Business as usual

[Tom Dinning]

Watching people at work is such a pleasure, especially when I’m not asked to help.

Here are some I found along the way.

 

[Asher Kelman]

An excellent spread of widely different occupations!

Tom,

Allow me to offer my take on your well illustrated, really diverse selection.

Each job has built in an irony of being the job they chose and the little choice they may have had given their circumstances.

It’s like a slave work camp. But there’s open access, no barbed wire, and apparent “free choice”.

So, no one has a clue that they are sort of almost “volunteering” their services for free in a highly regimented clockwork machine controlled by the wealthy!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Tom,

Forgive me for drifting off topic:

It amazes me that we accept a company informing us, “You are allowed 2 weeks vacation a year!”

How did we get to a point where the employer assumes he can dictate how much vacation one chooses to spend in the countryside or with one’s family?

We boast about our “free society”!

Yet we accept interference with our free time allocation, by employers, as utterly normal!

It’s really flabbergasting to me!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

This one has a crowd!

​

I assume they are waiting for a large ferry, or are they all waiting to rent those small boats?

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

It amazes me that we accept a company informing us, “You are allowed 2 weeks vacation a year!”

How did we get to a point where the employer assumes he can dictate how much vacation one chooses to spend in the countryside or with one’s family?

Well, to be really precise, what the employer is usually saying is, "You are allowed to take 2 weeks of vacation and be paid while you are away from work, in a year."

Now, admittedly, if the employee were to say, "OK, but I would like to take a third week of vacation, realizing that I will not be paid for that third week", the employer might say, "No you can't."

We boast about our “free society”

!

Yet we accept interference with our free time allocation, by employers, as utterly normal!

Yes, work can really interfere with our lives.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi, Asher,



Well, to be really precise, what the employer is usually saying is, "You are allowed to take 2 weeks of vacation and be paid while you are away from work, in a year."

Now, admittedly, if the employee were to say, "OK, but I would like to take a third week of vacation, realizing that I will not be paid for that third week", the employer might say, "No you can't."



Yes, work can really interfere with our lives.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

Ha ha! ??

It’s not the work I object to but the self-appointed authority for employers to designate the number of weeks vacation allowed “free people”!

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

It’s not the work I object to but the self-appointed authority for employers to designate the number of weeks vacation allowed “free people”!

So do you believe that an employee should be able to determine how many weeks he should be able to take off from work while being paid his regular salary for that time?

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

It all backward, but national standards should allow up to 4 weeks vacation-sick time fully covered.

It’s backward, Doug that a person can not negotiate but just the employer “decides”. Employees of large companies should be able to take off up to 6 weeks with 4 weeks paid!

Every 5 years one should be able to take of 3 months!

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

Just FYI, in France, full time employees have the right to get 5 weeks of vacation per year (paid as worked).
Depending of contracts (so called "convention collective") they are more or less free to choose the date (usually, they have to get the company's agreement for the date).
The 5 weeks holidays have to be "used" form May to next May, otherwise there are lost… (that means that you cannot get 3 weeks en 2019 and 8 weeks in 2020)
The company have to accept a minimum of 2 weeks during Summer.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I think it’s archaic for companies to tell “free men” how many weeks vacation they get. It’s progressive for France to say 5 weeks paid vacation!

We have a lot to learn from the French besides, Bardot, bread, wine, cheese, Rafael and Chanel!

But a free person should be able to take off extra unpaid weeks up to about 3 months a year, but it would have to be arranged a 6 months to a year in advance!

That way employers would be prepared!

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

But a free person should be able to take off extra unpaid weeks up to about 3 months a year, but it would have to be arranged a 6 months to a year in advance!
Asher

It does exists here and written in the labor laws!
It is called "Congé sabbatique"
Read (in French) https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/droi...jets-pro-et-perso/article/le-conge-sabbatique

 

[Tom Dinning]

Employment is contractual here.
The workplace agreement is signed by both parties. Note the word ‘agreement’
The minimum conditions of employment are set down in law by arbitration which will change as the needs arise.
Minimum wage for different employees is set but an employer might chose to pay more, but never less.
Holidays are set by Fair Work Practices and are legislated and part of the contract.
4 weeks paid leave is usual which can accumulate.
The application for leave is negotiable and can be broken up.
Holiday loading can occur, where an employee will be awarded up to 15% on top of holiday pay.
Long service leave is awarded after 5 years at up to 2 weeks per year and accumulates for the life of the employment.

When Christine determined her retirement date she had accumulated 54 weeks of leave on ful pay. She took that before she retired.

That’s why Australia can survive economic crises and we are considered one of the top 5 democratic countries.

It’s also possible to negotiate a Work/Life Balance program with the employer to enable employees to work unconventional hours to suit their family needs.

Mind you, it has some issues where employers might mislead employees but the employee can be taken to task quite easily.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Tom!

Australia is ahead of the game.

Asher

 

[Tom Dinning]

Tom!

Australia is ahead of the game.

Asher

We’re ON the game.
Everyone else is behind.
NZ is even better.

 

[Tom Dinning]

This one has a crowd!

View attachment 1154





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I assume they are waiting for a large ferry, or are they all waiting to rent those small boats?

Asher

Fish markets.