除以五,每位服務員當天平均進帳$144

他們如果每月工作22天,不算基本時薪(各地不同,但多$10/hr起跳),小費就能月收$3,168;你沒看錯,正是台幣十萬。這只是算還可以的餐廳,但絕非頂級餐廳。此外,IRS統計,有40%以上的小費(老美吃飯付現金的比例不低),是被服務生暗槓根本沒報稅的,比正職上班族還爽。
只從這種計時工界算不差的例子去看,他們要爭什麼勞動權?

嗯嗯,你是以為月收美金四千多能在大城市過什麼好日子啊?

再者,這數學人人會算,高級餐廳桌邊服務甚至侍酒的技能卻非人人都有,大部分的服務員也就只是手腳快嘴巴甜長相不醜的跑堂而已。要爭這種位子的,比比皆是。他每個月都能做好、做滿、還做到老嗎?請了個假,老闆還會繼續給他足夠的時數嗎?臨時缺人手,叫他卻叫不動(比方說,得去小孩學校的親師會),和餐廳以及其他同仁間的關係又能顧得周全嗎?

因此,美國各地方政府,就開始規範這些小事,比方說「排班的班表要二星期前貼出來」、「臨時更動班表的話時薪必須增加」等等。業主擔心其人事支出暴增、運營彈性降低,自然光火。別以為台灣的老闆才會對這種事情反彈;人性,全球皆然。

Employers call scheduling regulations a solution in search of a problem and say workers initiate most scheduling changes. They warn such laws would remove employer autonomy and penalize businesses because of a small group of bad actors.

They say the regulations boost employer costs and reduce flexibility. “I will have to raise my prices,” said David Jones, who owns two Subway sandwich shops in Seattle. He says the scheduling law adds a “complicated layer” to the cost of the recent Seattle law increasing the minimum wage. Mr. Jones expects many employers to try to cut costs by not fully covering shifts, “So when somebody calls in sick, everyone will just have to work harder.”

聽起來很熟悉,對吧?不過,傳統上親資派的共和黨這次席捲全美,而川普卻又靠這些「可悲的人」選上,這趨勢明後年會怎麼走,大家都說不準啊。

新聞來源:
Local Governments Arrive on Schedule to Buttress Part-Time Workers

圖片來源:
chrisada @Flickr CC BY 2.0

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